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 …

Read the “Stomach-Churning” Sexual Assault Accusations Against R. Kelly in Full  —  It has been nearly 15 years since music journalist Jim DeRogatis caught the story that has since defined his career, one that he wishes didn't exist: R. Kelly's sexual predation on teenage girls.

Brown's Move to New Hampshire Fuels Talk of Senate Race  —  Former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown plans to move to New Hampshire, the latest sign that he's considering a U.S. Senate bid there, which would complicate Democrats' effort to hold their majority in the chamber.

Make Obamacare Cool, or Make It Hurt  —  Instead of outreach programs and sappy TV ads with parents imploring their kids to sign up for Obamacare, President Barack Obama needs to start thinking creatively if he wants his signature legislative achievement to be a success.  What motivates kids?

FDA Taking Closer Look at ‘Antibacterial’ Soap  —  On this page:  —  When you're buying soaps and body washes, do you reach for the bar or bottle labeled “antibacterial”?  Are you thinking that these products, in addition to keeping you clean, will reduce your risk of getting sick or passing on germs to others?

Democratic group apologizes after sending tracker to memorial service  —  Democratic opposition research organization American Bridge apologized on Monday for sending someone to follow New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte at a funeral this weekend, after a reporter and the New Hampshire Republican party attacked them for the move.

‘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 …

Lara Logan to return to ‘60 Minutes’  —  Lara Logan and Max McClellan, the ‘60 Minutes’ journalists who were put on a leave of absence following their now-retracted report on Benghazi, are set to return to the program early next year, POLITICO has learned.  —  Logan and her producer …

Jeh Johnson OK'd for Homeland Security  —  The Senate confirmed former Pentagon attorney Jeh Johnson on Monday to lead the Department of Homeland Security, rounding out President Barack Obama's second-term Cabinet.  —  After the 78-16 vote, Johnson will take the helm at DHS …

Is A Big Chill On the Way?  —  As Steve noted a little while ago, the Northern states have been in a deep freeze for a while now.  The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that northern Minnesota hasn't had a six-day stretch colder than the one the state has just suffered through since the Nixon administration, 1972.

Republicans must see the light on combatting poverty  —  Fifty years ago this month, President Johnson was closing in on his first State of the Union address.  The famous speech, delivered in January 1964, kickstarted the War on Poverty.  —  The war was never won.

Fox News Remains Ratings Champ As 2013 Comes to Close  —  It and rivals CNN, MSNBC down from last year  —  Fox News Channel maintained its grip on the cable-news network ratings prize in 2013, drawing more viewers than the combined averages of CNN, MSNBC and HLN.

Conservatives Have No Idea What To Do About Recessions  —  For the last five years, liberals have promoted three main economic policies to shorten or ameliorate the Great Recession and speed the recovery from it.  — Deficit-financed spending to compensate for demand gaps in the private sector.

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 …

Budget deal shows the GOP has PTSD  —  Since taking office, Barack Obama has run the table on congressional Republicans, racking up one government-expanding victory after another — from the stimulus to Dodd-Frank, Obamacare and the $620 billion in fiscal-cliff tax increases.

Senate Conservatives Fund: Boehner Targeting Conservatives Just Like IRS  —  In a new fundraising email, the Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF) said House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is targeting conservatives in the same way that the Internal Revenue Service targeted conservative organizations seeking tax-exempt status.

Ethics Committee Will Investigate Trey Radel  —  Radel, center, will be investigated.  (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)  —  The House Ethics Committee will launch a formal investigation into alleged misconduct by Rep. Trey Radel, the panel's top Republican and Democrat announced Monday.

An NSA Coworker Remembers The Real Edward Snowden: ‘A Genius Among Geniuses’  —  Perhaps Edward Snowden's hoodie should have raised suspicions.  —  The black sweatshirt sold by the civil libertarian Electronic Frontier Foundation featured a parody of the National Security Agency's logo …

Gary Patton out in DOD sexual assault post  —  The Pentagon's top sexual assault prevention official is stepping down next month amid an internal investigation that he intimidated whistleblowers during a previous stint in Afghanistan.  —  Maj. Gen. Gary Patton is set to retire in the spring …