Congress Passes Debt Deal  —  WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans conceded defeat on Wednesday in their bitter budget fight with President Obama over the new health care law as the House and Senate approved last-minute legislation ending a disruptive 16-day government shutdown …

The Last Conference  —  At the last GOP conference meeting of the two-week government shutdown, no lawmakers went to the microphones to give their take.  —  Instead, after Speaker John Boehner told Republicans they had “fought the good fight,” they all rose up to offer a standing ovation.

Tea Party's Image Turns More Negative  —  Ted Cruz's Popularity Soars among Tea Party Republicans  —  The Tea Party is less popular than ever, with even many Republicans now viewing the movement negatively.  Overall, nearly half of the public (49%) has an unfavorable opinion of the Tea Party, while 30% have a favorable opinion.

Cory Booker wins New Jersey Senate seat  —  Democrat Cory Booker won the special election for New Jersey's Senate seat on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.  The Newark mayor and heavy favorite in the race defeated Republican and former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan.

McConnell Deal Includes Kentucky Kickback  —  The Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF) criticized U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Wednesday for allowing a $2 billion Kentucky earmark to be added to the debt deal he negotiated with U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV).  SCF Executive Director Matt Hoskins made the following statement:

Why we miss Kay Bailey Hutchison  —  Things surely would look far different with Sen. Hutchison in office in the nation's capital  —  Does anyone else miss Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison?  —  We're not sure how much difference one person could make in the toxic, chaotic, hyperpartisan atmosphere in Washington …

U.S. eavesdropping agency chief, top deputy expected to depart soon  —  (Reuters) - The director of the U.S. National Security Agency and his deputy are expected to depart in the coming months, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, in a development that could give President Barack Obama a chance to reshape the eavesdropping agency.

S&P: Shutdown cost economy at least $24B  —  The government shutdown cost the nation's economy at least $24 billion and shaved 0.6 percent off the nation's economic growth, according to new analysis from Standard & Poor's.  —  With a deal seemingly headed for the finish line …

Senate Votes To Re-Open Government, Raise Debt Limit  —  In the first step of a two-step process, the Senate voted Wednesday night to re-open the federal government and raise the debt ceiling.  —  The bill passed 81-18.  Among the senators who voted against the bill: Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn …

College Women: Stop Getting Drunk  —  It's closely associated with sexual assault.  And yet we're reluctant to tell women to stop doing it.  —  In one awful high-profile case after another—the U.S. Naval Academy; Steubenville, Ohio; now the allegations in Maryville, Mo.—we read about a young woman …

Meet CGI Federal, the company behind the botched launch of HealthCare.gov  —  Over the past few weeks, if you've been paying attention at all to the unfolding disaster of people trying and failing to sign up for Obamacare online, one name keeps coming up: CGI Federal, the IT contractor …