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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 …
Discussion:
Ross Douthat, ABCNEWS, CNN, The Heritage Foundation, msnbc.com, Salon, The Moderate Voice, The New Republic, Washington Examiner, New Economic Perspectives, The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo, American Prospect, Outside the Beltway, The Plum Line, Business Insider, The Maddow Blog, Prairie Weather, Post Politics, Washington Free Beacon, The Week, Hullabaloo, CANNONFIRE, Daily Kos, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and Balloon Juice
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Obama press conference: Refusing to raise debt ceiling ‘absurd’ — President Barack Obama used the last press conference of his first term to try to grab hold of the debate over fiscal responsibility which will define the beginning of his second. — Obama repeated his call …
Discussion:
Questions and Observations, Taylor Marsh, The New Republic, The Other McCain and Business Insider


Obama chides GOP on debt limit: ‘We are not a deadbeat nation’ — President Barack Obama ratcheted up pressure on congressional Republicans to authorize an increase in the nation's debt limit, warning of potentially catastrophic results for many Americans and the overall economy if the U.S. were to default on its obligations.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars

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.
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Bloomberg wants to change the GOP
Discussion:
Post Politics and Booman Tribune

Obama says he'll outline gun-control proposals by the end of the week
Discussion:
Politico


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 …
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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 …
Discussion:
Historiann, Prairie Weather and First Read

Full Transcript of President Obama's Press Conference — The following is the complete transcript of President Obama's press conference on Monday in Washington. (Transcript courtesy of Federal News Service.) — PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Please, have a seat, everybody. Good morning.
Discussion:
The Political Carnival and The Daily Dish


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 …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Hit & Run and Althouse
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Bush 41 released from hospital — (CNN) - Former President George H.W. Bush was discharged Monday from the hospital in Houston where he spent several weeks receiving treatment for bronchitis, a bacterial infection and a persistent cough, his spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement.
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Politico
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Maryland Gov. O'Malley to push for tougher gun-control rules — Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley will seek to institute some of the nation's strictest gun-licensing requirements, ban assault weapons and restrict visitor access to schools in one of the most expansive government responses sought …
Discussion:
ABCNEWS and Post Politics
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Newtown police chief adds voice to call for assault weapons ban
Discussion:
Business Insider, The Raw Story and National Confidential


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 …
Discussion:
Media Decoder, Betabeat, Deadline.com and TechCrunch, more at Mediagazer »

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 …
Discussion:
First Read, msnbc.com, USA Today, Washington Examiner, Business Insider, CNN, Hot Air, Politico and New York Times


Militants in Mali Advance Despite Airstrikes — By DREW HINSHAW in Bamako, Mali, and DAVID GAUTHIER-VILLARS in Paris — Militants allied with al Qaeda on Monday pushed into territory controlled by the Malian army despite French airstrikes over the weekend on rebel strongholds in the country's north …
Discussion:
The Jawa Report and Hot Air
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French Jets Strike Deep Inside Islamist-Held Mali
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The Independent, Via Meadia, Wall Street Journal, BBC, Guardian, IHT Rendezvous, Lawfare and Wired

Solve This Problem — With a ponderous condescension that ill-befits a recently failed presidential candidate and a United States Senator who has largely distinguished himself by drawing attention to the vast gulf that separates him from his own party, Jon Huntsman and Joe Manchin have penned …
Discussion:
Paul Krugman
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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 …
Discussion:
BGR, AllThingsD, The Next Web, The Verge, TechCrunch, National Confidential, Vodkapundit and Business Insider

Mike Simpson rips Raul Labrador for trying to oust Boehner as Speaker — Rebellion against Boehner erupts into a rare public feud between Idaho's two congressmen. — Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson says fellow Republican Rep. Raul Labrador has forever undermined his effectiveness with an …
Discussion:
Politico


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 …
Discussion:
American Spectator, Roger Ailes and Washington Free Beacon


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.
Discussion:
nation.foxnews.com, Boing Boing, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and The Raw Story