Sanford victory could spell trouble for House GOP leadership  —  Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) is heading back to Congress — and that may not be good news for House GOP leadership.  —  Sanford owes party leaders nothing, as they refused to spend money on his campaign …

Sharyl Attkisson of CBS News, a persistent voice of media skepticism on Benghazi  —  From the start, the Obama administration's account of what happened in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11 last year didn't quite square for Sharyl Attkisson.  —  So the veteran CBS News reporter dug in, and kept digging.

One hospital charges $8,000 — another, $38,000  —  Consumers on Wednesday will finally get some answers about one of modern life's most persistent mysteries: how much medical care actually costs.  —  For the first time, the federal government will release the prices that hospitals charge for the 100 most common inpatient procedures.

Americans Give Guns, Immigration Reform Low Priority  —  Creating jobs and growing the economy get highest priority  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans put reforming immigration and reducing gun violence — the focus of much of the attention on Capitol Hill in recent weeks …

Reports of sex abuse, beatings inside Cleveland house  —  THREE MISSING CLEVELAND WOMEN FREED  —  Three women who had been held captive for 10 years were found Monday in a Cleveland neighborhood, barely a mile from where they had been abducted.  Amanda Berry was able to escape and alert authorities …

Dick Cheney slams Obama administration's Benghazi performance as 'a failure of leadership ... I cannot understand why they weren't ready'  —  Former Vice President Dick Cheney criticized the Obama administration on Tuesday for its handling of the September 11, 2012 terror attack on the U.S. Consulate …

Stephen Hawking joins academic boycott of Israel  —  Physicist pulls out of conference hosted by president Shimon Peres in protest at treatment of Palestinians  —  Professor Stephen Hawking is backing the academic boycott of Israel by pulling out of a conference hosted by Israeli president Shimon Peres …

An Open Letter to the Harvard Community  —  Last week I said something stupid about John Maynard Keynes.  Asked to comment on Keynes' famous observation “In the long run we are all dead,” I suggested that Keynes was perhaps indifferent to the long run because he had no children, and that he had no children because he was gay.

The Jobs Of The Future Don't Require A College Degree  —  We're all talking about the “jobs of the future” and “winning the future” and transitioning to a “knowledge economy.”  Since predictions are hard, especially about the future, it's a good idea to look at some data.

Obama May Back F.B.I. Plan to Wiretap Web Users  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration, resolving years of internal debate, is on the verge of backing a Federal Bureau of Investigation plan for a sweeping overhaul of surveillance laws that would make it easier to wiretap people …

Ex-Romney aide details campaign ‘miscalculations’  —  WASHINGTON - One of Mitt Romney's former campaign aides is planning to ­release a new book next week that is being pitched as an insider's account that provides “an unblinking look at the tactical and strategic miscalculations” made by the former presidential candidate.

First Thoughts: Neck and neck in Va.  —  NBC/Marist poll shows it's neck and neck in Virginia... McAuliffe 43%, Cuccinelli 41% among registered voters... Cuccinelli 45%, McAuliffe 42% among likely voters... Good news for McAuliffe: It's early, he has room to grow, and the GOP's fav/unfav …

Heritage study co-author opposed letting in immigrants with low IQs  —  Robert Rector (center), one of the study's co-authors.  (Heritage)  —  The Heritage Foundation made something of a splash with its study suggesting that immigration reform will cost the public trillions.

On Day Stock Market Sets New Record, Conservative Group Floats Impeaching Obama For ‘Wrecking The Stock Market’  —  Today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 15,056, an all-time record.  For one conservative group, this can only mean one thing: it's time to impeach President Obama.

100 Pa. lawmakers join to support bills promoting LGBT equality  —  AVI tax hikes show that good citizenship is for suckers  —  For a Philadelphia artist, beauty and conflict can mix  —  There seems to be an error with the player !  —  A very large bipartisan group of Pennsylvania lawmakers …

The Medicare crystal ball  —  I have been searching high and low for this handy chart, which I couldn't for the life of me remeber where it came from, and voila, Mike the Mad Biologist sent it to me today:  —  Mike helped make it clearer for us:  —  And this, my friends …

A close encounter with abortion  —  One life that wasn't snipped short  —  On a cold December night in 1975, a 17-year-old girl sobbed on the bedroom floor of a neighbor's house.  Her own home had just burned to the ground, destroying everything she had.  But that wasn't the only weight she carried that night.

Gay marriage approved as Delaware lawmaker comes out  —  Delaware Gov. Markell signs gay marriage bill: Delaware became the 11th state to legalize same-sex marriage after a lengthy debate in the state Senate.  A half-hour after the 12-9 Senate vote, Gov. Jack Markell signed the legislation …