Double trouble: House GOP eyes default, shutdown  —  House Republicans are seriously entertaining dramatic steps, including default or shutting down the government, to force President Barack Obama to finally cut spending by the end of March.  —  The idea of allowing the country to default …

Legal Case Strained Troubled Web Activist  —  Just days before he hanged himself, Internet activist Aaron Swartz's hopes for a deal with federal prosecutors fell apart.  —  Two years ago, the advocate for free information online, who was known to have suffered from depression …

Americans' Dissatisfaction With Gun Laws Spikes to 38%  —  Close to four in 10 say gun laws should be stricter, up from 25% in 2012  —  PRINCETON, NJ — In the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., school shootings, and as Vice President Joe Biden leads a federal task force that will recommend ways …

Lies on Gun Background Checks Are a Focus Both Sides Agree On  —  WASHINGTON — Nearly 80,000 Americans were denied guns in 2010, according to Justice Department data, because they lied or provided inaccurate information about their criminal histories on background-check forms.

In California, It's U.S. vs. State Over Marijuana  —  STOCKTON, Calif. — Matthew R. Davies graduated from college with a master's degree in business and a taste for enterprise, working in real estate, restaurants and mobile home parks before seizing on what he saw as uncharted territory …

SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT  —  The New Year's Day vote in Congress that brought a temporary truce to the fiscal wars showed the Republicans to be far more divided than the Democrats, and the division broke along regional lines.  House Republicans from the Far West and from the Northeast favored …

Apple Cuts Orders for iPhone Parts  —  Apple Inc. has cut its orders for components for the iPhone 5 due to weaker-than-expected demand, people familiar with the situation said Monday.  —  Apple's orders for iPhone 5 screens for the January-March quarter, for example, have dropped to roughly half …

Journal News gun permit map used by burglars to target White Plains home?  —  A White Plains residence pinpointed on a controversial handgun permit database was burglarized Saturday, and the burglars' target was the homeowner's gun safe.  —  At least two burglars broke into a home on Davis Avenue …

Meet the softball: David Gregory and Colin Powell  —  “Meet the Press” isn't what it used to be.  After a remarkably softball interview with President Obama on New Year's Day, moderator David Gregory on Sunday let former secretary of state Colin Powell filibuster through one question after another …

‘Game Change’ scores at the Golden Globes  —  HBO's “Game Change,” based on the 2008 campaign book by journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, took home three Golden Globes at Sunday's ceremony, including in the category of best television miniseries or television movie.

Scarborough Apologizes To Mika Brzezinski For Rant On ‘Morning Joe’ (VIDEO)  —  Joe Scarborough on Monday apologized to his “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski for accusing her of hypocrisy over the lack of women in President's Obama's inner circle last week.

EXCLUSIVE: Teacher claims discrimination over fear of kids  —  MARIEMONT — A longtime French and Spanish high school teacher is suing the Mariemont school district, alleging it discriminated against her because she has a disability - she has a phobia of young children.

Harry Reid Disavows Report Linking Him to Bribery Case  —  (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid broke days of silence on Sunday evening to deny any knowledge or involvement in a Utah case in which a man claims to have funneled money to others …