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 …

Civil War's A-Brewin'  —  A pretty, young, auburn-haired woman - mid-20s - drove down a lonely country road somewhere in Oklahoma.  Appearing in her rearview mirror, at the back windshield, were two menacing orbs of light floating amid ashen dusk.  The guttural roar of a souped-up big block shook …

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 …

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 …

Dell Said to Be in Buyout Talks With Private-Equity Firms  —  Dell Inc. (DELL), the personal-computer maker that lost almost a third of its value last year, is in buyout talks with private-equity firms, two people with knowledge of the matter said.  —  Round Rock, Texas-based Dell is discussing …

Exclusive: CBS forced CNET staff to recast vote after Hopper won ‘Best in Show’ at CES  —  The Dish Network's Hopper wasn't simply in the running: it had actually taken the top prize  —  On Friday, news broke that CNET had been forced by its parent company CBS to remove the Dish Network's Hopper set-top box …

Defending diversity record, Obama hints at naming more females  —  President Obama on Monday defended his record on diversity after mounting criticism over his recent Cabinet-level appointments, and hinted that additional female appointments could be coming in his next round of nominees.

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 …

EXCLUSIVE: ANDY WE HARDLY KNEW YE: SULLIVAN UNCEREMONIOUSLY DUMPED BY DAILY BEAST  —  According to a credible source with inside knowledge of the matter, the actual reason Andrew Sullivan and the Daily Beast are parting ways at the end of this month has nothing to do with some high-falutin' …

Brazilian Bikini Waxes Make Crab Lice Endangered Species  —  Pubic lice, the crab-shaped insects that have dwelled in human groins since the beginning of history, are disappearing.  Doctors say bikini waxing may be the reason.  —  Waning infestations of the bloodsuckers have been linked …

Malian Town Falls to Islamist Rebels, France Says  —  PARIS — The French defense ministry said on Monday that a town in central Mali had fallen to Islamist insurgents from the north, hours after Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said his country's dramatic intervention there had succeeded …

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 …

White House tells Paul Ryan it won't meet budget deadline  —  The White House has informed House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) that it will miss the legal deadline for sending a budget to Congress.  —  Acting Budget Director Jeff Zients told Ryan (R-Wis.) …

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 …

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 …

Jenny Sanford to skip race for Congress … Former South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford said Monday she will not run for Congress.  —  Sanford, who has four sons with ex-governor Mark Sanford, said her family comes first.  She also took a swipe at the Republican-controlled House.