EXCLUSIVE: Justice Department memo reveals legal case for drone strikes on Americans  —  Tribesmen examine the rubble of a building in southeastern Yemen where American teenagerAbdulrahmen al-Awlaki and six suspected al-Qaida militants were killed in a U.S. drone strike on Oct. 14, 2011.

Republicans Are Upset That Obama Is Giving Remarks At The Same Time As Eric Cantor's Speech  —  GOP officials take to Twitter to voice their discontent.  —  Image by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Getty Images  —  WASHINGTON — Republican aides are calling out the White House for scheduling President …

The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2013 to 2023  —  Economic growth will remain slow this year but is expected to speed up next year.  Even so, CBO projects that the unemployment rate will remain above 7.5 percent through 2014.  —  Read the report  —  Macroeconomic Effects of Alternative Budgetary Paths

Michelle Obama's posterior again the subject of a public rant  —  They're at it again.  —  The latest public rant against Michelle Obama's effort to promote low-calorie school lunches was recently caught on tape in Alabama — the usual protest against the federal government meddling in local business.

MPs vote overwhelmingly in favour of gay marriage - politics live blog  —  Sort by:  —  8.03pm GMT  —  The carry over motion was passed by 464 to 38 - a majority of 426.  —  All the votes related to the gay marriage bill are now over.  —  8.01pm GMT  —  Here's a pro-Cameron take on the result.

The Disgusting Consequences of Plastic-Bag Bans  —  Conservatives often point out that laws, no matter how benign they may appear, have unintended consequences.  They can reverberate in ways that not many people foresaw and nobody wanted: Raising the minimum wage can increase unemployment; prohibition can create black markets.

North Korea video shows US city in flames after missile attack  —  YouTube video shows city ablaze in scenes reminiscent of 9/11, as South Korea claims nuclear test imminent in Pyongyang  —  It begins benignly enough, with an image of a sleeping young North Korean man …

Jon Favreau, President Obama's head speechwriter, is departing  —  Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau, who at times lit up social media as well as the president's addresses, is leaving.  —  President Obama and his head speechwriter, Jon Favreau, work in the Oval Office.

Dems start out ahead in Iowa Senate election  —  Steve King is the overwhelming favorite of Iowa Republicans to be their Senate candidate next year...and trails every Democratic candidate we tested against him by at least 7 points.  It's the story of the last two election cycles for Senate Republicans.

The Menendez Dilemma  —  Prostitution is both legal and widespread in the Dominican Republic, where as many as 100,000 women are part of the industry in a nation that has become a major sex-tourism hotspot of the Caribbean.  So it would not be a crime for Sen. Robert Menendez to have availed himself …

EXCLUSIVE: RAND PAUL RESPONDS TO RON: ‘CHRIS KYLE WAS A HERO’  —  In the aftermath of Ron Paul's despicable tweet today slamming US Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, murdered on Saturday while helping a fellow soldier learn to cope with post traumatic stress syndrome, Paul's son, Senator Rand Paul …

Seven million will lose insurance under Obama health law  —  President Obama's health care law will push 7 million people out of their job-based insurance coverage — nearly twice the previous estimate, according to the latest estimates from the Congressional Budget Office released Tuesday.

The GOP's ObamaCare Flippers  —  How the law's perverse incentives—and the health lobby—captured Arizona's Governor.  —  As D-Day looms for ObamaCare, one big question is how many states will sign up for its Medicaid expansion.  The recent and spectacular flip-flop of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer …

Eight Senators Vote To Block Violence Against Women Act  —  Eight Senators on Monday voted not to consider the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a bill that protects victims of domestic violence.  The Senators who voted against moving to debate on the bill were: Sens. Ted Cruz …

7-year-old playing an imaginary game at school gets suspended for real  —  LOVELAND, Colo. — A 2nd grader has been suspended from school in Loveland for a make believe game he was playing.  —  The 7-year-old says he was trying to save the world.  But school administrators say he broke a key rule during his pretend play.

Study: Global Warming Can Be Slowed By Working Less  —  A new analysis suggests that a more ‘European’ schedule would reduce the effects of climate change  —  Want to reduce the effects of global warming?  Stop working so hard.  Working fewer hours might help slow global warming …

Pentagon to extend certain benefits to same-sex spouses  —  Jeff Sheng/AP - In this June 23, 2012 photo provided by Jeff Sheng, Navy Chaplain Kay Reeb of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America officiates the civil union ceremony of Air Force Tech.  Sgt. Erwynn Umali, right …

House GOP thinks unthinkable on defense cuts  —  The Republican mantra for decades has been: cut NPR, EPA and the National Endowment for the Arts.  —  Now add the Pentagon to the list.  —  In the modern history of the Republican Party, it would have been unthinkable.