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 …

Now Dems worry: Did Obama cry wolf?  —  President Barack Obama hopes to spark a pitchfork revolt against Republicans over sequester-induced budget cuts — but many Democrats fret that he's undermined that effort with an early strategy marred by hype, poor planning and muddled messaging.

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.

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

Chief White House Calligrapher Gets Paid $96,725 Per Year  —  With the White House closing its doors to public tour groups in order to save money for the sequester, it's worth remembering some of the other costs the White House incurs annually.  —  Like the “Chief Calligrapher,” …

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,” …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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

Lawyer: State's most important witness in George Zimmerman murder case lied  —  SANFORD — Trayvon Martin's girlfriend, the state's most important witness in the George Zimmerman murder case, was caught in a lie, it was revealed Tuesday.  —  It was not the first piece of misinformation tied to her …