China joins U.S., Japan, EU in condemning North Korea nuclear test  —  (Reuters) - North Korea conducted its third nuclear test on Tuesday in defiance of existing U.N. resolutions, drawing condemnation from the United States, Japan, Europe and Pyongyang's only major ally, China, which summoned the North Korean ambassador to protest.

Watching Obama for Signs of Change  —  WASHINGTON — On Tuesday night, the president will address the nation and Congress on the state of the union.  But many will watch as well for signs of the state of Barack Obama.  —  Inside the White House and out, advisers and associates have noted subtle …

Sarah Palin tries to stay relevant  —  CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post incorrectly reported that Sarah Palin planned to contribute to the Al Jazeera America news network.  —  The Sarah Palin Story is a cautionary tale about what can happen when politics and celebrity meet.

Hearsay Economics  —  Jonathan Chait is boggled by Joe Scarborough's latest rant.  (Dear Jon: I am not “prickly”: I'm aggressive and annoying.  But that's by design, and I only do it when the situation calls for it.)  What's really striking is Scarborough's certainty that we're experiencing …

Ex-Tea Party Rep. Joe Walsh insists he's not trying to stop paying child support  —  After insisting he wasn't a “deadbeat dad” throughout his failed campaign for re-election, ex-U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh is still dogged by questions about child support.  —  Walsh, a flame-throwing Tea Party Republican …

Republican senators threaten Chuck Hagel filibuster  —  Some Senate Republicans are prepared to filibuster Chuck Hagel's nomination to become the next secretary of defense, a rare maneuver to block a Cabinet-level nominee that demonstrates the lingering hostility from GOP senators toward a man who used to serve with them.

Why I Am Running  —  I'm running to serve, and I mean that in the old fashioned patriotic sense of the word.  —  In my military career, at the U.S. Naval Academy, as a Navy aircraft carrier pilot, and as a Navy SEAL, I learned one thing above all else - serving others is more important than being served.

Nugent: ‘I Will Be Taking On Media Orgy’ After SOTU  —  Outspoken rocker Ted Nugent will attend President Obama's State of the Union Address Tuesday in order to take on the media and “counter the scams and lies of the left,” he explained to talk radio host Mike Broomhead Monday.

Millions Improperly Claimed U.S. Phone Subsidies  —  The U.S. government spent about $2.2 billion last year to provide phones to low-income Americans, but a Wall Street Journal review of the program shows that a large number of those who received the phones haven't proved they are eligible to receive them.

What Marco Rubio Doesn't Understand About Debt And The Economy  —  Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will deliver the official Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union address tonight.  While Rubio has been pitched as the “savior” and “new face” of the GOP, a preview of his speech gives …

Esquire article wrongly claims SEAL who killed Bin Laden is denied healthcare  —  Esquire magazine claims “The Man Who Killed Osama bin Laden ... Is Screwed.”  —  The story details the life of the Navy SEAL after the successful raid to take out the No. 1 terrorist, and it asserts that once …

The ‘Die Hard’ Quandary  —  Later this week, the fifth installment of the “Die Hard” movies is scheduled to open in theaters across the country.  “A Good Day to Die Hard” stars, once again, Bruce Willis as John McClane, a too-stubborn-for-his-own-good cop who has to stop a highly trained army …

2 charged with murder in Hadiya Pendleton slaying  —  Two reputed gang members were out for revenge from a previous shooting when they opened fire on a group of students in a South Side park last month, killing 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton in a heartbreaking case that has brought national attention …

CEMENTING A LIBERAL LEGACY WHILE IGNORING 2014  —  MEMO … In recent weeks, President Obama and his team have made no secret of the fact that the Inaugural Address and the State of the Union is a two-step process to outline an aggressively liberal and partisan agenda for their second term.