Assault weapons ban loses steam  —  Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said on Monday that a controversial assault weapons ban will not be part of a Democratic gun bill that was expected to reach the Senate floor next month.  —  After a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) …

The Last Letter  —  A Letter to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney From a Dying Veteran  —  I write this letter on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War on behalf of my fellow Iraq War veterans.  I write this letter on behalf of the 4,488 soldiers and Marines who died in Iraq.

Cyprus Rejects Bank Deposit Tax, Scuttling Bailout Deal  —  NICOSIA — The Cypriot Parliament rejected an international bailout package on Tuesday that had sought to tax bank depositors to pay a big part of the bill, despite a revision that would have exempted small bank accounts from the levies.

Is the House in Play?  A District-by-District Assessment  —  Three weeks ago, I discussed whether the House is likely to flip control next year by looking at historical trends and “big picture” questions.  Those trends show that the Democrats' task is a challenging one.

The GOP Faces 2 Stark Choices: Change or Go Over the Cliff  —  As they head into the future, Republicans need to decide whether they will follow the path of hope or the road to ruin.  —  The past 96 hours should provide thinking Republicans both hope and despair about their party's future.

Text of Rand Paul's Immigration Speech  —  Here is the text of Sen. Rand Paul's speech delivered Tuesday morning to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  It was released by the Kentucky Republican's Senate office.  —  Por favor disculpen mi Espanol.  Como creci en Houston -es un poco 'espanglish y un poco Tex Mex.

The Progressive Shift  —  There is a statue outside the Department of Labor of a powerful, rambunctious horse being reined in by an extremely muscular man.  This used to be a metaphor for liberalism.  The horse was capitalism.  The man was government, which was needed sometimes to restrain capitalism's excesses.

What ‘Lean In’ Misunderstands About Gender Differences  —  There is much to admire in Sheryl Sandberg's book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.  It is full of funny stories about her brilliant career and helpful advice for workplace success.  As former chief of staff …

Paul Ryan's Ax Isn't Sharp Enough  —  THE latest budget proposal by Representative Paul D. Ryan, called “The Path to Prosperity,” is anything but.  It fails to seriously address runaway government spending, the most pressing problem facing our nation.  I cannot vote for something that would trick …

NEWS/Singer Michelle Shocked Goes on Anti-Gay Rant During San Francisco Show, Cancellations Follow  —  Michelle Shocked stunned last night in San Francisco—and not at all in a good way.  —  “I live in fear that the world will be destroyed if gays are allowed to marry,” …

Iraq, 10 years on: Did invasion bring ‘hope and progress’ to millions as Bush vowed?  —  This week marks the 10th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War.  ITV's John Irvine in Baghdad assesses a country that remains gripped by the violence of its sectarian divide.

Bloggers may face libel fines under press regulation deal  —  Websites could have to pay exemplary damages if they don't sign up to new regulator, claim opponents of Leveson deal  —  Bloggers could face high fines for libel under the new Leveson deal with exemplary damages imposed …

Samsung Preparing Wristwatch as It Races Apple for Sales  —  Turf War: Samsung Races Apple for First Smartwatch  —  Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) is developing a wristwatch as Asia's biggest technology company races against Apple Inc. (AAPL) to create a new industry of wearable devices that perform similar tasks as smartphones.

Scott trails Crist by 12 points  —  Rick Scott's approval numbers have seen no improvement over the last two months, even after his decision to allow Medicaid expansion in Florida.  33% of voters continue to approve of the job he's doing to 57% who disapprove.

GOP catfight: Michael Steele calls Reince Priebus ‘numb nuts’ … The catfight between former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele and his replacement, Reince Priebus, has reached screech level, with Steele belittling the party's new focus on minorities as old news.

U.S. Probes Microsoft, Partners Over Bribery Claims  —  Federal regulators are investigating Microsoft Corp.'s relationship with business partners that allegedly bribed foreign government officials in return for software contracts, according to people familiar with the matter.

7 Marines killed during explosion at Nevada's Hawthorne Army Depot  —  An explosion at a military ammunition storage facility in Nevada during a Marine Corps training exercise killed seven U.S. Marines and wounded several others, military officials said.  —  The North Carolina-based soldiers …

Magpul Industries Corp.  · 207,979 like this  —  Apparently Gov Hickenlooper has announced that he will sign HB 1224 on Wednesday.  We were asked for our reaction, and here is what we said:  —  We have said all along that based on the legal problems and uncertainties in the bill …