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 …

I Was An NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards And A Bigot  —  Hello.  My name is Chris Kluwe, and for eight years I was the punter for the Minnesota Vikings.  In May 2013, the Vikings released me from the team.  At the time, quite a few people asked me if I thought …

Oregon Mother: I Can't Afford Obamacare For Myself, 1-Year-Old Son  —  PORTLAND, Ore. (CBS Seattle/AP) — One Oregon mother says that she is unable to afford health insurance for her and her 18-month-old son because it's too expensive.  —  Kate Holly, 33, tells KOIN-TV that she originally …

“Duck Dynasty” launches its own line of guns  —  The family-owned business at the center of the hit TV show “Duck Dynasty” has launched its own line of guns.  —  The gunmaker Mossberg has teamed with Duck Commander, the company owned by “Duck Dynasty's” Robertson clan, to release nine different shotguns …

Medicaid Increases Emergency-Department Use: Evidence from Oregon's Health Insurance Experiment  —  1National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.  —  2Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY 10027, USA.  —  3Center for Outcomes Research and Education …

It begins: New NYC schools chancellor will push ‘progressive agenda’  —  Farina, a former teacher and long-time adviser to de Blasio, shares the mayor's desire to foist a “progressive agenda” upon NYC schools, she said at a news conference earlier this week.

Historic Bible goes missing after de Blasio swearing in  —  The FDR bible used by Mayor Bill de Blasio for his swearing in vanished after the New Year's Day ceremony, sparking a panicked, hours-long search for the historic tome.  —  “They had the whole detail looking through blankets,” …

Chinese Helicopter Rescues 52 From Ship Trapped in Antarctic Ice  —  LONDON — In a dramatic operation displaying unusual international harmony in one of the world's most remote and inhospitable places, a red-and-white Chinese helicopter on Thursday rescued 52 passengers trapped …

Men Are Obsolete  —  Five reasons we are definitely witnessing the end of men  —  How do I know men are finished?  I'll read you a quote that says it all: “Yes.  There have been times when I've been in a drunken stupor.”  Toronto's mayor, a shining example of modern manhood is what I would call …

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 …

The Bottom Of The Barrel  —  Conservatives are the party of hate.  This must be true, right?  I heard it on the News.  NBC News makes this point on its 24-hour cable news network at least 15 times per hour, and NBC is a “respected news source ...” right?  —  I mean ... right?

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 …

Loan Monitor Is Accused of Ruthless Tactics on Student Debt  —  Stacy Jorgensen fought her way through pancreatic cancer.  But her struggle was just beginning.  —  Before she became ill, Ms. Jorgensen took out $43,000 in student loans.  As her payments piled up along with medical bills …

The Three Stages of Obamacare Acceptance  —  Now that Obamacare is clearly moving forward, Republicans are adjusting to a new reality: it may no longer be a realistic option to simply wait until the law collapses under its own weight and vanishes entirely.  GOP lawmakers are increasingly discussing …

Eric Cantor plans vote on Obamacare security bill  —  House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Thursday that he plans to schedule a vote next week on a measure placing more security requirements on the new Obamacare insurance exchanges.  He said he'll draw from legislation that's been introduced …

Former Florida Governor Apologizes For Anti-Gay Record  —  Charlie Crist, who served as Governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 as a Republican, is currently running for his old job as a Democrat.  In addition to renouncing his old party, Crist apologized in a newly published interview …

Calif. high court grants undocumented immigrant admission to state bar  —  Sergio Garcia is seen in Chico, Calif., April 2, 2013.  Despite a law school degree and passing the state bar exam, as an undocumented immigrant, Garcia was not allowed to practice law by the state until the ruling today.

2014: The Year of Obama's Reckoning  —  Two days after Christmas I found myself in a doctor's office in New Jersey at eight o'clock in the morning.  As I sat in the waiting room, a middle-aged woman came in and began a discussion with the receptionist.  It seemed that her daughter …

Here are the big losers in ObamaCare  —  New York's small-business owners, seniors and doctors are among the big losers as President Obama's prescription for health-insurance reform takes effect.  —  The National Federation of Independent Businesses, an organization that represents nearly …

Ani DiFranco's faux-pology: White privilege and the year in race  —  With most white people not having to confront the true history of plantations, honesty about race remains elusive  —  We ended 2013, the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation …