The Smartest Nerd in the Room  —  Why Melissa Harris-Perry is America's foremost public intellectual, and what she means  —  On Saturday, Melissa Harris-Perry apologized on air for segment that made light of the Romney clan's adoption of a young black boy.

Court stops Utah gay marriages (UPDATED)  —  UPDATE 1:16 p.m. State officials said on Monday that they are evaluating the legal fate of Utah same-sex couples who already have been married.  A total of 950 marriage licenses have been issued in the state to gay and lesbian couples …

Sasheer Zamata Joins ‘Saturday Night Live’ As New Cast Member  —  EXCLUSIVE: Three years after she graduated from the University of Virginia, Sasheer Zamata is landing a very big break — the young comedy performer has been selected to join Saturday Night Live as a new cast member.

Chicago Ban on Gun Sales Within City Struck Down by Judge  —  A Chicago law prohibiting the sale of guns within the third-most populous U.S. city was struck down as unconstitutional by a federal judge.  —  “Chicago's ordinance goes too far in outright banning legal buyers and legal dealers …

Everything You Wanted To Know About The ‘Polar Vortex’  —  A person struggles to cross a street in blowing and falling snow Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014, in St. Louis.  —  CREDIT: AP Photo/Jeff Roberson  —  On Sunday night, a reporter for The Weather Channel stood in a Minnesota snowstorm …

EXCLUSIVE: Republicans set to deliver big statement on abortion  —  Winter meeting to be delayed so members can attend March for Life on the National Mall  —  In an unprecedented show of opposition to abortion, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus is delaying the start …

Republicans Really Could Win It All This Year  —  A definitive guide to the 2014 elections from our new columnist. … Another midterm election beckons, and over the next 10 months we'll see headlines about a thousand supposedly critical developments—the “game changers” and the “tipping points.”

Breaking: Rep. Gerlach Will Not Seek Reelection  —  PA-6 Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-Chester) will not seek reelection in 2014.  —  “Nearing the end of my sixth term in the House and following 12 years of public service in the Pennsylvania House and Senate, it is simply time for me to move …

CNN Poll: Support for legal marijuana soaring  —  Washington (CNN) - In a major turnaround from past decades, a majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana, according to a new poll.  —  The CNN/ORC International survey released Monday also indicated that the number of people who say smoking pot is morally wrong has plunged.

How Al Qaeda Terrorized Its Way Back in Iraq  —  As the country edges closer to civil war, much of the blame goes to Prime Minister Maliki—and the White House.

Sorry, Comrade, But You Didn't Just Discover The Secret To Making Communism Work  —  If you're a Millennial who loves bread lines, prison camps, forced famines, and abject human misery, then you'll love the latest offering from Rolling Stone.  Over the weekend, Jesse Myerson …

Ready ... aim ... point ... talk  —  Handgun used as laser pointer by state official reportedly rattles foreign delegates  —  Jerome M. Hauer, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's director of homeland security, took out his handgun and used the laser sighting device attached to the barrel as a pointer …

How Obamacare Actually Paves the Way Toward Single Payer  —  Last week the liberal documentary-maker Michael Moore prompted indigestion across the progressive wonk community by pronouncing Obamacare “awful.”  In a New York Times op-ed, he bemoaned the way the president's law preserved …

An interview with former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, the Democrat most likely to challenge Hillary Clinton in 2016.  —  The last time he appeared on a ballot, then-Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer filmed a TV ad that consisted entirely of him shooting clay pigeons.

The Cleantech Crash  —  Despite billions invested by the U.S. government in so-called “Cleantech” energy, Washington and Silicon Valley have little to show for it  —  The following is a script from “The Cleantech Crash” which aired on Jan. 5, 2014.  Lesley Stahl is the correspondent.

When a (Partial) Tweet Becomes an Ad, What Are the Rules?  —  The media world gets weirder every day, but this moment still stands out as something of a stunner - the kind of thing that merits a place on the eternal timeline of “How the Internet Flipped the Media World on Its Head.”  —  Picture it:

PA leader: Stages plan to eliminate Israel is basis of PA policy  —  PA leader: Stages plan to eliminate Israel  —  is basis of PA policy  —  Abbas Zaki, close associate of Mahmoud Abbas, says a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders is only first stage in the PA's program because “the inspiring idea cannot be achieved