Senate Democrats Poised to Block Filibusters of Presidential Picks  —  WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats are on the verge of moving to eliminate the use of the filibuster against most presidential nominees, aides and senior party leaders said Wednesday, a move that would deprive Republicans …

Palin kills Matt Lauer interview over Martin Bashir slur  —  It's no secret that Sarah Palin is mighty steamed at MSNBC and Martin Bashir over his despicable remarks about the abusive treatment he imagines for her.  —  And now she's doing something about it.

Illinois Governor Signs Marriage Equality Into Law  —  Wednesday afternoon, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) signed marriage equality into law, making Illinois the 16th state to allow same-sex couples to marry.  It was originally expected to be the 15th, but Hawaii technically completed the passage …

New Report from the Council of Economic Advisers: The Recent Slowdown in Health Care Cost Growth and the Role of the Affordable Care Act  —  The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed against a backdrop of decades of rapid growth in health care spending, and one of the ACA's key goals was to root …

Second wave of health plan cancellations looms  —  A new and independent analysis of ObamaCare warns of a ticking time bomb, predicting a second wave of 50 million to 100 million insurance policy cancellations next fall — right before the mid-term elections.

Vancouver Banned Doorknobs.  Good.  —  Levers are the way of the future.  —  Doorknob Jim Simonson  —  In Vancouver, the humble doorknob is being phased out.  Kind of.  Effective in March, new housing will be required to install levers on doors and faucets, instead of the good-ol' round knobs of our forefathers.

Utah town forgets to hold election — again  —  Wallsburg » New recorder forgot to announce opening of filing period.  —  | The Salt Lake City  —  In the Wasatch County town of Wallsburg, the city employee responsible for oversight of elections brought new meaning to the job description by overlooking the election altogether.

In an Attack Ad, an Alaskan Voter Is Really an Actress From Maryland  —  WASHINGTON - In a tough new advertisement from the Koch brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity, an unnamed woman looks directly into the camera and upbraids Senator Mark Begich, Democrat of Alaska.  —  “Senator Begich didn't listen.

Politico's Mike Allen, native advertising pioneer  —  Introducing: The “Playbook” game!  —  Politico Chief White House Correspondent Mike Allen writes “Playbook,” a daily e-mail newsletter featuring stories from Politico and other outlets, various “exclusives,” tips and birthday notices.

Angry words of '63 Dallas now part of mainstream  —  On the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the Dallas Morning News ran a giant black-bordered ad headlined “Welcome Mr. Kennedy to Dallas” that ripped him as soft on communism.  Plastered around town were black-framed posters …

Gillibrand & Cruz: Stop sexual violence in the military  —  We must protect the 200,000 women serving on active duty.  —  CONNECT  —  We are blessed with the most disciplined, honorable, and effective military force the world has ever known, and improving the system to report …

Top lobbyist Gerry Cassidy to step down  —  One of the Beltway's premier lobbyists, Gerry Cassidy, is stepping aside from his official role at the iconic D.C. lobbying firm that bears his name, POLITICO has learned.  —  On Thursday, Cassidy will announce a transition from the day-to-day leadership …

Scott Walker strikes own path on Obamacare  —  Scott Walker hates Obamacare.  But Scott Walker also needs Obamacare.  —  The Wisconsin Republican governor, a potential 2016 contender for the White House, has drawn national attention to his ambitious health reform effort to cover the poor …

Rep. Grace Meng attacked, robbed near Eastern Market  —  WASHINGTON (WJLA) - Police say a U.S. congresswoman was attacked and robbed Tuesday night near Eastern Market.  —  Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., who represents the 6th congressional district in Queens, was walking home from dinner Tuesday night …

Applicants Find Health Website Is Improving, but Not Fast Enough  —  DOYLESTOWN, Pa. — Tilda Elias had reason to be optimistic when she opened the HealthCare.gov website on Monday, ready to help her first client of the week find health insurance.  Technicians had made fixes to the online insurance exchange over the weekend.

Florida Rep. Trey Radel to Take Leave of Absence After Cocaine Charge … Florida Republican congressman Trey Radel will take a leave of absence from Congress and donate his salary to charity after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of cocaine possession.  —  “I'm owning up to my actions.

Mom of Alleged Teen Shoplifter Accuses Police of Brutality  —  The Bucks County District Attorney's Office is investigating the alleged assault of a teen boy by police officers.  —  The mother of the 14-year-old boy, who was arrested for shoplifting, is accusing police of roughing him up.

Khamenei: ‘Israeli regime is doomed to failure, annihilation’  —  Iran's supreme leader says “Zionist officials cannot be called humans”; Israeli expert: Harsh talk meant “to set stage for deal.”  —  Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would not step back from its nuclear rights …

Obama Breaks the Health Law to Save It  —  The Barack Obama administration is sounding a bit more upbeat today on the state of the health insurance exchanges.  At the same time, it's also clearly preparing a backup plan: allowing customers to buy policies directly from insurers.

It's “Paul Ryan is a serious wonk” season again!  —  The Washington Post admires Paul Ryan's very bold plan to fight poverty by replacing food stamps with dreams  —  Wow, is it “Paul Ryan is a serious, brilliant, policy-focused wonk with a dynamic and inclusive vision for the future of the Republican Party” season again already?