Edward Snowden, Whistle-Blower  —  Seven months ago, the world began to learn the vast scope of the National Security Agency's reach into the lives of hundreds of millions of people in the United States and around the globe, as it collects information about their phone calls, their email messages …

The resurgent progressives  —  The reemergence of a Democratic left will be one of the major stories of 2014.  Moderates, don't be alarmed.  The return of a viable, vocal left will actually be good news for the political center.  —  For a long time, the American conversation …

Americans Can Now Start Using Their New Obamacare Coverage  —  On Wednesday, nearly four years after President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, the major provisions of the health law that serve to expand coverage to millions of Americans officially took effect.

The price of political ignorance: More government  —  It was naughty of Winston Churchill to say, if he really did, that “the best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”  Nevertheless, many voters' paucity of information about politics and government …

World's climate warming faster than feared, scientists say  —  Scientists say the world's climate is warming faster than feared because previous predictions were too “optimistic” and overestimated the cooling impact of clouds  —  As the planet marked its fourth hottest year on record …

Manly Faces and Aggressive Men  —  The men featured are young.  Most are white.  Many have tousled hair, a couple sport grizzly beards, and a few are tattooed.  As a rule, the men are good-looking.  Their cheekbones would make Derek Zoolander proud, but the models are not sitting for their “Blue Steel” close-ups.

Rob Ford files papers for mayoral re-election  —  Toronto mayor registers as candidate in Oct. 27 municipal election  —  Toronto Mayor Rob Ford wasted no time relaunching his bid for re-election, officially filing his nomination papers Thursday shortly after the clerk's office opened on the first day for acceptance of nominations.

WORLD'S FIRST LEGAL RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA SALES BEGIN IN COLORADO  —  Colorado's ambitious experiment in cannabis policy hit a historic milestone Wednesday, when licensed stores began making the first legal sales of recreational marijuana anywhere in the world.

Boehner Is Said to Back Change on Immigration  —  WASHINGTON — Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio has signaled he may embrace a series of limited changes to the nation's immigration laws in the coming months, giving advocates for change new hope that 2014 might be the year that a bitterly divided …

Former Rep. Renzi seeks later date to report to prison  —  FONT:  —  TUCSON — Former U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi has asked a judge to let him wait until Jan. 13 to report to prison to begin serving a sentence for his convictions on public corruption, money laundering and other charges.