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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

Elizabeth Warren's Aggressive Questioning Prompts Anger From Wall Street  —  Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) meeting with bank regulators Thursday left bankers reeling, after the politician questioned why regulators had not prosecuted a bank since the financial crisis.

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.

How to Save the Republican Party  —  The Republican Party is in trouble: In the wake of the presidential election, everybody has said so, and everybody is right.  From there, however, a hundred paths diverge and a thousand voices have been heard.  The relevant questions are these: How deep is the trouble?

LGBT Percentage Highest in D.C., Lowest in North Dakota  —  All states are within two percentage points of the overall national average of 3.5%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The percentage of U.S. adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) ranges from 1.7% in North Dakota …

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 …

Fox Business host: Preschool is just Obama ‘handing out goodies’ to the poor  —  Fox Business host Stuart Varney is blasting President Barack Obama's proposal to provide high-quality early education for poor and middle-class children, saying that the plan is just Democrats handing out “goodies” …