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.

Breaking: Obama administration will recognize same-sex marriages in Utah  —  (CNN) - The Justice Department announced Friday it will recognize - for federal purposes - same-sex marriages performed for a short period in Utah.  —  The state on Wednesday said it would not recognize …

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 …

Just as Hopes Were Lifting, a Meager Growth in Payrolls  —  In a blow to hopes that the economy was finally gaining momentum, the government reported on Friday that employers added jobs last month at the slowest pace in three years, although some experts cautioned that wintry weather in many parts …

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 …

Congressional Free Lunch?  —  Savannah -  —  Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah, raised eyebrows nationwide with comments about the National School Lunch Program to the Jackson County Republican Party in December.  —  “Why don't you have the kids pay a dime, pay a nickel, to instill in them that there is …

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:

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

Rachel Maddow claims Florida group that backs drug-testing welfare recipients is affiliated with Koch brothers  —  PunditFact isn't always the first to weigh in on the tit-for-tat of cable news shows, in part because the nature of our work requires more than claims and counterclaims.

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 …

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.

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.