Judge Questions Legality of N.S.A. Phone Records  —  WASHINGTON — A federal district judge ruled on Monday that the National Security Agency program that is systematically keeping records of all Americans' phone calls most likely violates the Constitution, describing its technology as …

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 …

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.

Tech execs to confront Obama on spying  —  Executives from the nation's biggest technology companies will meet with President Obama on Tuesday to discuss the revelations about National Security Agency surveillance.  —  The meeting will include Apple CEO Tim Cook, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer …

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?

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?

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.

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.

Glaxo Says It Will Stop Paying Doctors to Promote Drugs  —  The British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline will no longer pay doctors to promote its products and will stop tying compensation of sales representatives to the number of prescriptions doctors write, its chief executive said Monday …

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.

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 …

Port Authority scandal: The rising star and the mystery man inside a growing investigation  —  Bill Baroni (left) the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority, and David Wildstein, director of interstate capital projects, who were two highest-ranking executives appointed …

Mike Huckabee to Launch ‘Huckabee Post’  —  Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will launch a news publication “Huckabee Post” in January 2014, ABC News has learned.  —  The site will cover a range of topics from news and politics to sports and pop culture, according to the former governor's son, David Huckabee.

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.