Peter O'Toole, Star of ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ is Dead at 81  —  Peter O'Toole, an Irish bookmaker's son with a hell-raising streak whose performance in the 1962 epic film “Lawrence of Arabia” earned him overnight fame and established him as one of his generation's most charismatic actors, died on Saturday in London.

Ryan Says GOP to Make Debt-Ceiling Demands in Early '14  —  House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) signaled that Republicans would not raise the debt ceiling next year without some sort of concessions from Democrats, saying lawmakers were still crafting their strategy.

Poll: Ted Cruz 3rd ‘most influential’ world leader, behind pope, Obama  —  WASHINGTON SECRETS OBAMACARE JOHN BOEHNER TED CRUZ CHRIS CHRISTIE POPE FRANCIS  —  Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has had the best year of any Republican and virtually anyone in the world, ranking third in Rasmussen Report's …

The Daughter Theory  —  FOR our age of wonks and white papers and warring experts, there ought to be a word — something just short of, though not shorter than, schadenfreude — for the gentle thrill inspired by a social-science finding that mildly unsettles one's ideological opponents.

What happened to Lady Gaga?  —  It's already known as ARTFLOP.  —  On Nov. 6, amid the kind of hype not seen since Michael Jackson floated a statue of himself down the Thames River, Lady Gaga released her third studio album, “ARTPOP.”  —  And not since Jackson has such a globally famous …

A Formula for Happiness  —  HAPPINESS has traditionally been considered an elusive and evanescent thing.  To some, even trying to achieve it is an exercise in futility.  It has been said that “happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

Tom Laughlin, star of ‘Billy Jack’ films, dies at age 82  —  Actors Tom Laughlin and Delores Taylor starred in the 1971 movie “Billy Jack.”  (File photo)  —  Tom Laughlin, the maverick actor and filmmaker best known for the “Billy Jack” films, has died.  He was 82.

Inside the Saudi 9/11 coverup  —  After the 9/11 attacks, the public was told al Qaeda acted alone, with no state sponsors.  —  But the White House never let it see an entire section of Congress' investigative report on 9/11 dealing with “specific sources of foreign support” for the 19 hijackers, 15 of whom were Saudi nationals.

How the West was lost by the selfie president  —  My bookshelves sag with encyclopedic volumes arguing that America and the West are in decline.  But proving that a picture is worth a thousand books, the “selfie” seen 'round the world ends the argument.  —  It's official …

Apple approves ‘only gay social app for ages 12 and up’  —  The founders of Distinc.tt believe it's time for a gay social app that doesn't have sex at its core.  This is an app that “you can bring home to Mom.”  —  Do you feel that the gay community is all too often symbolized by shiny torsos with a body fat percentage below 3?

McCain: CIA did not tell Congress the truth about Levinson  —  (CNN) - Sen. John McCain joined CNN's “State of the Union” from Kiev, Ukraine, on Sunday after the Arizona Republican addressed thousands of protesters who are angry over the Ukrainian government's decision to backpedal away from an agreement with the European Union.

Nation reflects on Newtown  —  (CNN) — Horror struck Newtown, Connecticut, in such a disturbing way that the nation still struggles with its impact a year later.  —  The legacy of the second-deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history is so profound that it cannot hold just one meaning.  It holds several.