Senate Republicans filibuster Hagel nomination  —  Senate Republicans delivered a sharp rebuke to President Obama on Thursday when they began a filibuster of Chuck Hagel's nomination as secretary of defense.  —  The confirmation process stalled Thursday when GOP senators deprived Hagel …

Meteor strike injures hundreds in central Russia  —  The BBC's Daniel Sandford says people described a ball of fire in the sky  —  A meteor crashing in central Russia's Ural mountains has injured at least 500 people, as the shockwave blew out windows and rocked buildings.

JW Releases Confidential USDA Videos Revealing “Cultural Sensitivity Training” Program … Videos Reveal Indoctrination Program Requiring USDA Staffers to Bang on Tables, Chant, “The pilgrims were illegal aliens”  —  (Washington, DC) - Judicial Watch today released previously unseen USDA videos revealing …

Pelosi: Congressional pay cut undermines dignity of the job  —  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that she opposes a cut in congressional pay because it would diminish the dignity of lawmakers' jobs.  —  “I don't think we should do it; I think we should respect the work we do …

That Tesla Data: What It Says and What It Doesn't  —  The Model S at the Tesla Supercharger in the Interstate 95 service plaza in Milford, Conn.  —  Elon Musk , the chief executive of Tesla Motors, has now responded in detail to the account of my test drive of his Model S electric car …

Obama to press gun control during visit to Chicago's South Side  —  President Obama heads to his hometown Chicago on Friday to press Congress to act on his proposals to reduce gun violence.  —  Obama will deliver his remarks at the Hyde Park Academy at around 2:45 p.m. CT.

Over a Decade, Maureen O'Connor Spent $1 Billion on Bets  —  LOS ANGELES — A former mayor of San Diego spent the last decade wagering more than a billion dollars at casinos across the country, eventually liquidating her savings, auctioning her belongings, selling off real estate …

WBUR Poll Gives Markey Slight Edge Over Lynch  —  BOSTON — A new WBUR poll (PDFs - topline, crosstabs) finds a competitive race between the two Democratic congressmen running in Massachusetts' special U.S. Senate election.  —  The poll, conducted by the MassINC Polling Group …

Rubio and the Zombies  —  The State of the Union address was not, I'm sorry to say, very interesting.  True, the president offered many good ideas.  But we already know that almost none of those ideas will make it past a hostile House of Representatives.  —  On the other hand, the G.O.P. reply …

Lone Star rising  —  AUSTIN, Texas — California fancies itself as a trendsetter and Florida prizes its claim as a microcosm of America.  —  But when it comes to politics — both present-day battles and future trends — ground zero right now is the fastest-growing of the mega-states: Texas.

Parents Complain About School Ad Excluding Whites From Tutoring Program  —  AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - A school principal said no white children were allowed at an after-school tutoring program, and now some parents call it discrimination.  —  The principal at Mission Viejo Elementary in Aurora sent …

Sequester Cuts: Senate Democrats Settle On Replacement Plan  —  WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats have settled on a final plan to replace 10 months' worth of sequestration cuts, aides said on Thursday.  —  The plan, called the American Family Economic Protection Act, pinpoints $120 billion of savings …

Obama favors sacking the expensive penny  —  President Obama on Thursday said he supports eliminating pennies, but that it's unlikely to happen because it's so low on the list of congressional priorities.  —  In a Google Plus “Hangout,” Obama was asked why the U.S. Treasury continues …

Rahm Emanuel May Be Toying With 2016 Presidential Run  —  Obama's former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel might make a go for 2016, two well-connected Democrats tell Lloyd Grove—as long as Hillary doesn't.  And the potty-mouthed Chicago mayor could win.  —  Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel …