Obama sends message by naming Sochi Olympic delegation  —  The White House delivered a strong message of opposition to Russia's anti-gay laws Tuesday with the announcement of its delegation to the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics.  —  The White House delegation will include an openly gay athlete: tennis great Billie Jean King.

Post-ABC poll: Obama, Republicans, Health care and 2014 midterm  —  Poll Questions

When I launched my first campaign in 1999, I knew that the arc of my public service would have many chapters.  It has been a tremendous privilege to serve the people of Utah during my time in the United States House of Representatives, but my time in the House should not be the sum total of my service.

Rep. Latham won't run for reelection  —  Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa) won't run for reelection, he announced Tuesday evening, opening up a competitive House seat in southwestern Iowa.  —  “It is never a perfect time or a right time to step aside.  But for me, this is the time,” he said in an email to supporters.

The Thought Leader  —  Little boys and girls in ancient Athens grew up wanting to be philosophers.  In Renaissance Florence they dreamed of becoming Humanists.  But now a new phrase and a new intellectual paragon has emerged to command our admiration: The Thought Leader.

Harvard Student Charged In Bomb Hoax  —  BOSTON (CBS) — A Harvard student has been charged in connection with Monday's bomb threats which shut down four Harvard buildings and canceled finals for many students.  —  The U.S. Attorney's office says Eldo Kim, 20, of Cambridge …

Duck penis studies, lifecoaches for Senate staff: $30B in government spending questioned  —  WASHINGTON - While the White House and Congress griped this year about the pain of automatic budget cuts, the federal government still managed to spend billions of dollars on seemingly frivolous projects …

Texas congressmen take aim at Affordable Care Act's navigators  —  Dozens of Obamacare supporters attended Monday's congressional hearing at the Eisemann Center in Richardson.  Luis Veloz, 20, of Dallas told the crowd that he and his family do not have health insurance.

Obama ‘hijacks’ tech executive meeting to make ‘PR pitch’ on Obamacare website fix instead of dealing with NSA surveillance  — The White House telegraphed in advance that the president wanted to talk up his efforts to fix healthcare.gov, but no one in the room was interested

After Ruling Critical of N.S.A., Uncertain Terrain for Appeal  —  WASHINGTON — As Judge Richard J. Leon heard arguments last month in a challenge to a National Security Agency program, he said only one thing was certain.  —  “I'm not sure how I'm going to come out,” he said, “but I know it's going upstairs.”

An Open Letter to the People of Brazil  —  Atualizado em 17/12/2013 às 08h11.  —  Six months ago, I stepped out from the shadows of the United States Government's National Security Agency to stand in front of a journalist's camera.  —  Espionage Whistleblower Edward Snowden to Seek Asylum in Brazil

The global warming scam that will not die  —  We were all supposed to be dead by now, fried to a toasty potatolike chip.  Or doomed to die with the polar bears.  It was to be a soggy end for the most beautiful planet in the cosmos and for all the passengers riding on it.

The Morning Plum: The consequences of GOP opposition to Obamacare  —  As of now, over two dozen states are not opting in to Obamacare's Medicaid expansion, thanks largely to hostility to the law among GOP governors who are turning down huge sums of federal money that could otherwise …

White House to tap Microsoft exec to fix HealthCare.gov  —  The White House is tapping the private sector for its next point man to oversee the troubled Obamacare website.  —  The administration is set to announce that Kurt DelBene, a former executive at Microsoft, will succeed Jeff Zients …

Brewer weighs in on ‘white’ Santa controversy  —  PHOENIX — Governor Jan Brewer got caught up in the controversy surrounding the ethnicity of Santa Claus on Tuesday.  —  Watch the video above to hear her response when asked by 3TV Political Editor Dennis Welch if she believes Santa Clause is white.

Exclusive: Inside Steve Stockman's Disgusting, Condemned Campaign Office (PHOTOS)  —  Those looking for dirt on Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) need look no further.  TPM has obtained photographs taken by the local officials who recently shut down Stockman's campaign office in Webster, Texas.

Pope Replaces Conservative U.S. Cardinal on Influential Vatican Committee  —  ROME — Pope Francis moved on Monday against a conservative American cardinal who has been an outspoken critic of abortion and same-sex marriage, by replacing him on a powerful Vatican committee with another American …

Jerry Brown, urged to run for president, won't rule out 2016 bid  —  Some are urging California Gov. Jerry Brown to run a fourth time for president, in part to stop the front-runner, Hillary Rodham Clinton.  (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images / May 23, 2013)  —  If he weren't the nation's oldest governor …

Accidental Tax Break Saves Wealthiest Americans $100 Billion  —  Sheldon Adelson makes no secret of his disdain for the estate tax.  —  “How many times do you have to pay taxes on money?” the casino magnate asks, leaning on a blue cane on the cobblestones of Wall Street on a crisp October morning.