Ted Cruz's Bogus Attack on Hagel  —  Senate Armed Services Committee member Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) (L) talks with committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) (R) as they and former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) arrive for Hagel's confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of defense on Capitol Hill January 31, 2013 in Washington, DC.

Waitress Who Posted No-Tip Receipt From “Pastor” Customer Fired From Job  —  Earlier this week, we posted a story about a restaurant customer who not only chose to deny the waitress a tip, but also wrote “I Give God 10% Why do you Get 18?” on the receipt.  Now we've learned that the server who posted the receipt online has been fired.

Majority Says the Federal Government Threatens Their Personal Rights  —  Views of Congress: Problem Lies with Members, Not the System  —  OVERVIEW  —  As Barack Obama begins his second term in office, trust in the federal government remains mired near a historic low, while frustration with government remains high.

RNC ends 2012 in the black  —  The Republican National Committee ended the 2012 presidential cycle in the black, the party announced Thursday.  —  The committee ended the year with $4.7 million in cash on hand, and raised $378 million over the last two years.

Tough questions follow Al Gore book tour  —  If you thought Al Gore was a media darling, you haven't seen his latest book tour.  Although Gore has been selective in which outlets he appears on to promote his new book, “The Future,” they haven't treated the former vice president with kid gloves.

Geraldo contemplating run for Senate  —  Television personality and radio host Geraldo Rivera announced Thursday he's “truly contemplating” a run for Senate in New Jersey.  —  “I mention this only briefly, fasten your seatbelt,” Rivera said on his radio show.

Biden: New gun controls won't likely end shootings  —  Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged that new gun laws would not “fundamentally alter” the likelihood of another mass shooting, though he insisted there has been a “sea change” in American views on guns in the wake of Newtown.

Snort: Senators reportedly in ‘shock’ over Hagel's ineptitude, bumbling  —  Stop, our aching sides!  This reminds us of the shock ... SHOCK ... when President Obama totally blew the first debate.  Remember, he even had to jet off to California to soothe the shock and worry of “deeply shaken” big-time celebrity donors.

Japan's ‘Cool Hand Luke’ moment for surface temperature  —  At NASA's Climate 365, there is an interesting story posted with this statement and a graph:  —  Some say scientists can't agree on Earth's temperature changes … In sync?  Weellll, not quite.  Japan apparently hasn't ‘got their mind right’ yet as the graph shows:

Lautenberg calls Menendez predicament ‘too bad’  —  New Jersey's United States senators, Frank Lautenberg (left) and Robert Menendez (right) appear at a press conference in Washington earlier this month.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)  —  WASHINGTON — Frank Lautenberg said today …

Senate passes debt ceiling, no-budget no-pay bill  —  With little fanfare Thursday, the Senate agreed to suspend the nation's $16.4 trillion debt ceiling until May 19, postponing the specter of default that threatened the nation as early as February.  —  The vote was 64-34.

David Vitter takes flak for Marco Rubio comments  —  Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-Fla.) associates, furious about fellow Republican Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) calling the Floridian “nuts” and “naïve” over his immigration reform efforts, are hitting Vitter where it hurts.

Time Inc. Cuts Some 500 Jobs, Biggest Layoffs in Years  —  Time Inc., the publisher of magazines including Time and Sports Illustrated, has begun eliminating about 6% of its head count — nearly 500 jobs — in the biggest round of cuts at the company since 2008 .

Globe reporter Glen Johnson joins Kerry's staff  —  Boston.com politics editor Glen Johnson is resigning to take a post as a senior State Department adviser, working for John F. Kerry.  —  Johnson, 50, a 27-year journalism veteran who has covered five presidential elections, said his focus would be on strategic communications.

Obama's Jobs Council Shutting Down Thursday  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will let his jobs council expire this week without renewing its charter, winding down one source of input from the business community even as unemployment remains stubbornly high.

How Conservatives Sabotage Their Own Cultural Criticism  —  A case study in which National Review contributors discuss the merits of rap.  —  Flickr/Slippy Slappy  —  Every so often, conservatives lament that the music, books, movies, television shows, and video games that shape social norms …