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.

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 …

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.

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.

Supreme Court limits federal oversight of Voting Rights Act  —  Washington (CNN) — A deeply divided Supreme Court has limited use of a key provision in the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, in effect invalidating the key enforcement provision that applies to all or parts of 15 states with past history of voter discrimination.

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).

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.

Exodus: Afghan Diplomats Defect as Western Withdrawal Nears  —  The situation in Afghanistan is becoming increasingly precarious that Afghan diplomats no longer want to return to their homeland.  Up to 100 foreign service employees set for rotation back to Kabul from assignments abroad have now defected.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …