Boehner open to extending unemployment benefits  —  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) remains open to an extension of emergency unemployment benefits even in the face of growing conservative opposition to such a move.  —  The Ohio Republican maintains the position he expressed last month that Republicans would …

PRESIDENT LEAVES HAWAII, MICHELLE OBAMA STAYS ON AS ‘BIRTHDAY PRESENT’  —  President Barack Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha left their vacation in Hawaii on Saturday, but left First Lady Michelle Obama behind on the islands, according to news agency reports.

Slain slumlord found in trash has enemies list a mile long  —  Who DIDN'T want him dead?  The body of Menachem “Max” Stark was discovered smoldering in the trash Friday after he was thrown into this van and kidnapped off a Williamsburg street (left).  —  The millionaire Hasidic slumlord found burned …

Romney Wishes He Could ‘Turn Back The Clock’  —  Former GOP presidential candidate and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on Sunday said he wished he could go back in time while discussing Obamacare.  —  “I don't know.  I wish I could go back and turn back the clock and take another try,” …

Power Vacuum in Middle East Lifts Militants  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon — The images of recent days have an eerie familiarity, as if the horrors of the past decade were being played back: masked gunmen recapturing the Iraqi cities of Falluja and Ramadi, where so many American soldiers died fighting them.

An astonishing, dangerous cold snap is about to descend on the U.S.  —  For days, it's appeared on computer model maps in the form of deep blue and purple shades.  Now it's about to get real and up close and personal.  Some of the coldest air in years, if not decades, is poised to pour into the U.S. …

Sen. Paul has his own Obamacare debacle  —  Washington (CNN) - It seems everyday Americans aren't the only ones suffering through a disastrous rollout of Obamacare; politicians are, too.  —  Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, said Sunday on ABC's “This Week” that he's had trouble signing …

Steven Seagal mulls run for Arizona Governor  —  Steven Seagal is making headlines once again.  —  The flamboyant actor and martial arts expert tells ABC15 he's considering a run for the Arizona governor's office.  —  Seagal says he's had discussions with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio …

Romney accepts MSNBC apology  —  Mitt Romney said Sunday that he's forgiven MSNBC after a host and other panelists on the network made comments about his adopted black grandchild.  —  Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” the former Republican presidential candidate said he accepted the apology …

PCSO: San Tan Valley woman arrested after shooting husband with shotgun  —  SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. - A San Tan Valley woman was arrested after authorities said she shot her husband.  —  The Pinal County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call from Melisah Havens, 34, at approximately 8:30 p.m. Friday.

THE AL QAEDA SWITCHBOARD  —  Edward Snowden has started a critical debate about the legality and the effectiveness of the N.S.A.'s practice of collecting unlimited records of telephone calls made to, from, and within the United States.  Last month, two federal judges came to opposing conclusions about these issues.

Sen. Susan Collins Challenger Says His Wife-Beating Conviction Proves ‘Guts And Integrity’  —  Erick Bennett, a conservative challenger to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) who was convicted of assaulting his wife in 2003, argued that his continued denial of the charge shows his political integrity.

Bernanke takes parting shot at Congress, calls fiscal policy ‘counterproductive’  —  Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke offered a parting critique of Washington's fiscal policy, arguing it weighed down the economic recovery and has been “counterproductive.”

De Blasio's Long Odds  —  THIS much can be said for Bill de Blasio's inauguration, which featured a concentration of left-wing agitprop unseen since the last time Pete Seeger occupied a stage alone: If the waning years of Barack Obama's presidency are going to be defined by a liberal crusade …

California extends payment deadline for Obamacare policies to Jan. 15  —  Los Angeles residents wait to sign up for health insurance starting Jan. 1 at an AltaMed enrollment center in late December.  (Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times)  —  Amid deepening consumer frustration …