In the End, an Awful Manager  —  IN Caracas, Venezuela, you could tell a summit meeting mattered to Hugo Chávez when government workers touched up the city's rubble.  Before dignitaries arrived, teams with buckets and brushes would paint bright yellow lines along the route from the airport …

Trying to Revive Talks, Obama Goes Around G.O.P. Leaders  —  WASHINGTON — With Republican leaders in Congress forswearing budget negotiations over new revenues, President Obama has begun reaching around them to Republican lawmakers with a history of willingness to cut bipartisan deals.

Exclusive Excerpt: Roger Ailes Off Camera  —  Roger Ailes is one of the most powerful—and controversial—characters in television media, pilloried by critics and many in the mainstream media and lionized by conservative viewers who can't get enough of his posse of charismatic hosts.

GOP lawmakers say spending bill should target contraception mandate  —  A group of House Republicans said Tuesday that a bill to fund the federal government should include provisions targeting the contraception mandate in President Obama's healthcare law.  —  GOP lawmakers reintroduced …

WATCH: Bill O'Reilly Harasses Gay Colorado Speaker Over Child Molester Laws  —  As expected, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly is continuing his smear campaign against Colorado House Speaker Mark Ferrandino (D), who is openly gay, because of his opposition to instituting “Jessica's Law,” …

Obama Administration Says President Can Use Lethal Force Against Americans on US Soil  — Drones: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know But Were Always Afraid to Ask  — Here's Why Obama Won't Say Whether He Can Kill You With a Drone: Because He Probably Can  — 8 Drones That Aren't Out to Kill You

GOP smackdown: Wonks vs. pols  —  The latest front in the battle for the future of the Republican Party: the wonks versus the pols.  —  Conservative thinkers are increasingly agitated that, four months after a second straight presidential drubbing, GOP officeholders are not taking bold steps …

L.A. mayor's race: Garcetti and Greuel top the field  —  City Councilman Eric Garcetti and Controller Wendy Greuel remained ahead of the pack in the race for mayor of Los Angeles early Wednesday morning with all city precincts reporting.  —  The top-two finishers in Tuesday's election …

Sam Mendes Won't Direct Bond 24  —  Exclusive on ‘a very difficult decision’  —  Bond may be back, but Empire can exclusively reveal that Sam Mendes won't be joining him.  At the BAFTAs recently, basking in the glow of Skyfall's triumph for Outstanding British Film, it seemed that Mendes …

Congress Ready to Start Work on Budget  —  WASHINGTON - After two years of chaotic fiscal clashes, Congress on Wednesday will begin a more orderly process to get the nation's finances in order - or at least to keep the government open.  —  The so-called regular order on the federal budget …

Capitol janitors making ‘ends meet’ with overtime?  Nope  —  “You know, those Capitol janitors will not get as much overtime.  I'm sure they think less pay, that they're taking home, does hurt.”  — Gene Sperling, director of the White House economic council, on ABC News' “This Week,” March 3, 2013

Notes from the EU … Welcome.  If you have yet to register on FT.com you will be asked to do so before you begin to read FT blogs.  However, our posts remain free.  —  This blog covers everything from the European Union's foreign and economic policies to the fortunes of its political leaders …

McConnell campaign shakes it up with Harlem Shake  —  (CNN) - The dance craze that's been sweeping the nation has made it to the campaign trail.  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's re-election team Wednesday put out a web video of a person wearing a mask of the Republican senator from Kentucky dancing to the Harlem Shake.

Mayor Bloomberg's new health crusade: too-loud earbuds  —  Now listen up, if you can.  —  Mayor Bloomberg — who has already cracked down on smoking, junk food, trans fats, salt and super-sized drinks — is embarking on a new crusade: preventing New Yorkers from going deaf.

Niall Ferguson: Paul Krugman's Style Of Debate Suggests He May Have Been Traumatized As A Child  —  Paul Krugman has been charging hard of late at people he believes espouse particularly dangerous economic recipes.  —  It's elicited some equal and opposite responses.

Most Back Cuts Overall - But Not to the Military  —  For all the dire warnings, most Americans welcome a five percent cut in overall federal spending this year.  But the defense budget is another matter.  —  The public by nearly 2-1, 61-33 percent, supports cutting the overall budget along …