Top Items:
Larry J. Sabato / Politico:
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.”
Discussion:
The PJ Tatler, The Week, No More Mister Nice Blog, First Read, CANNONFIRE and The Plum Line
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CNN:
Looking for 1 vote on unemployment — Washington (CNN) — Backers of the Senate bill to extend long-term unemployment benefits were one vote short of the 60 they need to clear a procedural hurdle, in a vote set to happen Tuesday morning. — Four Republicans said Monday they will join …
Discussion:
Business Insider
Washington Post:
Income gap takes shape as central issue for both parties ahead of 2014 midterms
Income gap takes shape as central issue for both parties ahead of 2014 midterms
Discussion:
NBCNews and Associated Press
Burgess Everett / Politico:
Barack Obama courts GOP ahead of uphill Senate vote
Barack Obama courts GOP ahead of uphill Senate vote
Discussion:
Associated Press, Talking Points Memo, The Plum Line, The Hill, Guardian, Los Angeles Times and CNN
Peter Schroeder / The Hill:
Senate confirms Yellen at Fed — The Senate on Monday voted 56-26 to confirm Janet Yellen as the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve. — Eleven Republicans joined Democrats present on Monday in voting to confirm Yellen, who will face more scrutiny than perhaps any central bank leader …
Discussion:
Hot Air
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Michael Hirsh / NationalJournal.com:
How Janet Yellen's Agenda Could Transform Washington — The next Fed chair is an old-school progressive economist. Just wait until she starts sharing her passions. — Every Federal Reserve Board chairman comes into office with a secret agenda, a hidden passion.
Discussion:
New York Times
Ylan Q. Mui / Washington Post:
Janet Yellen confirmed as Federal Reserve chairman
Janet Yellen confirmed as Federal Reserve chairman
Discussion:
The Week, Wonkblog and Booman Tribune
Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:
Burglars Who Took On F.B.I. Abandon Shadows — Stealing J. Edgar Hoover's Secrets: One night in 1971, files were stolen from an F.B.I. office near Philadelphia. They proved that the bureau was spying on thousands of Americans. The case was unsolved, until now.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Liberaland, Business Insider, Guardian, Mashable, NBCNews, The Week, Freedom of the Press …, Retro Report and Pressing Issues
Andrew Harris / Bloomberg:
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 …
Discussion:
Chicago Sun Times, Taylor Marsh, The Volokh Conspiracy, Scared Monkeys and National Review
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Associated Press:
Chicago's ban on gun sales overturned — CHICAGO — A federal judge on Monday overturned Chicago's ban on the sale and transfer of firearms, ruling that the city's ordinances aimed at reducing gun violence are unconstitutional. — U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang said in his ruling …
Discussion:
Right Wing News and Weasel Zippers
CNN:
Angry Dennis Rodman defends North Korea basketball game — (CNN) — Basketball star Dennis Rodman on Tuesday defended his controversial visit to North Korea with a team of former NBA players, saying it was a “great idea for the world.” — In an exclusive interview with Chris Cuomo of CNN's …
Discussion:
Liberaland, Politico, Business Insider, Gawker, Towleroad News #gay and The Daily Caller
Tara Palmeri / New York Post:
Spitzer caught sucking Lis Smith's toes in topless hot tub romp — Sleazy Eliot Spitzer turned a resort hot tub into a steamy love cauldron over the weekend — kissing and sucking the toes of his topless mistress, Lis Smith, in front of families with children, mortified witnesses told The Post.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, TheBlaze.com, Betsy's Page, Politicker, Weasel Zippers, Gawker and Riehl World News
Nellie Andreeva / Deadline.com:
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.
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Week, The Verge, Guardian, New York Times, Gawker, Shakesville, Gothamist, Taylor Marsh, The Hinterland Gazette and Global Grind
Ralph Z. Hallow / Washington Times:
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 …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, LifeNews.com, Talking Points Memo and March for Life
CNN:
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.
Discussion:
Washington Wire, Politico, Outside the Beltway, KDVR.com and Business Insider
Karl Bergholz / ABC News:
3 Amtrak Trains With Hundreds of Passengers Stranded Since Monday — About 500 passengers aboard three Amtrak trains were stranded overnight in a remote part of northern Illinois because of blowing and drifting snow, Amtrak officials said today. — The trains were halted late Monday near Mendota, about 80 miles west of Chicago.
Discussion:
Hot Air
Erika Janik / The Atlantic Online:
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.
Discussion:
The PJ Tatler, Weasel Zippers and Gawker
Gabe LaMonica / CNN:
Leading Republican jumps into hot House race — Washington (CNN) - A former aide to retiring Republican Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia Tuesday is officially jumping into the race for his U.S. House seat, which will be among the most contested and expensive congressional battles in this November's midterm elections.
Discussion:
Politico
ThinkProgress:
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 …
Discussion:
Da Tech Guy On DaRadio Blog, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Fox News, Weasel Zippers, CBC News, Greg Laden's Blog and NBCNews
RELATED:
Eric Holthaus / Quartz:
How global warming can make cold snaps even worse
How global warming can make cold snaps even worse
Discussion:
The Mahablog, TIME, American Power, American Spectator, Mediaite, NewsBusters, Liberal Values, Climate Depot, Pirate's Cove, Real Science and Weasel Zippers
KTAR:
Suit filed to allow same-sex marriage in Arizona — Danny Leclair and Aubrey Loots share a moment by their cake ahead of their New Years Day wedding on the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's third annual float entry, “Living the Dream,” for the 125th Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Friday, Dec. 27, 2013.
Discussion:
LGBTQ Nation and Towleroad News #gay
Dylan Byers / Politico:
NBC's ‘Meet The Press’ hits historic lows in the final quarter of 2013 — It's no secret that NBC's “Meet The Press” has been in bad shape of late. Indeed, the show has been on the decline since David Gregory took over in 2008. But the most recent numbers are especially troubling.
Discussion:
Althouse and NewsBusters
Ben Jacobs / The Daily Beast:
Steven Seagal and 5 Other Celebs Who Flirted With Running for Office — The '90s action star may run for Arizona governor—and by complete coincidence, he has a new reality show. From Alec Baldwin to The Donald, see more stars who floated political bids. — Whatever Steven Seagal is doing …
Meredith Shiner / Roll Call:
Spending Bill On Track to Avert Shutdown — If it weren't clear already that lawmakers — especially Republicans — want to avoid another government shutdown, the overwhelming optimism Monday that Congress will pass an omnibus spending measure for the first time in two years tips their hand.
Discussion:
First Read