Bobby Jindal speaking truth to GOP power  —  Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will deliver a forceful denunciation of his party's Washington-centric focus in a speech to the Republican National Committee on Thursday evening, arguing that the GOP is fighting the wrong fight as it seeks to rebuild from losses at the ballot box last November.

Virginia State Senate Moves Ahead on Electoral College-Rigging Bill  —  Congressional clerks open certificate envelopes from different states during a joint session of the 113th Congress to count the Electoral College votes January 4, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Democrats launch plan to turn Texas blue  —  National Democrats are taking steps to create a large-scale independent group aimed at turning traditionally conservative Texas into a prime electoral battleground, crafting a new initiative to identify and mobilize progressive voters in the rapidly-changing state …

Feinstein revives assault-weapons ban  —  Bill faces tough going in the Republican-controlled House. … WASHINGTON — California Democrat Dianne Feinstein will begin her fourth full term as a U.S. senator much as she started her Senate career: fighting for a ban on assault weapons.

Obama's Second-Term Wish List  —  An agenda that puts climate change ahead of jobs and deficits won't win the House in 2014.  —  President Obama's 15-minute, 2,108-word second inaugural address followed the old wedding advice to offer “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.”

Boehner, Ryan gamble on pledge to balance the budget in 10 years  —  Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) pledge to back a Republican budget that balances within 10 years raises the political stakes for his party and sets up another major test of his leadership.  —  Democrats eyeing a takeover …

Final election count: Right bloc 61, Center-Left 59 seats  —  After the last vote is counted, officials say Ahmad Tibi's party Raam-Taal drops from five seats to four, while Naftali Bennett's party gains one, Kadima party makes it over the threshold with two mandates.

Bipartisan Filibuster Deal Is Taking Shape in the Senate  —  WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic and Republican leaders are nearing an agreement on new limits to the filibuster, an effort to speed action in the often-clogged chamber by prohibiting senators from using a common tactic to slow the legislative process.

Democratic Senators Face Gun Owners Roused by Talk of New Laws  —  BECKLEY, W.Va. — Talk of stricter gun control has stirred up a lot of unease here, a place where hunters vie for top prize (a 26-inch LED television) in the Big Buck Photo Contest, and ads for a gun-simulator game ask, “Feel like shooting something today?”

North Korea to target U.S. with nuclear, rocket tests  —  (Reuters) - North Korea said on Thursday it would carry out further rocket launches and a nuclear test that would target the United States, dramatically stepping up its threats against a country it called its “sworn enemy”.

Pentagon Is Set to Lift Combat Ban for Women  —  WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is lifting the military's official ban on women in combat, which will open up hundreds of thousands of additional front-line jobs to them, senior defense officials said Wednesday.

House Democrats propose opening gun makers to civil liability  —  House Democrats on Tuesday proposed legislation that would ease current law to allow people to file civil law suits against gun manufacturers and others in the industry when they act irresponsibly.

Middle East and North Africa  —  Libya  —  Avoid all but essential travel to part(s) of country  —  Avoid all but essential travel to whole country … Travel advice for this country  — We are aware of a specific, imminent threat to Westerners in Benghazi.

The “acting alone” fallacy  —  President Obama said this in his 2nd inaugural address: … I object to this move, which seems to have become popular with Democrats in the past couple years, of equating “doing things together” with government.  To suggest that anyone who'd like to see less …