Obama in the doldrums  —  Not yet six months into his second term, Barack Obama's presidency is in a dead zone.  —  A combination of familiar Washington intransigence and a more recent run of bad news and political setbacks have left him with less influence over his circumstances …

Obama to Outline Ambitious Plan to Cut Greenhouse Gases  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama will propose a sweeping plan to address climate change on Tuesday, setting ambitious goals and timetables for a series of executive actions to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and prepare the nation for the ravages of a warming planet.

IRS Look at Progressive Groups Complicates Controversy  —  The Internal Revenue Service used terms such as “progressive” and evidence of advocacy on Israel to flag groups' tax-exempt applications for extra attention, complicating what had been seen as targeted scrutiny for small-government groups.

Justice Samuel Alito's middle-school antics  —  The most remarkable thing about the Supreme Court's opinions announced Monday was not what the justices wrote or said.  It was what Samuel Alito did.  —  The associate justice, a George W. Bush appointee, read two opinions …

McCain: US will have ‘most militarized’ border since Berlin Wall  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Tuesday said that an amendment advanced by the Senate would leave the U.S. with the “most militarized border” since the fall of the Berlin Wall and pave the way for the passage of comprehensive immigration reform.

Paula's Worst Ingredients  —  Paula Deen is where sass meets crass, where the homespun and folksy curdle into something with a sour aftertaste.  —  Her manner may be as sugary as her cooking, her smile as big as the hams she hawked for Smithfield.  But she doesn't pause when she should.

Senate candidates make one last pitch for votes  —  Gomez-Markey Senate race may draw low turnout  —  Former US senator Scott Brown conferred with GOP US Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez during an election eve rally at the Common Market restaurant in Quincy.

Star Scientific CEO financed shopping spree for first lady  —  Businessman paid thousands of dollars for first lady's designer goods  —  In the spring of 2011, Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell flew to New York and was treated to a high-end shopping spree courtesy of Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams Sr.

Bolton Plans a Tour of Early-Primary States  —  Watch out, Rand Paul.  —  As Paul, a Kentucky senator, plans for a 2016 presidential run, he is talking up his views on foreign policy, which, broadly speaking, include less intervention in foreign conflicts and a smaller military budget.

The Senate GOP's Primary Problem  —  As both parties prepare for 2014, primaries may again threaten the Republicans' ability to win a majority.  —  Republicans' path to a Senate majority is a narrow one.  Not everything has to go right for the GOP to win the six seats they need for a majority …

Was Hastings' Car Hacked?  —  The peculiar circumstances of journalist Michael Hastings' death in Los Angeles last week have unleashed a wave of conspiracy theories.  —  Now there's another theory to contribute to the paranoia: According to a prominent security analyst, technology exists that could've allowed someone to hack his car.

Spokesman Says Iran's President ‘Will Return With Hidden Imam’  —  An Iranian government spokesman has said that outgoing President Mahmud Ahmadinejad will return with the Hidden Imam, who according to Shi'ite belief went into hiding in the 10th century and will reappear to bring justice to Earth.