Judge: NSA phone program likely unconstitutional  —  A federal judge ruled Monday that the National Security Agency program which collects information on nearly all telephone calls made to, from or within the United States is likely to be unconstitutional.  —  U.S. District Court Judge …

In budget deal, a secret reward for Dems  —  The two-year budget deal approved by the House has hidden political benefits for Senate Democrats, Republicans charge.  —  Because it sets a top-line budget number for 2015, Democrats won't have to write and pass a budget resolution in the midterm election year.

‘60 Minutes’ Trashed For NSA Piece  —  “60 Minutes” was trashed all over Twitter on Sunday night for a two-part story on the NSA which critics dubbed obsequious at best.  —  The piece was fronted by reporter John Miller, who had to tell viewers this at the top of the segment: “Full disclosure …

Climate change expert's fraud was ‘crime of massive proportion,’ say feds  —  The EPA's highest-paid employee and top expert on climate change engaged in “crime of massive proportions” by pretending to be working as an undercover agent for the CIA so he could avoid doing his real job for years …

Sheriffs Refuse to Enforce Laws on Gun Control  —  GREELEY, Colo. — When Sheriff John Cooke of Weld County explains in speeches why he is not enforcing the state's new gun laws, he holds up two 30-round magazines.  One, he says, he had before July 1, when the law banning the possession …

Honesty and Ethics Rating of Clergy Slides to New Low  —  Nurses again top list; lobbyists are worst  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' rating of the honesty and ethics of the clergy has fallen to 47%, the first time this rating has dropped below 50% since Gallup first asked about the clergy in 1977.

Secret Inside BofA Office of CEO Stymied Needy Homeowners  —  Photographer: Phelan M. Ebenhack/Bloomberg  —  Isabel Santamaria thought she finally caught a break in her effort to save her Florida home from foreclosure after nine frustrating months: She reached Bank of America Corp.'s Office of the CEO and President.

HOUSE REPORT: ILL-TRAINED OBAMACARE NAVIGATORS ENCOURAGING FRAUD, JEOPARDIZING PRIVATE INFO  —  The Obama administration decided that Obamacare Navigators, tasked with helping Americans enroll in a health insurance plan, would not undergo mandatory background checks.

Vice President Joe Biden gropes White House reporter  —  Sure, he likely didn't mean anything overtly sexual by it.  But Vice President Joe Biden is a folksy kind of guy who has officially entered dirty old man territory and done something sure to elicit laughs within the White House Press Corps.

Hack List No. 9: Thomas Friedman  —  Our annual list is here!  This time, we channeled each hack's unique voice — and let them “write” their own entries  —  A Visit to Friedman World  —  I was at a conference in Brussels last week and having trouble with my column.

It's a Man's World, And It Always Will Be  —  The modern economy is a male epic, in which women have found a productive role—but women were not its author  —  If men are obsolete, then women will soon be extinct—unless we rush down that ominous Brave New World path where females …

Stern Words for Wall Street's Watchdogs, From a Judge  —  WASHINGTON — It used to be common for the federal government to prosecute prominent people responsible for debacles that rattled the financial system.  Michael R. Milken, the junk bond artist, went to prison in 1991; Charles H. Keating Jr. …

Kathleen Sebelius: The importance of health care navigators to Texas  —  Affordable Care Act navigator Andrew Moura helps Debbie Sands sign up for coverage in Irving.  A U.S. House committee is holding a field hearing Monday in Richardson on the navigators' role and training.

Tea Party Facebook Group Posts BioShock Image Satirizing Tea Party  —  The National Liberty Foundation is a Florida-based group of radical conservatives associated with the right-wing group that calls themselves the Tea Party.  They use their Facebook to post lots of right-wing meme images and racist links.

Why Inequality Matters  —  Rising inequality isn't a new concern.  Oliver Stone's movie “Wall Street,” with its portrayal of a rising plutocracy insisting that greed is good, was released in 1987.  But politicians, intimidated by cries of “class warfare,” have shied away from making …

Hillary Now More Than Ever  —  The following commentary, originally published by POLITICO, is part of a series in which dozens of women will reveal what women they most admire.  The series is part of “Women Rule,” a unique effort this fall by POLITICO, Google and The Tory Burch Foundation exploring …

Exclusive: Twitter working on “edit” feature for tweets  —  Twitter is working on a new feature that would allow users to edit tweets once they are published, three sources close to the project have confirmed to The Desk.  —  Twitter's logo featuring “Larry the Bird.”

Rand Paul-Backed GOP Senate Candidate Held Rally with Secessionist Group  —  Of all the tea party Senate contenders of 2014, Greg Bannon, who's running in North Carolina, is one of the most extreme.  —  gregbrannon.com  —  Of all the tea partiers running for Senate in 2014, Greg Brannon …

Libertarian Radio Host Neal Boortz: “I'm Sorry, Santa Claus Is White, Deal With It”  —  “I'm gonna scream and complain because Martin Luther King is always portrayed as black,” said Neal Boortz, who was substituting for Herman Cain on his radio program Monday.  —  View Video ›

G.O.P. Firebrands Tone Down Their Message and Run Again  —  LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. — “My name is Congressman Bob Dold!” said the fleece-clad man making his way through a popular restaurant here.  —  Well, not exactly.  His name is Bob Dold, but he isn't a current member of Congress.

ASA Members Vote To Endorse Academic Boycott of Israel  —  The members of the American Studies Association have endorsed the Association's participation in a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.  In an election that attracted 1252 voters, the largest number of participants in the organization's history …