people always say, no one has the right to out anyone.  that coming out is a private matter.  i disagree.  as you can imagine, not a very popular opinion.  but bear with me.  —  here's a hypothetical: what if you know a certain GOP congressman, let's just say from Illinois, is gay …

New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws  —  ALBANY — Joining a growing group of states that have loosened restrictions on marijuana, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York plans this week to announce an executive action that would allow limited use of the drug by those with serious illnesses, state officials say.

NSA statement does not deny ‘spying’ on members of Congress  —  Spencer Ackerman in Washington and Martin Pengelly in New York  —  The National Security Agency on Saturday released a statement in answer to questions from a senator about whether it “has spied, or is ... currently spying …

Bezos floored by kidney stones on vacation  —  Amazon.com founder Jeffrey P. Bezos, who purchased The Washington Post last year, suffered a kidney stone attack while vacationing in the Galapagos Islands over the New Year's Day holiday and was flown back to the United States for treatment.

Utah man is on hunger strike to end gay marriages in his state  —  Trestin Meacham has already lost 25 pounds after embarking on a fast with ‘no end in sight.’ The man, a devout Mormon, is pledging not to eat anything until Utah stops issuing same-sex marriage licenses.

Five Economic Reforms Millennials Should Be Fighting For  —  Guaranteed jobs, universal basic incomes, public finance and more  —  It's a new year, but one thing hasn't changed: The economy still blows.  Five years after Wall Street crashed, America's banker-gamblers have only gotten richer …

MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry Makes Tearful Televised Apology To The Romney Family  —  “My intention was not malicious, but I broke the ground rule that families are off-limits.  For that I am sorry.”  —  MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry opened her Saturday morning show with an apology …

Netflix's dumbed-down algorithms  —  Alexis Madrigal has a rollicking investigation into Netflix's movie genres — all 76,897 of them, from category #1 (African-American Crime Documentaries) to category #91,307 (Visually Striking Latin American Comedies).  His story is titled …

Strategists to GOP: Restrain yourselves on debt ceiling  —  GOP strategists are urging restraint in the upcoming debt-ceiling fight.  —  They are excited by the prospect of reclaiming the Senate in November's midterms elections but anxious about the party's capacity to snatch defeat …

Palm Bay man charged for sex acts with family dog, police say  —  Cops say Papa John's delivery driver caught on video abusing dog  —  WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. -  —  A Palm Bay man was arrested after police say home surveillance video caught him in sexual acts involving his family's dog.

Phil Everly, Half of a Pioneer Rock Duo That Inspired Generations, Dies at 74  —  Phil Everly, whose hits with his older brother, Don, as the Everly Brothers carried the close fraternal harmonies of country tradition into pioneering rock ‘n’ roll, died on Friday in Burbank, Calif. He was 74.

Teens in Muslim garb try, fail to rob gun shop  —  MOST TEENAGERS do dumb things.  But not trying-to-rob-Joe-Galiano dumb.  —  Galiano is the owner of Suburban Armory, the gun shop on MacDade Boulevard in Collingdale, Delaware County.  There is a giant gun-shaped sign on the roof.