Weed: Been There.  Done That.  —  For a little while in my teenage years, my friends and I smoked marijuana.  It was fun.  I have some fond memories of us all being silly together.  I think those moments of uninhibited frolic deepened our friendships.  —  But then we all sort of moved away from it.

Kim Jong Un's executed uncle was eaten alive by 120 hungry dogs: report  —  Rodong Sinmun / Yonhap via Reuters, file  —  Kim Jone Un's uncle Jang Song Thaek is dragged into court by uniformed personnel prior to last month's execution.  —  By Eric Baculinao and Alexander Smith, NBC News

Rude and Crude: Why MSNBC keeps getting into trouble  —  Is there something in the water over at 30 Rock?  —  Whether you love or detest MSNBC, the network has had a rough few months, and I'm wondering whether a series of embarrassing episodes is more than a coincidence.

FACT SHEET: Strengthening the Federal Background Check System to Keep Guns out of Potentially Dangerous Hands  —  Today, the Administration is announcing two new executive actions that will help strengthen the federal background check system and keep guns out of the wrong hands.

RAND PAUL TO LEAD CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST OBAMA OVER NSA SPYING  —  Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is leading a class-action lawsuit with hundreds of thousands of Americans against President Barack Obama's National Security Agency (NSA) over its spying on the American people, Breitbart News has learned.

Bernie Sanders to NSA: Spying on Hill?  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders sent a letter Friday to the director of the National Security Agency asking if the agency is spying or has ever spied on members of Congress.  —  The Vermont independent said he was “deeply concerned” about the NSA's collection …

Video: Bill de Blasio Threatens to Strip During Storm Briefing  —  Bill de Blasio makes his offer.  (Screenshot: nowthisnews.com)  —  Mayor Bill de Blasio sure knows how to make reporters pay attention to his winter snowstorm briefings.  —  At the very end of a detailed press update …

Clay Aiken ‘actively considering’ run for Congress: sources  —  Clay Aiken is “actively considering” a run for Congress, sources say.  (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)  —  Gay singer and “American Idol” runner-up Clay Aiken is actively considering a bid to represent North …

Al-Qaeda force captures Fallujah amid rise in violence in Iraq  —  BEIRUT — A rejuvenated al-Qaeda force asserted control over the western Iraqi town of Fallujah on Friday, raising its flag over government buildings and declaring an Islamic state in one of the most crucial areas …

Lonegan says he'll run for Congress in South Jersey  —  Steve Lonegan, the Republican candidate for the United States Senate, is shown just after concession speech to his supporters on election night, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 at the Bridgewater Manor.  (Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

DOJ rejects nuns' argument on ObamaCare contraception mandate  —  The Obama administration on Friday offered a vigorous defense of the Affordable Care Act's “birth control mandate,” disputing as unfounded the religious challenge that led a Supreme Court justice to partially block the provision from taking effect this week.

Public advocate caught in lie over Times homeless story  —  She lied on her first day on the job — and got caught.  —  Just hours after being sworn in as the city's public advocate, Letitia James went on TV to claim that she played a key role in helping expose “the face of poverty in the City of New York” …

Obama's Job Approval Declined Steadily Throughout 2013  —  Budget battles, NSA revelations, and healthcare law rollout all contributed  —  PRINCETON, NJ — President Barack Obama wrapped up 2013 with an average 41% approval rating in December, unchanged from November.

IMF paper warns of ‘savings tax’ and mass write-offs as West's debt hits 200-year high  —  Debt burdens in developed nations have become extreme by any historical measure and will require a wave of haircuts, warns IMF paper  —  Much of the Western world will require defaults …

This Might Be The Most Bizarre Campaign Video Of 2014 So Far  —  Rodney Lee Conover launched his campaign in California's 8th Congressional District with a video published on YouTube Thursday in which he compared House Republicans to his 1972 Ford Ranchero.  —  “Hi, I'm Rodney Lee Conover, and I'm running for Congress.

Doctor's Office Spends 2 Hours On Hold With Health Insurer For Patient's Surgery Authorization  —  CHICAGO (AP) — The new year brought relief to some Illinois patients newly insured under the nation's health care law.  Others still weren't sure whether they were covered …