Christie Fires Aide in Bridge Scandal as U.S. Opens Inquiry  —  Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey apologized to the people of New Jersey on Thursday, saying that he was “embarrassed and humiliated” by revelations that one of his top aides and close associates ordered lane closings …

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.

Obama optimistic on unemployment benefits  —  President Barack Obama said Thursday he's glad that Senate negotiations to extend federal unemployment benefits are advancing, and for the second time this week called on the House to do the same.  —  “It's one thing to say we should help more Americans get ahead.

A health industry expert on ‘the fundamental problem with Obamacare’  —  Robert Laszewski is president of Health Policy and Strategy Associates, a policy and marketplace consulting firm where he works closely with many in the heath industry as they try to navigate the Affordable Care Act.

Who is this man?  Many Americans don't recognize top news anchor  —  Nightly News is now the nightly White House propaganda , it's talking points , personal attacks and lies.  They don't even give reeivent news.  I stopped watching the communist run media when I got my first computer.

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow hunkers down on Koch Bros. claim  —  Mark V. Holden is general counsel at Koch Industries Inc., and he has a big file relating to MSNBC.  The progressive cable network tends to make frequent references to Koch Industries and its politically active, free-market major shareholders Charles and David Koch.

How Marriage Fights Poverty  —  Marco Rubio delivered a speech on poverty today where he observed:  —  Marriage is great.  And it is true that a household with two adult members in it is much less likely to be poor than a household with one adult member.  But even though conservatives say this a lot …

Intel panel: DOD report finds Snowden leaks helped terrorists  —  Edward Snowden's leaks about National Security Agency programs have put U.S. troops at risk and prompted terrorists to change their tactics, according to a classified Pentagon report.  —  House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers …

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 …

Amiri Baraka, former N.J. poet laureate and prolific author, dead at 79  —  Amiri Baraka, the state's former poet laureate and a revered author, poet and activist, has died.  He was 79.  Baraka is shown in this 2009 file photo.  (Star-Ledger file photo)  —  David Giambusso/The Star-Ledger By David Giambusso/The Star-Ledger

School Wasn't Canceled for Bad Weather in 1882  —  Record-low temperatures caused by the Polar Vortex have forced schools across the country to close this week.  Weather-related school cancellations tend to raise anxieties about whether we're a nation of wimps.

Millionaires' Club: For First Time, Most Lawmakers are Worth $1 Million-Plus  —  For the first time in history, most members of Congress are millionaires, according to a new analysis of personal financial disclosure data by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Under Obama, Youth Misery Index Hits All-Time High  —  A Youth Misery Index that measures young Americans' woes has skyrocketed under President Barack Obama and hit an all-time high.  —  The index, released Wednesday, was calculated by adding youth unemployment and average college loan debt figures …