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 …

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  While their punishment has since been rescinded …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 …

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 …

Top Republicans Oppose Obama's Call To Raise The Minimum Wage … During his State of the Union address last night, President Obama called for raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour, up from its current $7.25, and indexing it to inflation so that it rises as the economy grows.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

NRA Responds To ‘Connecticut Effect’ Controversy, Falsely Claims No Association With Lobbyist  —  The NRA responded to the “Connecticut effect” controversy on Tuesday by claiming no connection to the lobbyist who represents the NRA's Wisconsin chapter.  —  On Monday, ThinkProgress broke …

Obama to vacation in Palm Beach  —  President Obama will be enjoying a little R and R — and no doubt some golf — this weekend during a vacation in West Palm Beach.  —  The White House says he will leave Friday and he has no public events scheduled during the trip.

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 …

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.

Sen. Paul threatens hold on Brennan over armed drone strikes  —  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday threatened to hold John Brennan's nomination for CIA director unless he receives more answers on the administration's drone program.  —  “I have asked Mr. Brennan if he believed that the President …