Poll: Christie cruising through bridge scandal (so far)  —  Nearly 70 percent of Americans say the bridge-closure scandal engulfing Chris Christie has not changed their opinion about the New Jersey governor, according to a new NBC News/Marist poll.  In addition, 44 percent …

Armed Services Chairman McKeon retiring  —  House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) will announced his retirement on Wednesday, according to two sources close to McKeon.  —  “Mr. McKeon will be making his announcement tomorrow morning that he'll be retiring,” a source close to McKeon tells The Hill.

GOP Congressman: Limiting Abortion ‘Promotes Job Creation’  —  Democratic opponents of a new anti-abortion bill moving through the House of Representatives criticized Republicans on Wednesday for fast-tracking a socially divisive piece of legislation that “does not create a single job.”

House easily passes $1T omnibus spending bill with 359-67 vote  —  The House on Wednesday easily approved a $1 trillion omnibus spending bill that would fund the government for the rest of fiscal 2014 and let Congress avoid the risk of a shutdown until the end of September.

Wendy Davis's Campaign Mocks Greg Abbott for Being Paralyzed  —  Wendy Davis's campaign spin on her fundraising numbers is impressive.  She wants you to know that she raised $12 million to Republican Greg Abbot's $11.5 million.  What she is hoping you will ignore, and which much of the press will ignore …

Marijuana politics  —  So the POLITICO homepage has gone to pot: Darren Samuelsohn and Byron Tau report on how states are taking the lead on the legalization campaign; Reid Cherlin investigates the legal nightmare this creates between state and federal law — the consequences are far-ranging …

Benghazi Attack Called Avoidable in Senate Report  —  WASHINGTON — A stinging report by the Senate Intelligence Committee released Wednesday concluded that the attack 16 months ago that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, could have been prevented, singling out the State Department …

Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) - Environment Chapter  —  WikiLeaks released the secret draft text for the entire TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Environment Chapter and the corresponding Chairs' Report.  The TPP transnational legal regime would cover 12 countries initially …

Reverend Jeremiah Wright: Dr. King Had a ‘Dream,’ Obama Has a ‘Drone’  —  President Barack Obama's former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, is back in the news this week, but this time it's for some highly critical comments he made about the president at an event for the Chicago Teachers Union Wednesday.

Source: Missing U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl seen in video  —  Washington (CNN) — The U.S. military has obtained new video apparently made by those holding the lone American prisoner of war, Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.  —  A U.S. military official told CNN the clip shows the Wood Valley, Idaho …

Gates: Syria Red Line Was ‘Serious Mistake’  —  Video: Gates on why it was a mistake to declare a red line in Syria.  —  Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said it was a “serious mistake” for the Obama administration to declare a red line on chemical weapons use in Syria …

How Rush Limbaugh Decides What Is True  —  Something special happened Monday on the Rush Limbaugh radio program.  Its host set out to explain why conservatives won't be defending New Jersey Governor Chris Christie during the bridge scandal in the same way that they rallied behind Clarence Thomas during …

Brown rules out presidential bid  —  Gov. Jerry Brown introduces his 2014-15 budget proposal at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Thursday.  (Ken James / Bloomberg / January 9, 2014)  —  RIVERSIDE — Gov. Jerry Brown said Tuesday that he will not run for president in 2016 …

Pics of Marines Burning Bodies Trigger U.S. Military Investigation [PHOTOS]  —  PICS OF MARINES BURNING BODIES  —  Trigger U.S. Military Investigation [PHOTOS]  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  The United States military is conducting a formal investigation into American soldiers burning the dead bodies of what appear to be Iraqi insurgents.

U.S. to Expand Rules Limiting Use of Profiling by Federal Agents  —  The Justice Department will significantly expand its definition of racial profiling to prohibit federal agents from considering religion, national origin, gender and sexual orientation in their investigations, a government official said Wednesday.

NH House effort to legalize pot faces long odds  —  CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire's House gave preliminary approval Wednesday to legalizing up to 1 ounce of marijuana for recreational use for anyone age 21 and older, but the measure faces long odds of becoming law.

Inside Boehner's Election-Year Immigration Strategy  —  The speaker's looking to test the waters ahead of primaries, and he'll score a political win no matter how it turns out.  —  John Boehner is planning to unveil a set of Republican principles for immigration reform before President Obama's State …