Ted Cruz Runs Counter to the Senate's Courtly Ways  —  WASHINGTON — As the Senate edged toward a divisive filibuster vote on Chuck Hagel's nomination to be defense secretary, Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, sat silent and satisfied in the corner of the chamber — his voice lost to laryngitis …

Obama in Florida for golf getaway  —  President Obama is in Florida until Monday to golf and lounge with friends.  —  Obama is staying at the Floridian Yacht and Golf Club in Palm City, Fla., while first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia are “out West” on a ski trip.

Paul Krugman is wrong - but don't take my word for it  —  America's fiscal predicament is serious.  The problem has become obvious in the last few years, but it has been building for decades, largely the result of promises of extensive social benefits without a corresponding willingness to pay for them.

JEB BUSH: I WOULD GOVERN LIKE LYNDON JOHNSON AS PRESIDENT  —  Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush said he would strive to be like Lyndon Johnson, the Democrat famous for expanding the U.S. welfare state through the “Great Society,” if he were elected president.

FBI investigating allegations Sen. Menendez patronized prostitutes in Dominican Republic  —  A team of FBI agents has been conducting interviews in recent weeks in the Dominican Republic and the United States, looking into allegations that Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) patronized prostitutes …

Rubio embarks on trip to Israel and Jordan  —  Republican rising star Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) departed for the Middle East on Saturday, beginning a journey that could do much to burnish the possible 2016 presidential candidate's foreign policy credentials.

The best choice for pope?  A nun.  —  In giving up the papacy, Pope Benedict XVI was brave and bold.  He did the unexpected for the good of the Catholic Church.  And when it selects a new pope next month, the College of Cardinals should be equally brave and bold.  It is time to elect a nun as the next pontiff.

Incomes Flat in Recovery, but Not for the 1%  —  WASHINGTON — Incomes rose more than 11 percent for the top 1 percent of earners during the economic recovery, but barely at all for everybody else, according to new data.  —  The numbers, produced by Emmanuel Saez, an economist at the University …

Bear Bombers Over Guam  —  Two Russian nuclear-armed bombers circled the western Pacific island of Guam this week in the latest sign of Moscow's growing strategic assertiveness toward the United States.  —  The Russian Tu-95 Bear-H strategic bombers were equipped with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles …

Wal-Mart Executives Sweat Slow February Start in E-Mails  —  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. had the worst sales start to a month in seven years as payroll-tax increases hit shoppers already battling a slow economy, according to internal e-mails obtained by Bloomberg News.

Protecting People On Facebook  —  Facebook, like every significant internet service, is frequently targeted by those who want to disrupt or access our data and infrastructure.  As such, we invest heavily in preventing, detecting, and responding to threats that target our infrastructure …