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.

‘Lookout List’ Not Much Broader Than Originally Thought, Contrary to Reports  —  Acting IRS commissioner Danny Werfel on Monday told reporters that the now-infamous “Be On The Lookout” list was far broader than was originally disclosed in the Treasury Department inspector general's report.

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.

Michael Bloomberg aide lobbied on guns in Nevada  —  Michael Bloomberg's gun control group sent a city employee to register as a lobbyist in Nevada on state-based firearms issues, a use of government resources that raises further questions about the relationship between the city and the mayor's self-funded 501(c)(4).

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.

On Penny Pritzker, where's the outrage?  —  Penny Pritzker has understated her income by tens of millions of dollars, clashed openly with organized labor, benefited from offshore tax havens and invested in financial instruments that helped precipitate the 2008 financial meltdown.

Giffords and Kelly touring to revive background checks  —  (CNN) - Former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and husband Mark Kelly are hitting the road to try bolstering support for extending background checks on gun sales, a prospect that failed earlier this year but that gun control supporters have vowed to continue pursuing.

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.