Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission's accomplished  —  MOSCOW — The familiar voice on the hotel room phone did not waste words.  —  “What time does your clock say, exactly?” he asked.  —  He checked the reply against his watch and described a place to meet.

Alan Turing gets royal pardon for ‘gross indecency’ - 61 years after he poisoned himself  —  He was the father of modern computing whose work on the Enigma code at Bletchley Park is said to have shortened the Second World War.  —  But he was also gay and in those less enlightened times …

The Legitimacy Problem  —  It's pretty clear that the implementation of Obamacare will set the tone for how Americans think about government for years to come.  There are two large questions to be settled, which you might call the questions of competence and coercion.

Here Are The 15 Democratic Senators Bucking The White House And Threatening War With Iran  —  WASHINGTON — As the United States finally puts a decade of war behind it, a group of senators, including 15 Democrats, is defying the White House and threatening to push the country into a fresh war with Iran.

California health exchange tops 400,000 enrolled prior to deadline  —  Californians wait to sign up for health insurance at a recent enrollment fair in Sacramento as part of the federal healthcare law.  (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)  —  California's health insurance exchange …

The War on Terror's Jedi Mind Trick  —  National-security officials insist new violations of privacy are essential for keeping Americans safe from terror—but there's no evidence the programs have stopped any attacks.  —  A Republican-appointed judge and President Obama's own handpicked …

Civil rights leaders call for Obama to withdraw Georgia judicial nominees  —  Civil rights leaders and members of the Georgia congressional delegation on Monday called on President Obama to withdraw his nominees for federal courts in the state over concerns about their views and lack of diversity.

VIDEO: Santa Claus shot with pellet gun at toy giveaway in Southeast  —  WASHINGTON (WJLA) - A man in a Santa Claus suit was shot in the back with a pellet gun Tuesday morning at a toy giveaway in Southeast.  —  According to an ABC7 photographer who was interviewing the victim at the time of the shooting …

‘Festivus’ writer grieves about Rand Paul  —  One of the writers of the famed “Festivus” episode of “Seinfeld” isn't too happy Sen. Rand Paul used the holiday to tweet a rant against Washington.  —  Airing his own grievance on Tuesday, writer Dan O'Keefe, took a swipe at the Republican senator from Kentucky.

Sarah Palin: I didn't read ‘Duck Dynasty’ interview  —  Turns out Sarah Palin, who has been one of Duck Dynasty's biggest defenders, hasn't actually read the GQ interview that includes cast member Phil Robertson's controversial comments on homosexuality and other subjects.

Is Mark Warner seeing dangerous numbers?  —  I couldn't help noting that Mark Warner, the Democratic senior senator from Virginia, was one of the six Democratic senators calling for “hardship exemptions” for people finding Obamacare insurance policies too expensive, and also one of the 13 Democratic senators …

Army: Don't say Christmas  —  Don't say Christmas.  —  That's the message that was conveyed to a group of soldiers at Camp Shelby by an equal opportunity officer from the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, according to a soldier who attended a recent briefing.

Will An Appeals Court Stop Same-Sex Couples In Utah From Marrying On Christmas Eve?  —  With no decision from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals at the end of the day Monday, more same-sex couples will be heading to clerks' offices Tuesday to get married.  —  Andrea Dahl (left) marries Coral Mangus …

Give her the heave-ho, de Blasio  —  Enough!  —  If Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has a lick of sense in his 6-foot-5 frame, he'll cast out of his incoming administration Lis Smith — the randy Democratic operative who's got a freaky fetish for the black knee socks and balding pate of married ex-Love Gov Eliot Spitzer.