Bridge Scandal Papers Point to Cover-Up by Chris Christie Allies  —  Officials loyal to Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey went to elaborate lengths to make it appear that the September closing of lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge was part of a traffic study, even though …

Ariel Sharon, Fierce Defender of a Strong Israel, Dies at 85  —  Ariel Sharon, one of the most influential figures in Israel's history, a military commander and political leader who at the height of his power redrew the country's electoral map only to suffer a severe stroke from which he never recovered …

The Udall ukase  —  Paul's post on the efforts of Colorado Democratic Senator Mark Udall behind the scenes to rewrite the history of the damage wrought by Obamacare in Colorado deserves further comment.  It is a small story of great interest.  Let's pause over it and take another look.

The Funniest Part of Robert Gates' Very Serious New Memoir  —  My colleague John Dickerson has already analyzed former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' memoir Duty; I'm punching my way through it.  Present at the Creation this ain't.  Gates is a matter-of-fact, frills-free writer …

A judge blocks subpoenas against conservative allies of Scott Walker.  —  Chalk up a big victory for the First Amendment.  On Friday a Wisconsin judge struck a major blow for free political speech when he quashed subpoenas to conservative groups and ordered the return of property to the targets …

Larry Speakes, Public Face of Reagan Era, Dies at 74  —  WASHINGTON — Larry Speakes, who became the public face of Ronald Reagan's presidency when a would-be assassin's bullet gravely wounded his boss, press secretary James Brady, died Friday in his native Mississippi.  He was 74.

The Medicaid Cure  —  Something really interesting is happening on the health-care front: costs are rising much less rapidly than anyone expected.  This is good news for the budget; it's also good news for Obamacare.  There was much skepticism about promises that health reform would …

Supreme Court to mull right to lie in political ads  —  The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case delving into the government's right to police alleged lies in political advertising.  —  The high court announced Friday afternoon that it will take up a lawsuit filed by Susan B. Anthony List …

The GOP's tarnished golden boys  —  For a while, Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell were untouchable.  —  The first major Republicans elected after the 2008 Obama landslide, the tough-as-nails Garden Stater and the straight-edged Virginian heralded the conservative resurgence in 2010 and pointed …

Crisis In West Virginia: Wal-Mart Calls In Police To Guard Bottled Water Delivery  —  Residents of South Charleston, W.Va., wait in line at Kroger to buy water following a chemical spill on the Elk River that compromised the public water supply of eight counties on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014.

Don't blame the weather for the dreadful December job report  —  Wall Street was quick to pin the mega-disappointing December employment report on Mother Nature.  “Weather depresses job gains in December” is how economic consultancy IHS Global Insight put it.

Website of Top House Republican Drops Opposition to Amnesty  —  A key Republican player on immigration may be changing his tune on amnesty.  —  In January 2012, the “Immigration Reform” page on the official House website of Representative Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee …

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:

White House Dares Democratic Senators Pushing Iran Sanctions To Admit They Want War  —  WASHINGTON — The White House on Thursday challenged a group of senators to admit they are working to push the country toward war with Iran, upping the tension between the administration and Senate advocates …