What to Do When ObamaCare Unravels  —  Health insurance should be individual, portable across jobs, states and providers, and lifelong and renewable.  —  The unraveling of the Affordable Care Act presents a historic opportunity for change.  Its proponents call it “settled law,” …

CNN Poll: GOP has edge in early midterm indicator  —  Washington (CNN) — Democrats have lost their advantage and Republicans now have a slight edge in the battle for control of Congress, according to a new national poll.  —  A CNN/ORC International survey released Thursday also indicates …

GOP, Business Recast Message  —  Republican Leaders, Allies Aim to Diminish Clout of Most-Conservative Activists  —  Republican leaders and their corporate allies have launched an array of efforts aimed at diminishing the clout of the party's most conservative activists and promoting legislation instead of confrontation next year.

Why the Tea Party Isn't Going Anywhere  —  The demise of the Tea Party was loudly announced right after Congress voted on October 16 to lift the debt ceiling and reopen the federal government.  “Finally!  The Republican Fever Is Broken,” exulted Jamelle Bouie atThe Daily Beast …

Jesse Jackson Sr. responds to ‘Duck Dynasty’ star's comments  —  Jesse Jackson Sr. has jumped into the controversy surrounding comments by Phil Robertson, star of A&E's backwoods reality TV show, “Duck Dynasty.”  —  In an announcement sent out Tuesday, Jackson Sr. compared Robertson's recent comments …

Kidnapped American asks U.S. to negotiate with al-Qaeda for his release  —  A U.S. government contractor kidnapped by al-Qaeda militants in Pakistan in 2011 has recorded a video message calling on the Obama administration to negotiate with his captors, saying he feels “totally abandoned and forgotten.”

Should Ginsberg Retire?  —  Facebook Twitter Digg Reddit StumbleUpon Delicious  —  I've got to disagree with Emily Bazelon's take on Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Bazelon is defending Ginsburg's right to stay on the Supreme Court from a number of legal and political critics who are urging her to resign …

Time to Stock Up on Incandescent Bulbs Before They Go Out Permanently  —  If your New Year's resolution is to change your light bulbs, don't worry—the federal government's here to help.  —  Beginning January 1, 2014, the federal government will ban the use of 60-watt and 40-watt incandescent light bulbs.

The 13 most memorable quotes of 2013  —  The year started with a deal on the fiscal cliff and ended with a deal on a two-year budget accord.  —  In between, there were fights over the Benghazi, Libya terrorist attack, National Security Agency surveillance programs, immigration reform …

A Work Still in Progress  —  When the country observed the Constitution's 200th anniversary back in 1987, two narratives vied for public acceptance.  There was the triumphalist narrative celebrated in Philadelphia, where a quarter-million people took part in a 15-hour-long gala …

From fast food strikes to Wal-Mart: 2013 and the year in labor  —  2013 was a year of unexpected vulnerability and vitality — and the year fast food and Wal-Mart campaigns diverged  —  This time 13 months ago, low-wage non-union workers had just mounted first-of-their kind strikes …

Local courts reviving ‘debtors’ prison' for overdue fines, fees  —  In this May 24, 2011 file photo, inmates make phone calls from their cell at a county jail in Santa Ana, Calif.Reuters  —  As if out of a Charles Dickens novel, people struggling to pay overdue fines and fees associated …

Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood a terror group  —  Egypt's military-run government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group.  —  The move comes months after the military removed Mohammed Morsi from the presidency.  Morsi was the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate in the 2012 election.