Chris Christie announces 11 a.m. presser  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will hold a press conference Thursday morning, the day after controversy erupted over his office's involvement in a major September traffic snafu.  —  Christie will have a press availability at the governor's office …

Dennis Rodman apologizes for North Korea outburst, says he'd been drinking  —  Rodman, ex-NBAers play North Korea  —  (CNN) — Former NBA star Dennis Rodman apologized Thursday for his much-criticized outburst about an American citizen imprisoned in North Korea, saying he was stressed …

Swearing toddler removed from home  —  (CNN) — A Nebraska toddler who repeated a slew of profanities in an online video has been taken into child protective custody, Omaha police said Wednesday.  —  While authorities found nothing criminal in the video, officials from the Omaha police's Child Victim Unit …

Bill targeting environmental regs threatened with veto  —  The White House issued a veto threat Wednesday against House legislation meant to slash environmental red tape and give states more sway over federal facilities.  —  The chamber is poised to vote Thursday on a consolidated package …

Sen. Durbin to GOP: Put down Ayn Rand books  —  Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) asked Republicans to stop reading Ayn Rand books and help Democrats pass legislation aimed to give struggling Americans a hand.  —  “I say to my conservative friends, put down those Ayn Rand books …

‘Great Society’ agenda led to great — and lasting — philosophical divide  —  The ambitious “Great Society” agenda begun half a century ago continues to touch nearly every aspect of American life.  But the deep philosophical divide it created has come to define the nation's harsh politics, especially in the Obama era.

The Poverty Line Was Designed Assuming Every Family Had a Housewife Who Was a ‘Skillful Cook’  —  The official poverty line, as I wrote yesterday, is a dated and crude statistical concept that in many ways fails to capture America's historical success at fighting economic need.

Democrats blame big business for botched rollout  —  Democrats taking heat back home for Obamacare's rocky online rollout say don't blame them — blame Big Business.  —  Facing an onslaught of constituent frustration over problems with online exchanges, several Democrats have started pointing fingers …

Grim Sequel to Iraq's War  —  WASHINGTON — For two years, President Obama has boasted that he accomplished what his predecessor had not.  “I ended the war in Iraq,” he has told audience after audience.  But a resurgence by Islamic militants in western Iraq has reminded the world that the war is anything but over.

Udall's office pushed back hard on number of health care cancellations  —  At the height of controversy surrounding President Obama's promises on the federal health care overhaul, U.S. Senator Mark Udall's office worked assiduously to revise press accounts that 249,000 Coloradans received health care cancellation notices.

Iran's Khamenei says nuclear talks show U.S. enmity  —  (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that nuclear negotiations with world powers had revealed U.S. enmity towards the Islamic state.  —  Khamenei was speaking hours before the resumption of talks between Iran and the European Union in Geneva.

School Climate and Discipline  —  GUIDANCE PACKAGE  —  Guidance letter prepared with our partners at the U.S. Department of Justice describing how schools can meet their obligations under federal law to administer student discipline without discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin.