General consensus: Rubio water flap shall pass  —  Sen. Marco Rubio's inopportune case of cotton mouth during his State of the Union response may slow his rapidly rising stock, but will likely have no little lingering impact on his 2016 prospects, Republican operatives said Wednesday.

Senate to vote Friday on Chuck Hagel  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday moved to end the Senate debate on whether to confirm Chuck Hagel to become the next secretary of defense.  A vote is set for Friday.  —  The move was necessary, he said, because he could not come …

Stand and Fight  —  Before I tell you how the NRA and our members are going to Stand And Fight politically and in the courts, let's acknowledge that all over this country, tens of millions of Americans are already preparing to Stand And Fight to protect their families and homes.

CNN Slides Ever Lower  —  There isn't much left of the CNN brand, but there is still a little room to sink deeper-and today, CNN did.  Compare and contrast: CNN's panel is excited about Chris Dorner.  They can understand why lots of people think he is a “superhero.”

Sen. Burr: CIA Has ‘Flatly Refused’ to Give Intel Committee Some Benghazi-Related Documents  —  (CNSNews.com) - Sen. Richard Burr, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said that the CIA has “flatly refused” to give some Benghazi-related documents to the committee …

Students Told to Stop ‘USA!’  Chant, Take Off American Flag Bandanas  —  Four California high-school students were reportedly suspended for chanting “U.S.A!  U.S.A!” and wearing American flag bandanas during a basketball game.  While their punishment has since been rescinded …

33.5 Million Tune in to Watch President Obama's State of the Union Address  —  On Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 President Barack Obama delivered the first State of the Union address of his second term in office.  The address was carried live from approximately 9:00 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. on 15 networks and tape delayed on Univision.

Pentagon creates new medal for cyber, drone wars  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — They fight the war from computer consoles and video screens.  —  But the troops that launch the drone strikes and direct the cyberattacks that can kill or disable an enemy may never set foot in the combat zone.

This Guy's Car Got Stuck at 125mph—for an Hour  —  A real-world screening of Speed ended with a small miracle of bureaucratic coordination.  —  Shutterstock/Snvv  —  It started with a trip to a supermarket.  It ended with a high-speed chase, a frantic call to police, a highway-bound ballet …

Can the Republicans be Saved From Obsolescence?  —  One afternoon last month, I paid a visit to two young Republicans named Bret Jacobson and Ian Spencer, who work in a small office in Arlington, Va., situated above an antique store and adjacent to a Japanese auto shop.

Pistorius Charged With Murder in Shooting of Woman  —  JOHANNESBURG — Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, who made sporting history by becoming the first double amputee sprinter to compete in the Olympics, was charged with murder on Thursday after a woman was fatally shot in his home in Pretoria …

The New New Republic  —  I don't recognize the magazine I used to own.  We were liberal but not narrowly partisan.  —  Like many readers of the New Republic, I didn't at first recognize the most recent issue of the magazine.  The stark white cover was unlike anything the New Republic ran during my 35 years as the owner.

Ministers knew of the risk from illegal meat last year  —  The Government knew last summer that a sudden ban on cheap British beef and lamb meant it was “inevitable” that unlawful meat would be imported from Europe.  —  MPs will demand today that the food watchdog is given powers …

Republican Congressman Ridicules His Party For Lame Hashtag  —  Rep. Justin Amash says Republican leadership are wrong to try to blame Obama for the sequester — especially with such a terrible Twitter hashtag.  “I think it's kind of 2008.”  —  WASHINGTON — Rep. Justin Amash has a message …

Should Law Reviews Consider Race When Selecting Articles?  —  I recently discovered that Scholastica, a competitor to Expresso in the electronic journal submission process, allows authors to submit demographic information, including an author's gender identity, sexual orientation, race …

Time Warner in talks to part ways with Time Inc.  —  Exclusive: Meredith is in talks with media giant Time Warner to buy most of its Time Inc. publishing business.  —  Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes  —  FORTUNE — Media giant Time Warner has begun discussions to separate itself from Time Inc. …

Dem lawmaker tweets college co-ed, then deletes messages  —  Rep. Steve Cohen repeatedly tweeted, and then deleted, messages to a woman on Twitter who his office is calling “the daughter of a longtime friend” and who has the same name as a Texas State University blonde bombshell featured in a college co-ed calendar.

Paul Broun: ‘I was the first to call Obama a socialist’  —  Since he jumped into the U.S. Senate race last week, Paul Broun has insisted on presenting a calm, cool and constructive demeanor.  —  After the State of the Union address last night, the on-message Republican congressman …