Christie, Official Who Arranged Bridge Closures Were Together During Fiasco … Gov. Chris Christie was with the official who arranged the closure of local lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 11, 2013 — the third day of the closures, and well after they had triggered outrage …

U.S. District Judge Rules Oklahoma Ban on Marriage Equality Unconstitutional  —  Today U.S. District Judge Terence Kern ruled that Oklahoma's ban on marriage equality is unconstitutional.  His ruling is stayed pending appeal, meaning marriages will not occur immediately in the Sooner State.

Feinstein rejects NYT on Benghazi  —  The chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said that key conclusions of a recent New York Times investigation into the 2012 Benghazi attack are wrong.  —  Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) rejected the Times's conclusion that al Qaeda …

Lawmakers unveil massive $1.1 trillion spending bill in bipartisan compromise  —  Congressional negotiators late Monday unveiled a massive $1.1 trillion spending bill that would fund federal agencies through the rest of the fiscal year and end the lingering threat of another government shutdown.

New Iran agreement includes secret side deal, Tehran official says  —  (Abedin Taherkenareh / European Pressphoto Agency / February 3, 2007) … WASHINGTON - Key elements of a new nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers are contained in an informal, 30-page text not yet publicly acknowledged …

Court strikes down net neutrality  —  A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down the Obama administration's net-neutrality rules.  —  The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Communications Commission overstepped its authority by prohibiting Internet providers from blocking …

Ya'alon: Kerry should win his Nobel and leave us alone  —  Defense Minister says in private that US security plan 'not worth the paper it's written on', insists Kerry ‘cannot teach me anything about the conflict with the Palestinians’.  —  Shimon Shiffer  —  While the United States …

Obama gives Miami Heat a White House welcome  —  Washington (CNN) - Armed with one liners, a few digs, and a broad smile, President Barack Obama welcomed the 2013 NBA Champions, the Miami Heat, to the White House Tuesday afternoon, and congratulated them on winning the world championship for a second year in a row.

Hillary's Iowa problem  —  From a distance, she appears invincible once again, far outpacing her rivals in the polls and primed to redeem herself in the caucus state that has never been especially friendly to the Clintons, or to female candidates.  —  Iowa has not elected a female governor, senator or member of Congress.

Justin Bieber — Lil Za ARRESTED for COCAINE During Egg Raid [VIDEO]  —  2:55 PM PT — Police now believe it's probably NOT cocaine, but Molly ... a form of ecstasy.  —  Justin Bieber's BFF Lil Za has just been arrested for COCAINE POSSESSION at the singer's home — during the early morning raid stemming …

Stand Your Ground already an issue in theater shooting  —  TAMPA — Soon after authorities say a retired Tampa police captain shot a fellow moviegoer over a cell phone dispute Monday, a question now common in Florida arose:  —  Could the shooter be defended under Stand Your Ground?

Howard Kurtz Lied About Business Ties To Fox News Contributor  —  Fox News anchor Howard Kurtz has repeatedly claimed, most famously during a live interrogation on CNN, that his relationship with Fox News contributor Lauren Ashburn amounted to a “limited venture” for which the MediaBuzz host …

Senate blocks jobless aid  —  The Senate blocked two separate proposals to revive emergency unemployment benefits that expired in December, all but killing the prospects of reviving jobless aid for now.  —  The chamber voted 52-48 to reject a bill that would have extended benefits through November …

Watch: North Carolina GOP Senate Candidate Claims Food Stamps Are “Slavery”  —  North Carolina Republican Senate candidate Greg Brannon has an interesting argument for eliminating food stamps: “slavery.”  In a videotaped interview with the North Carolina Tea Party in October, Brannon …

‘Wishful Thinking’: Limbaugh Wants Obama to Cheat on Michelle  —  Rush Limbaugh is tired of Chris Christie's “Bridgegate” debacle and wishes this country could have sexy political scandals like France.  The radio host brought up the recent allegations that French President François Hollande …

Obama to pay visit to Pope  —  (CNN) - President Barack Obama plans to soon meet with Pope Francis for the first time.  —  Secretary of State John Kerry said the President was “looking forward” to visiting the popular new leader of the Roman Catholic Church at the Vatican.

Edward Snowden To Join Daniel Ellsberg, Others on Freedom of the Press Foundation's Board of Directors  —  Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) is proud to announce NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden will join its board of directors.  —  “I am proud and honored to welcome Edward Snowden …

Who's Getting Obamacare?  These Four Charts Give Some Big Clues  —  The Obama Administration has released detailed information about enrollment in the Affordable Care Act—not just how many people are signing up for insurance, but also what kind of people and what plans they are choosing.

America's Dwindling Economic Freedom  —  Regulation, taxes and debt knock the U.S. out of the world's top 10.  —  World economic freedom has reached record levels, according to the 2014 Index of Economic Freedom, released Tuesday by the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal.

The best, imperfect 12th District solution  —  Democrats are unhappy with N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory's decision to schedule a November special election to fill the congressional seat formerly held by Charlotte Democrat Mel Watt.  McCrory announced this month that instead of letting voters choose …