Why was Michelle Obama at the Oscars?  —  It was the average too-long, unfunny, over-produced Academy Awards TV show and then, after suffering through the 10-hour (well, it seemed like it) show, there was the first lady.  In a ball gown.  With military service personnel in dress uniform behind her.

White House releases state-by-state breakdown of sequester's effects  —  The White House on Sunday detailed how deep spending cuts set to begin this week would affect programs in every state and the District, as President Obama launched a last-ditch effort to pressure congressional Republicans …

Democrats and Republicans Miscalculate on Automatic Cuts  —  WASHINGTON — With Congress unlikely to stop deep automatic spending cuts that will strike hard at the military, the fiscal stalemate is highlighting a significant shift in the Republican Party: lawmakers most keenly dedicated …

The Onion  · 2,265,644 like this  —  On behalf of The Onion, I offer my personal apology to Quvenzhané Wallis and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the tweet that was circulated last night during the Oscars.  It was crude and offensive—not to mention inconsistent …

John Kerry invents country of Kyrzakhstan  —  John Kerry has suffered his first gaffe as the new US secretary of state, inventing the nation of ‘Kyrzakhstan’  —  In an embarrassing slip of the tongue, Mr Kerry last week praised US diplomats working to secure “democratic institutions” in the Central Asian country, which does not exist.

White House Report Claims Sequestration Will Affect Federal Department That No Longer Exists  —  If you want a thorough agency-by-agency rundown of the budget cuts sequestration would deliver, the Office of Management and Budget has you covered.  In compliance with The Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012 …

The New York Times Company Announces Plan to Rebrand the International Herald Tribune as the International New York Times  —  Company to Increase Investment in Editorial Resources for Multiplatform International Edition  —  The New York Times Company announced today that it plans to rebrand …

Judd Makes Steps Toward Senate Bid  —  The beautiful movie star tries to take on Washington by defeating a powerful Republican leader.  It's not a plot line, it's reality: The actress Ashley Judd is making moves to take on GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Dems 2016: Will Hillary Clinton clear the field?  —  The ranks of Democratic governors are filled with ambitious politicians boasting records that would probably play well with primary voters in 2016.  —  But even as they eye a move from the statehouse to the White House …

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Sotomayor slams controversial remarks by prosecutor  —  Washington (CNN) - Two members of the Supreme Court took the unusual step of speaking out over racially insensitive remarks by a federal prosecutor in a drug case, when rejecting review of the defendant's appeal.

Dov Hikind Parties Down for Purim in ‘Black Basketball Player’ Costume  —  Dov Hikind and his family in their Purim costumes.  (Photo: Facebook)  —  Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind hosted a massive Purim party at his home yesterday that featured over fourteen hours of food and drink and …

Austerity, Italian Style  —  Two months ago, when Mario Monti stepped down as Italy's prime minister, The Economist opined that “The coming election campaign will be, above all, a test of the maturity and realism of Italian voters.”  The mature, realistic action, presumably …

Mich. GOP pushes on with electoral vote plan; Schostak re-elected  —  Lansing — Republicans handed Bobby Schostak another two-year term as state chairman Saturday and overwhelmingly endorsed a plan to change Michigan presidential electoral vote rules in a way opponents charge is intended …

GOP lawmaker: Obama using fake Twitter messages in fight over gun control  —  A Texas Republican on Monday said President Obama's gun control campaign is a fraud based on fake messages over Twitter.  —  Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) accused Obama of trying to make support for his position look stronger …

North Carolina Proposes Second-Class Driver Licenses For DREAMers  —  On March 25, North Carolina will begin issuing driver's licenses to thousands of undocumented immigrants who qualify for the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — but there is a catch.