Meteorite hits central Russia, more than 500 people hurt  —  (Reuters) - More than 500 people were injured when a meteorite shot across the sky and exploded over central Russia on Friday, sending fireballs crashing to Earth, shattering windows and damaging buildings.

Why President Obama went all-in on Chuck Hagel  —  President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have fiercely defended the nomination of Chuck Hagel, despite advisers and Hill Democrats who questioned the move and predicted a firestorm, according to Democratic sources.

OOPS: GOP Rep. Inadvertently Makes The Case For Nearly Doubling The Minimum Wage  —  President Obama's State of the Union proposal to raise the minimum wage to $9 an hour and index it to inflation so that it keeps up with growth in the economy was quickly rebuked by top Republicans like Speaker John Boehner …

Jesse Jackson Jr. to plead guilty to federal charges  —  Former Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) will plead guilty to conspiring with his wife to illegally spend $750,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses, including a $43,000 Rolex watch, fur coats and memorabilia associated with Michael Jackson …

Elizabeth Warren Embarrasses Hapless Bank Regulators At First Hearing (VIDEO)  —  Elizabeth Warren, Video, Financial Regulation, Senate Banking Committee, Elizabeth Warren Bank Regulators, Elizabeth Warren Banking Committee, Elizabeth Warren Occ, Elizabeth Warren Sec, Elizabeth Warren Wall Street, Politics News

BREAKING: Vilsack will not seek U.S. Senate seat in 2014  —  Tom Vilsack has ruled out running U.S. Senate in 2014, clearing the way for the early Democratic frontrunner, U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, to press forward and raise money for what's expected to be one of the most fiercely competitive races in the country.

Russian meteor largest in a century  —  Explosion rivalled nuclear blast, but rock was still too small for advance-warning networks to spot.  —  A meteor that exploded over Russia this morning was the largest recorded object to strike the Earth in more than a century, scientists say.

Separate Vacations for Barack and Michelle Obama  —  The White House confirms today that President Barack Obama will be vacationing in Florida this weekend.  His wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, will be in Colorado.  The two daughters will be with Michelle.  —  From the White House press gaggle aboard Air Force One:

‘It was horrible’: Carnival passengers recount hellish cruise  —  Passengers freed from the crippled Carnival cruise ship Triumph shared tales of horror on Friday, recalling unsanitary conditions, food shortages and camping out on deck during five numbing days at sea.

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 …

Herman Cain Joins Fox News as Contributor  —  Fox News Channel has hired former Republican presidential candidate and Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain as a contributor.  Cain will provide political and business analysis and commentary across FNC's daytime and primetime programming, as well as on Fox Business Network.

Behind closed doors, House GOP tries to find its way  —  It's simple: House Republicans say that if they spend the next two years like they spent the last two, they'll become irrelevant.  —  So for the last few days, GOP leaders have met behind closed doors to both craft an agenda that confronts …

Cuomo Spokeswoman Quits After Four Months  —  Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's new communications director is leaving her post after just four months to reunite with her former boss, Jeffrey Zucker, the new president of CNN Worldwide.  —  The aide, Allison Gollust, informed Mr. Cuomo of her resignation on Friday …

When Families Fail  —  Today millions of American children grow up in homes where they don't learn the skills they need to succeed in life.  Their vocabularies are tiny.  They can't regulate their emotions.  When they get to kindergarten they've never been read a book …

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 …

The Cuccinelli Manifesto  —  Virginia's attorney general doesn't fit the Republican rebranding.  He is ultraconservative and undaunted.  —  Serious question: When was the last time a politician wrote a policy manifesto right before a campaign, and it didn't do irreparable damage to his internal organs?