Sarah Palin Parts Ways With FOX News  —  After a three-year run as a paid contributor to the nation's highest-rated cable news channel, Sarah Palin and FOX News have cut ties, according to a source close to the former Alaska governor.  —  “It's my understanding that Gov. Palin was offered a contract by FOX …

Boehner full of regret over ‘fiscal-cliff’ moves  —  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is sharing his regrets about his “fiscal-cliff” strategy, less than a month after the House bitterly swallowed a last-minute deal hatched in the Senate.  —  In a private speech to the Ripon Society on Tuesday …

AP NewsBreak: Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin says he will not seek 6th Senate term  —  CUMMING, Iowa — U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin will not seek re-election in 2014, the Iowa Democrat said Saturday.  —  The 73-year-old Harkin told The Associated Press in an interview, “It's just time to step aside,” …

Michigan legislators weigh changes to Electoral College rules  —  Some Republicans want to replace current winner-take-all vote with proportional system  —  Lansing — Michigan is one of five states debating changes to how its Electoral College votes are counted as part of a Republican push …

Five Races in Which the Gun Debate Matters  —  In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., the politics of gun control turned upside down — or so the proponents of increased firearms regulations would like to believe.  The reality, however …

Statement by Chairman Pearce on recess appointment ruling  —  Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit issued a decision finding that the Jan. 4, 2012 recess appointments of three members to the National Labor Relations Board were invalid.  In response, Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce issued the following statement:

Obama Shakes Up White House as He Names Chief of Staff  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to shake up his White House staff on Friday, installing a new team largely made up of familiar faces moved to different positions as he gears up for an intense push on sweeping legislation early in his second term.

Who had the worst week in Washington?  Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).  —  Wednesday didn't start out badly for Sen. Ronald H. Johnson.  —  Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin who was elected in 2010, drew national headlines — and praise from conservatives — for pushing Secretary …

Clinton Added Teeth To CRA, Obama Turned Them Into Fangs  —  Despite new evidence the Community Reinvestment Act led to riskier lending and played a key role in the subprime mortgage crisis, the Obama administration is broadening the anti-redlining regulation's authority and scope, spooking bankers.

Starting Today, It's Illegal to Unlock Your Cellphone  —  You likely have a cellphone that you bought from a carrier, like AT&T, Verizon or Sprint, and that phone only works on that carrier's cellular and data network — unless you “unlock” it.  —  That is a software process that allows …

Gun Laws and the Fools of Chelm†  —  The individual is not only best qualified to provide his own personal defense, he is the only one qualified to do so.  By David Mamet.  Get the full issue of Newsweek today on your iPad and other editions.  —  † A city in eastern Poland.

Cold Wave Cut Murders in New York City Significantly  —  It's an old saw that murders spike during hot summers, when city dwellers flee their apartments for the streets and tempers soar along with the mercury.  Less, however, has been said about the effect of extreme cold spells on mankind's capacity for violence.

N.J. Mayor Cory Booker Helps Rescue Freezing Dog  —  While out working on a story in freezing New Jersey, a reporter and camera crew from New York station WABC-TV noticed a dog left out in the cold.  —  Hours later, when they passed by again and saw that the dog was still outside …