An alternate theory of the Christie scandal  —  Rachel Maddow presents a new possibility of what the induced Ft. Lee traffic jam was retribution for if it wasn't over the mayor's gubernatorial endorsement.

Liberal Self-Identification Edges Up to New High in 2013  —  Fifteen-percentage-point conservative advantage ties as smallest to date  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans continue to be more likely to identify as conservatives (38%) than as liberals (23%).  But the conservative advantage …

BREAKING: Obama Administration Will Grant Benefits To Married Gay Couples In Utah  —  The Obama administration will grant federal benefits to the roughly 1,000 gay couples in Utah who got married during the brief window recently when it was legal.  —  “I am confirming today that …

The Employment Situation in December  —  As our economy continues to make progress, there's a lot more work to do.  Though December's job growth was less than expected, we continue to focus on the longer-term trend in the economy - 2.2 million private sector jobs added and a 1.2 percentage point decline …

Obama administration to end contract with CGI Federal, company behind HealthCare.gov  —  The Obama administration has decided to jettison CGI Federal, the main IT contractor that was responsible for building the defect-ridden online health insurance marketplace and has been immersed in the work …

Christie crackdown ups scrutiny over Obama's scandal response  —  While New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is getting hammered over a close aide's involvement in snarling traffic as an apparent act of political retribution, he's nevertheless set himself apart from the Obama administration in his response to scandal.

How Millennials Have Already Reshaped Politics  —  Political parties are taking young people's policy preferences into account, but that doesn't mean they're getting everything they want.  —  Almost every week provides more evidence of the political system bending toward the cultural preferences of the massive millennial generation.

Beyond Polarization to Warfare  —  At WaPo's Monkey Cage subsite today, there's an important piece by University of Texas political scientist Sean Theriault that gets to a distinction in political attitudes that some of us have been trying to articulate ever since the radicalization of one of our two major parties occurred:

Priorities USA considers Jennifer Granholm  —  Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm is being seriously considered to replace John Podesta as the co-chair of a reconfigured board for the super PAC Priorities USA, POLITICO has learned.  —  Three sources familiar with the discussions …

300,000 Without Water After Coal Industry Chemical Spill In W. Virginia  —  West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin declares a state of emergency after spill contaminates Elk River, “Only safe use is to flush or put out fire.”  —  A chemical spill into West Virginia's Elk River has led …

Cover Story: Barry Blitt's “Playing in Traffic”  —  “I'm hoping this cartoon diverts a lot of traffic to my Web site,” Barry Blitt says about “Playing in Traffic,” the image of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie that he penned for next week's cover.  —  KEYWORDS - CHRIS CHRISTIE; - COVERS

Begich misses jobless vote for speech in Hawaii  —  Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) missed a procedural vote on extending unemployment benefits to deliver a speech to a lobby group in Hawaii, The Hill has learned.  —  Begich delivered a keynote speech Wednesday morning to the American Aviation Issues conference …

The Parties Have Already Devised Their Midterm Messages  —  Democrats and Republicans are ready for November, but it's not clear that either of their story lines will resonate across the spectrum.  —  The gavel has been struck on what has been widely judged to be the least productive session …

Reid's Uncompromising Power Play in Senate Rankles Republicans  —  WASHINGTON — With his strong-armed change to the filibuster rule and an iron-fisted control of the Senate floor, Senator Harry Reid has engaged in the greatest consolidation of congressional power since Newt Gingrich ruled the House …

Al Qaeda-Affiliated Group Assaulted U.S. Embassy in Tunis  —  The State Department today designated three Ansar al Sharia organizations, as well as three of their leaders, as terrorist entities.  The State Department reports that Ansar al Sharia in Derna was “involved” in the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi.

Obama Announces ‘Promise Zones’ in 5 Poor Areas  —  WASHINGTON — A year after promising to direct federal attention and support to needy areas across the country, President Obama said Thursday that the government would begin helping five economically hard-hit communities fight poverty and assist children.

Chris Christie's damage control  —  Chris Christie did about as well as he could, given the circumstances.  All he can do now is wait, and hope it passes without many more revelations.  —  That was the sentiment coming from people who wanted to offer support to the Republican governor of New Jersey …