Exclusive: Beyoncé lip-synched Star Spangled Banner at inauguration  —  Beyoncé did not sing the national anthem live at President Obama's inauguration.  —  Millions of viewers around the world were stunned by the singer's spectacular rendition of the anthem but The Times …

NBC/WSJ poll: Majority, for first time, want abortion to be legal  —  As the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision takes place on Tuesday, a majority of Americans - for the first time - believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Reid to lay out plans for filibuster reform  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will present colleagues with options for reforming the Senate's filibuster rules in a Democratic caucus meeting Tuesday.  —  Reid and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) …

The Collective Turn  —  The best Inaugural Addresses make an argument for something.  President Obama's second one, which surely has to rank among the best of the past half-century, makes an argument for a pragmatic and patriotic progressivism.  —  His critics have sometimes accused …

Obama speech reveals a different leader  —  President Obama has never lacked for confidence, but rarely has that attribute been on display as clearly as on Monday in an inaugural address that underscored the distance he has traveled after four contentious years in office.

House Republicans plan to keep debt limit but suspend it until May  —  Forget about raising the federal debt limit.  House Republicans are proposing to ignore it altogether — at least until May 18.  —  The House plans to vote Wednesday on a measure that would leave the $16.4 trillion debt limit intact …

TRENDING: CNN Poll: Do Americans agree with Obama on climate change and immigration?  —  Washington (CNN) - Saying “we will respond to the threat of climate change,” President Barack Obama used his second inaugural address to put the divisive issue back on the front burner.

State school-board president defends Hitler post on Facebook  —  Not comparing him to Obama, she says  —  State Board of Education President Debe Terhar said she was not comparing President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler when she posted a photograph of the Nazi leader on her Facebook page …

Sarkozy's plans 'to dodge new 75% French tax rate by moving to London with wife Carla and setting up £1bn private equity fund'  —  Nicolas Sarkozy is preparing to move to London to set up a billion pounds plus investment fund, it was claimed today.  —  If the move goes ahead …

Republican Official Hangs Upside Down American Flag In Protest Of Obama's Inauguration … The head of the Mon Valley Republican Committee in Pennsylvania is facing backlash from his local community after displaying an American flag upside down — a statement usually meant as a distress signal …

Humans are plague on Earth - Attenborough  —  Humans are a plague on the Earth that need to be controlled by limiting population growth, according to Sir David Attenborough.  —  Sir Attenborough said commentary from presenters like himself are becoming less necessary as camera work is able to tell a story

‘The Dream is Now’—Steve Jobs' widow launches new Dream Act push  —  The teenage girl peers into the camera, ready to divulge a secret.  —  “All my siblings are documented except me,” says the girl, identified onscreen as Cendy.  “I know I have a lot of potential but that I might not get there because my status will hold me back.”

ISUE4U: State sued over banned vanity plates  —  Issuing vanity license plates now may officially be more trouble than it's worth.  —  Hours after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a story last week about the state's arbitrary approval process of vanity license plates for motor vehicles …

Let elderly people ‘hurry up and die’, says Japanese minister  —  Taro Aso says he would refuse end-of-life care and would ‘feel bad’ knowing treatment was paid for by government  —  Japan's new government is barely a month old, and already one of its most senior members has insulted tens …

McDonnell displeased with GOP redistricting push  —  Gov. Bob McDonnell said yesterday's surprise redistricting effort from the members of his party in the state Senate was something he only learned about right before it happened.  —  Senate Republicans used the absence of one Democrat …

Study: “Debt Problem Began Four Decades Ago” … A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reminds Americans that, contrary to the narrative that huge deficits and debt are merely a recent product of the Great Recession, the problem began over forty years ago.

Veteran stands up for 2nd Amendment at Chicago anti-gun forum  —  After enduring hours of derision and mockery by the panelists at a Chicago-area guns “forum” Sunday, one man in the audience stood up and addressed the crowd, identified himself as a veteran, and proceeded to give a straightforward …

Obamas attend National Prayer Service  —  President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama capped off more than three days of public inaugural events Tuesday with the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral.  —  The Obamas were joined by Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill.

Obama shoves idealism into its grave  —  A young reporter who has covered only President Obama's first term has already witnessed several political epochs.  —  Obama's election was a symbol of reconciliation in America's longest, bloodiest conflict — the one that produced Antietam.

Taliban responds to Prince Harry: 'It's not a game—it's very, very real'  —  Taliban leaders have fired back at Prince Harry over the royal's comments that piloting a helicopter in Afghanistan—where he says he killed insurgents during his recent tour of duty—is like playing a video game.

The Presidential Gum Chew  —  This was no subtle chew, or light mastication.  It was full-on chomping.  Watching the Inaugural Parade from the presidential reviewing stand Monday, President Obama worked on what appeared to be a wad of chewing gum.  —  Caught by cameras for all to see …