Marco Rubio Has Learned Nothing  —  Because his party has learned nothing.  —  OK, back up: this morning the papers and the web are full of nuance-sniffing, as people try to find omens in the SOTU and the GOP response.  I don't think I can add anything useful to all that.

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 …

Pentagon to Start Awarding Medals for Drone Strikes and Cyberattacks  —  The Defense Department is reportedly inventing a new medal designed to reward soliders who fight battles from the safety of their computer consoles.  The Associated Press says the Pentagon is creating a new ribbon …

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  While their punishment has since been rescinded …

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 …

Obama Pushes for Increase in Federal Minimum Wage  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama called on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour from $7.25 and to automatically adjust it with inflation, a move aimed at increasing the earnings of millions of cooks, janitors, aides to the elderly and other low-wage workers.

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. …

Graham to Obama: Stop ‘cheerleading’ for gun laws  —  (CNN) - Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham took issue with the president's calls for more gun control in his State of the Union address, saying Wednesday that the country doesn't “need a cheerleader for new gun laws.”

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 …

Landrieu leads potential foes for reelection  —  When PPP last polled Louisiana in 2010, Bobby Jindal was one of the most popular Governors in the country.  58% of voters approved of the job he was doing to just 34% who disapproved.  Over the last two and a half years though there's …

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.

Justice Details ‘History Of Abusive Behavior’ At Wisconsin Supreme Court  —  Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley has decided to have her say.  —  She's been publicly silent since the incident on June 13, 2011, in which fellow Justice David Prosser allegedly put …

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.

Elizabeth Warren's silent Senate approach  —  When the newest senators lunched together for the first time last November, their biggest star immediately tried to flee.  —  As a flock of reporters approached Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat turned and engaged fellow freshman Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), in a fake conversation.

Illegal immigrant tells Congress not to call him illegal  —  Jose Antonio Vargas, an illegal immigrant and former reporter, scolded a congressional panel on Wednesday, saying that he should not be called illegal, and saying it is an insult to his family who brought him here.

Republicans predict sequester will happen  —  Top congressional Republicans predicted Wednesday that the sequester will hit at the end of the month - the latest chapter in the series of budget battles that have stymied Washington in the last few years.  —  Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt …