Ryan to rally GOP on 10-year plan  —  The target set by Ryan (R-Wis.), the chairman of the House Budget Committee, is more aggressive than the one Democrats rejected last year that took until nearly 2040 to balance.  —  Ryan will take center stage for the third year in a row to roll …

House and Senate Work Simultaneously to Create Budgets, a Rarity  —  WASHINGTON — Congress this week will begin taking the first steps toward a more structured and orderly budget process, beginning what both parties hope is a move away from the vicious cycle of deadline-driven quick fixes.

Humility or Cynicism?  Whatever is Driving Obama is Better Than Nothing  —  Tumbling polls have turned the president into the schmoozer-in-chief  —  President Obama's burst of congressional and public outreach coincides with declining poll numbers.  (AP Photo)

Judge Invalidates Bloomberg's Ban on Sugary Drinks  —  A judge invalidated New York City's ban on large sugary drinks on Monday, one day before it was to go into effect, dealing Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg a major blow.  —  The decision by Justice Milton A. Tingling Jr. of State Supreme Court …

A reality check for Ashley Judd  —  What she's really up against, if she does run against Mitch McConnell in Kentucky.  Inside the numbers and history  —  A report over the weekend suggested that actress Ashley Judd has decided to challenge Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky next year.

Save the sequester, crush the children!  —  If American politics has but one purpose in modern times, it is to crush the hopes and dreams of young people everywhere.  —  And this is why President Barack Obama's closing of the White House to public tours makes so much sense.