Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell Reach Filibuster Reform Deal  —  FOLLOW:  —  Video, Filibuster, Filibuster Reform, Filibuster Reform 2013, Harry Reid Filibuster, Harry Reid Mitch Mcconnell, Harry Reid Mitch Mcconnell Filibuster, Harry Reid Mitch Mcconnell Filibuster Reform, Jeff Merkley Filibuster Reform …

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.

New Mexico Bill Would Criminalize Abortions After Rape As ‘Tampering With Evidence’  —  FOLLOW:  —  Video, Abortion Tampering With Evidence, Cathrynn Brown Abortion Bill, New Mexico Abortion Bill, New Mexico Abortion Evidence, New Mexico Abortion Law, New Mexico Rape Abortion, Politics News

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.

Republican Electoral College Plan Would Undermine Democracy  —  Republicans are struggling to right their ship after the defeat of 2012.  The unfavorable demographic trends for the GOP that we describe in our new book, Barack Obama and the New America, have sunk in, and the party knows it must do something.

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 …

Hillary Pitches a Benghazi Shutout  —  ‘What difference, at this point, does it make?’  —  In five hours of Congressional testimony Wednesday, Hillary Clinton took “responsibility” for the mishandling of the terrorist attacks on U.S. diplomats in Benghazi without ever saying she was responsible for much of anything.

In malpractice case, Catholic hospital argues fetuses aren't people  —  Lori Stodghill was 31-years old, seven-months pregnant with twin boys and feeling sick when she arrived at St. Thomas More hospital in Cañon City on New Year's Day 2006.  She was vomiting and short of breath …

Mark Zuckerberg Will Hold Fundraiser For Chris Christie  —  The tech mogul and his wife “admire [Christie's] leadership on education reform and other issues and look forward to continuing their important work together on behalf of Newark's schoolchildren,” a spokesperson tells BuzzFeed.

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?”

Vine: A new way to share video  —  Today, we're introducing Vine: a mobile service that lets you capture and share short looping videos.  Like Tweets, the brevity of videos on Vine (6 seconds or less) inspires creativity.  Now that you can easily capture motion and sound, we look forward to seeing what you create.

The Silly Conservative Freak-Out Over Women in Combat  —  Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced Wednesday that the Pentagon plans to lift a 1994 prohibition on women serving in combat roles.  The announcement prompted an ill-informed outcry from conservatives, who were perhaps unaware …

Gov. Sam Brownback Seeks to End Kansas' Income Tax  —  TOPEKA, Kan. — President Obama stood on the steps of the Capitol in Washington on Monday afternoon and laid out an expansive liberal agenda for the nation.  Inside the Kansas State Capitol here this week, Gov. Sam Brownback …

Is Facebook envy making you miserable?  —  Below:  —  Latest market data  —  LONDON (Reuters) - Witnessing friends' vacations, love lives and work successes on Facebook can cause envy and trigger feelings of misery and loneliness, according to German researchers.

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 …

NYT's Jim Roberts takes buyout  —  New York Times assistant managing editor Jim Roberts is leaving after 26 years with the paper, making him the ninth staffer on record to leave the Times as it seeks to cut 30 positions from the newsroom.  —  “After 26 years at the New York Times …

Bill proposed in Oregon would make cigarettes prescription-only drugs  —  If you're a regular smoker, you may want to keep an eye on a new bill in the Oregon Legislature.  —  Rep. Mitch Greenlick, from Portland, is sponsoring a bill that makes cigarettes a Schedule III controlled substance …

The Reality That Awaits Women in Combat  —  A Pentagon push to mix the sexes ignores how awful cheek-by-jowl life is on the battlefield.  —  America has been creeping closer and closer to allowing women in combat, so Wednesday's news that the decision has now been made is not a surprise.

Ex-Prosecutor Mary Jo White Appointed S.E.C. Boss  —  Updated President Obama tapped Mary Jo White, a former United States attorney turned white-collar defense lawyer, to be the next chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  —  Mr. Obama announced the nomination at the White House on Thursday afternoon.

Donald Boudreaux and Mark Perry: The Myth of a Stagnant Middle Class  —  Household spending on food, housing, utilities, etc. has fallen from 53% of disposable income in 1950 to 32% today.  —  A favorite “progressive” trope is that America's middle class has stagnated economically since the 1970s.