Treasury: We won't mint a platinum coin to sidestep the debt ceiling  —  The Treasury Department will not mint a trillion-dollar platinum coin to get around the debt ceiling.  If they did, the Federal Reserve would not accept it.  —  That's the bottom line of the statement that Anthony Coley …

Official Statement from the family and partner of Aaron Swartz  —  Our beloved brother, son, friend, and partner Aaron Swartz hanged himself on Friday in his Brooklyn apartment.  We are in shock, and have not yet come to terms with his passing.  —  Aaron's insatiable curiosity, creativity …

The Obama Synthesis  —  AS both his critics and admirers argue, the nomination of Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense last week tells us something important about Barack Obama's approach to foreign policy.  But so does the man who was nominated alongside Hagel, to far less controversy and attention …

Beijing Air Pollution Off the Charts  —  BEIJING — One Friday more than two years ago, an air-quality monitoring device atop the United States Embassy in Beijing recorded data so horrifying that someone in the embassy called the level of pollution “Crazy Bad” in an infamous Twitter post.

Mass Paris rally against gay marriage in France  —  The BBC's Hugh Schofield said the organisers did not want to be seen as homophobic  —  Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Paris over plans to give gay couples in France the right to marry and adopt children.

Powell: GOP has ‘a dark vein of intolerance’  —  While continuing to identify as a Republican, former Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday criticized the GOP for a series of racist attacks against President Barack Obama.  —  “There's also a dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the party …

NRA president predicts assault weapons ban won't pass Congress  —  The head of the National Rifle Association (NRA) on Sunday predicted that efforts to pass a ban on assault weapons would fail.  —  In an interview on CNN's “State of the Union with Candy Crowley,” NRA President David Keene …

Top Dems urging Obama to raise debt ceiling all voted against increase in '06 … On Friday the Democratic leadership of the Senate — Majority Leader Harry Reid, Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin, Conference Chair Charles Schumer, and Conference Secretary Patty Murray …

US scientists in fresh alert over effects of global warming  —  US National Climate Assessment reveals that severe weather disruption is going to be commonplace in coming years  —  Global warming is already having a major impact on life in America, a report by US government scientists has warned.

Sen. Rubio: Obama has ‘poisoned the well for people’ on immigration reform  —  Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a congressional leader on immigration reform and long considered a likely 2016 presidential candidate, criticized President Obama for “poison[ing] the well” on the reform effort …