Statement by the President on the Sequester  —  THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody.  As you know, I just met with leaders of both parties to discuss a way forward in light of the severe budget cuts that start to take effect today.  I told them these cuts will hurt our economy.  They will cost us jobs.

Lawmaker Makes Lewd Remark to Teenage Girl  —  Connecticut state Rep. Ernest Hewett (D) made an inappropriate remark to a 17 year old girl testifying about a program that helped her overcome her shyness and get over her fear of snakes, the New London Day reports.

State Department Report: Keystone XL Is Environmentally Sound  —  The State Department released an environmental impact assessment on the Keystone XL pipeline Friday afternoon, concluding that the project is environmentally sound and “is unlikely to have a substantial impact on the rate …

Al Qaeda Hits Obama for Supporting Marriage Equality  —  Al Qaeda says the United States has another crime to add to its litany of atrocities: support for same-sex marriage.  —  In the latest issue of Inspire, the Al Qaeda-produced English-language magazine that teaches readers …

Sci-fail: Genius Obama says he 'can't do a Jedi mind meld' [video]  —  Set your phasers to “facepalm.”  While speaking this morning on sequestration, President Obama dropped this little nugget: … No, Mr. President.  You can't do a “Jedi mind meld” — because there's no such thing:

Covert Malaysian Campaign Touched A Wide Range Of American Media  —  Outlets from Huffington Post to National Review carried pieces financed by the Malaysian government.  An international campaign against Anwar Ibrahim.  —  Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak (R) talks …

Obama Tips His Hand In Sequestration Fight  —  After meeting with congressional leaders from both parties about sequestration spending cuts that take effect Friday, President Obama mapped out future negotiations with Republicans, which he hopes will yield an alternative deficit reduction package …

If you might want to insult Harvard down the line, go elsewhere  —  If you think Harvard is a revolutionary communist hotbed, don't apply.  If you think Harvard is full of “pinheaded” professors, don't enroll.  And if you think Harvard pollutes the minds of its students …

More than 700 pages of healthcare rules released  —  The Obama administration on Friday released more than 700 pages of new regulations to implement portions of the Affordable Care Act.  —  The four rules, which are scheduled for publication in mid-March, finalize both major and minor parts …

Judd: ‘Is there an elephant in the room?’  —  (CNN) - Ashley Judd was fully aware she was under the Washington media spotlight Friday when she spoke about public health issues at George Washington University.  —  “I'm a lot more nervous than y'all are, I promise,” she told a group of students who were asking questions at the event.

A reader representative for The Post  —  The world has changed, and we at The Post must change with it.  We have been privileged to have had the service of many talented ombudsmen (and women) who have addressed readers' concerns, answered their questions and held The Post to the highest standards of journalism.

Disastrous Predictions and Predictable Disasters  —  How's that austerity doing?  —  Joe Weisenthal is wrong.  He writes that the unfolding economic disaster in Europe is what everyone predicted.  Not so.  It's what he predicted, it's what I predicted, but it's not at all what many people were predicting.

NRA president defends gun-rights protesters at massive Albany rally who compared Gov. Cuomo to Hitler  —  Critics charged the use of Nazi imagery at gun rally was ‘offensive and digraceful’  —  Gun owners at a massive Albany rally on Thursday depicted Gov. Andrew Cuomo as Adolf Hitler.

Senator: Obama's Golf Weekend With Tiger Cost As Much As 341 Federal Workers Furloughed  —  In a sharply written statement, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama blasts President Obama for campaigning and not governing.  He calls Obama's response to the sequestration “the most cynical behavior I have seen during my time in Washington.”

Sean Hannity Launches Islamophobic Attack Against Keith Ellison  —  Conservative talk show host Sean Hannity launched an Islampophobic attack against Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) during his Fox News show on Thursday night, implying that the Muslim Congressman is a racist and an anti-Semite.

Noonan: Obama Is Playing a New Game  —  He seems to think the way to win is by trying not to make a deal.  —  Everyone has been wondering how the public will react when the sequester kicks in.  The American people are in the position of hostages who'll have to decide who the hostage-taker is.