Supreme Court to Hear Campaign Finance Case  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a challenge to federal campaign contribution limits and issued decisions concerning a drug-sniffing dog, an international child-custody dispute and when the police may detain people while conducting a search.

The President Is Raging Against a Budget Crisis He Created  —  Obama invented the ‘sequester’ in the summer of 2011 to avoid facing up to America's spending problem.  —  A week from now, a dramatic new federal policy is set to go into effect that threatens U.S. national security, thousands of jobs and more.

Release Detail  —  February 20, 2013 - New Jersey Gov Flies High, Buries Unknown Dem, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Christie Close To Clinton, Leads Cuomo In '16 Pres Race  —  New Jersey voters today continue Gov. Christopher Christie's record-breaking 74 - 22 percent approval rating …

Obama to Flesh Out Plans for Infrastructure Projects  —  The White House on Wednesday will flesh out the plans President Obama announced in the State of the Union address to repair the nation's ailing infrastructure, a White House official said.  —  A summary of the plan …

The Devil Made Them Do It  —  Senate Democrats try to dodge responsibility for ObamaCare.  —  “Powerful Democrats” subjected a top Obama administration health-care official “to withering criticism” last week, notes Walter Russell Mead.  When Gary Cohen, head of the Center for Consumer Information …

Carte Goodwin out for 2014  —  Charleston Attorney Carte Goodwin has decided NOT to run for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate in West Virginia in 2014.  —  Goodwin tells Metronews that his decision to stay out of the race was driven by family concerns.  He and his wife have two young children.

Rand Paul: Obama ‘histrionics’ over cuts  —  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is charging that President Barack Obama is full of “histrionics” about what will happen if the sequester kicks in.  —  “I think the sequester happens and it will be in some ways a yawn because the histrionics that are coming …

Gas prices are on a mysterious climb  —  The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline has jumped 45 cents in the past 31 days, according to AAA, the fastest run-up since 2005.  —  Retail gasoline prices have climbed for 33 days in a row.  A month ago, a gallon of regular gasoline cost $3.30 …

McCain defends immigration plan to angry residents  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona took center stage in the national immigration debate Tuesday as Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano toured the state's border with Mexico and Sen. John McCain defended his proposed immigration overhaul to an angry crowd in suburban Phoenix.

Fahrenkopf opines on GOP's “idotic” stances, Christie's “French kiss,” the media's bias and more  —  What better place than the Las Vegas Country Club, where time seems to have stopped in 1974 or so, for a group of conservatives to gather to figure out how to capture the glory days.

Remarks by the President on the Sequester  —  THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody.  (Applause.)  Please have a seat.  Well, welcome to the White House.  —  As I said in my State of the Union address last week, our top priority must be to do everything we can to grow the economy and create good, middle-class jobs.

Senate Minority Leader Fooled by Report in Military Version of The Onion  —  The best parody contains elements of truth.  Which might explain how the military's answer to The Onion suckered the Senate's Republican leader.  —  Meet The Duffel Blog, if you haven't already.

John Duncan On VAWA: Most Men Can Handle Violence Better Than Most Women  —  Rep. John “Jimmy” Duncan Jr. (R-Tenn.) said he doesn't know if he will vote for a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, a bill the congressman said has a nice name, and argued that men can handle violence better than women.

Warren Lee Hill, and His Cause, Live to Fight Another Day  —  30 minutes before the moment of his lethal injection, two courts stay the execution of a mentally retarded prisoner so that they can evaluate his case.  —  Members of the Georgia Board of Pardons at Hill's July clemency hearing (David Goldman/AP)

Republican Senator Cruz defends style a Democrat likened to McCarthyism  —  (Reuters) - First-term Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas on Tuesday staunchly defended his aggressive, in-your-face style that already is raising eyebrows in Washington and has led a Senate Democrat to suggest his tactics reminded her of McCarthyism.

How the Mossad Works: The Mystery of Israel's ‘Prisoner X’  —  An Israeli agent commits suicide in his prison cell.  Was he a traitor?  The mysterious case of “Prisoner X,” reported to be Australian-born Benjamin Zygier, provides an insight into the workings of the Mossad.

A Company That Runs Prisons Will Have Its Name on a Stadium  —  In recent years, where stadium naming rights could be sold, universities and professional sports teams have sold them — to airlines and banks and companies that sell beer, soda, doughnuts, cars, telecommunications, razors and baseball bats.

2 missing, 14 hurt in Kansas City gas explosion  —  See CNN affiliate coverage on KSHB, KCTV and KMBC  —  (CNN) — It was happy hour at JJ's when the roof blew off the popular Kansas City, Missouri, restaurant.  —  “When we got to the scene, we had a fully involved restaurant that had patrons …

Joe Miller's return gives GOP establishment heartburn  —  Republicans who don't want to witness GOP-on-GOP primary warfare in 2014 may want to keep their eyes trained on the Lower 48.  —  Alaska could be messy.  —  Joe Miller, the tea party favorite who was backed by Sarah Palin …

Donald Trump Threatens to Sue Macy's Protester for $25 Million (Exclusive)  —  “Dump Trump” organizer Angelo Carusone tells THR a cease and desist letter he received shows the “Apprentice” star engages in “bullying and intimidation.”  —  Donald Trump  —  Donald Trump can't fire …

Aaron Swartz's FBI File  —  When I heard the news of Aaron Swartz's suicide I was deeply saddened or more accurately profoundly irritated.  Why had the government - or should I say U.S Attorney Carmen Ortiz - wasted so much time and resources destroying someone over such an inconsequential act?

Anti-austerity strike to bring Greece to a standstill  —  (Reuters) - Greek workers walk off the job on Wednesday in a nationwide anti-austerity strike that will disrupt transport, shut public schools and tax offices and leave hospitals working with emergency staff.

Missouri Bill Makes It A Felony For Lawmakers To Propose Gun Safety Legislation  —  Yesterday, Missouri state Rep. Mike Leara (R) proposed legislation making it a felony for lawmakers to so much as propose many bills regulating guns.  Leara's bill provides that “[a]ny member of the general assembly …