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 …

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 …

U.S. job growth weakest in three years  —  (Reuters) - U.S. employers hired the fewest workers in almost three years in December, but the setback was likely to be temporary amid signs that cold weather conditions might have had an impact.  —  Nonfarm payrolls rose only 74,000 last month …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Falluja's Fall Stuns Marines Who Fought There  —  Adam Banotai was a 21-year-old sergeant and squad leader in the Marine Corps during the 2004 invasion of Falluja, a restive insurgent-held city in Iraq.  His unit — which had seven of 17 men wounded by shrapnel or bullets in the first days of the invasion …