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 …

In Gun Control Debate, Several Options Draw Majority Support  —  Gun Rights Proponents More Politically Active  —  OVERVIEW  —  While the issue of gun control remains divisive, there are clear areas of agreement when it comes to a number of gun policy proposals.

Clarence Thomas breaks long silence during Supreme Court oral arguments  —  Justice Clarence Thomas broke his nearly seven-year silence at Supreme Court oral arguments Monday.  But no one is sure exactly what he said.  —  Thomas seemed to be making a light-hearted joke about lawyers trained …

GOP Rep. Threatens Impeachment If Obama Uses Executive Order On Guns  —  The conservative discord in the wake of the Newtown, Conn. massacre went up another octave on Monday when Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) threatened to file articles of impeachment if President Obama uses an executive order to try to reduce gun violence.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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' …

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.) …

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.

Americans Buy Enough Guns in Last Two Months to Outfit the Entire Chinese and Indian Armies  —  Honest Americans Bought Enough Guns in November and December to Outfit the Entire Chinese and Indian Armies  —  The Obama Administration is the number one threat to the nation's gun rights advocates.

Va. governor's proposal to eliminate gas taxes finds many fans among businesses  —  Alexandria Yellow Cab driver Sultan Sakhi has been driving for 24 years.  All Alexandria Yellow Cab drivers own their own vehicles and pay for their upkeep — and every month, Sakhi puts more than $1,000 worth of gas into his Toyota Camry.

Obama says he'll outline gun-control proposals by the end of the week  —  President Obama said Monday he would outline his plan to reduce gun violence by the end of the week, but he declined to say whether an assault weapons ban would be central to that effort.

SCOTUS won't disturb GOP voter fraud decree  —  The Supreme Court on Monday declined the Republican National Committee's request to lift a three-decade-old court order that limits the national GOP's ability to challenge voters' eligibility at the polls.  —  The case, Republican National …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Frank Lautenberg Aide Slams Cory Booker For “Morning Joe” Interview  —  “Booker is stealing [Lautenberg's] ideas and marketing them as his own,” an aide charged.  —  U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)  —  Image by Mark Wilson / Getty Images  —  The latest sticking point …

Jodie Foster Stops Lying  —  Full transcript here.  Her date last night, believe it or not, was wife-abusing, homophobic anti-Semite, Mel Gibson.  Would you entrust your young sons to a man with Gibson's violent and vile history?  A highlight of her narcissistic, self-loving speech: