Christie camp held Sandy relief money hostage, mayor alleges  —  Two senior members of Gov. Chris Christie's administration warned a New Jersey mayor earlier this year that her town would be starved of hurricane relief money unless she approved a lucrative redevelopment plan favored by the governor …

Obama's restrictions on NSA surveillance rely on narrow definition of ‘spying’  —  President Obama said Friday, in his first major speech on electronic surveillance, that “the United States is not spying on ordinary people who don't threaten our national security.”

Wonkblog sells out.  —  Ezra Klein is back in line.  The Journolist founder, who now runs Wonkblog for the Washington Post, took some flak from other left-liberal journalists last year when he acknowledged that the ObamaCare exchanges had serious technical flaws.

FL's Brian Ballard, top Romney fundraiser, dumps on ‘horrific’ Chris Christie before FL visit  —  Some of Florida's biggest money men will attend the state's various fundraisers for Gov. Rick Scott headlined this weekend by NJ Gov. Chris Christie, with one notable exception: Brian Ballard.

Iraq's Maliki says he has asked for weapons from U.S., will also seek training for troops  —  BAGHDAD — Iraq has asked the United States for new arms to beat back the dramatic resurgence of al-Qaeda-linked militants in a western province and would like U.S. troops to train its counter­terrorism forces …

Company Behind West Virginia's Chemical Spill Files For Bankruptcy  —  According to the Charleston Gazette, Freedom Industries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today.  —  On January 10, a tank owned by Freedom spilled 7,500 gallons of 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol (MCHM) …

After Leaving Office, Bloomberg Is More Hands-On at Old Company  —  At editorial meetings in Bloomberg L.P.'s headquarters this week, Michael R. Bloomberg gave clear signs that he would not be taking a hands-off approach as he returned to his old company.  —  Just two week's removed from City Hall …

Bloggers = Media for First Amendment Libel Law Purposes  —  So holds today's Obsidian Finance Group v. Cox (9th Cir. Jan. 17, 2014) (in which I represented the defendant).  To be precise, the Ninth Circuit concludes that all who speak to the public, whether or not they are members of the institutional press …

Judicial Giant Quietly Retired Under Investigation For Travel Expenses  —  When federal appellate court judge Boyce F. Martin Jr. announced his retirement in July, he was praised as “one of the giants of the Kentucky judiciary.”  —  But what was unknown publicly until Friday was that Martin left …

2 students shot in Philadelphia high school gym; suspect nabbed  —  (CNN) — A student pulled a handgun Friday afternoon inside a Philadelphia high school gymnasium, firing and hitting two students, police said.  —  The injured boy and girl, each 15, were transported in stable condition …

Andreessen Horowitz raising $1.5 billion for new fund  —  Andreessen Horowitz is raising its fourth fund in six years.  —  FORTUNE — Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz is in the process of raising around $1.5 billion for its fourth fund, Fortune has learned.

Supreme Court to take major look at privacy in digital age  —  (CNN) — The Supreme Court will undertake a major examination of privacy in the digital age, after accepting review Friday of a pair of appeals over whether police must obtain a warrant to search data on the cellphone of a person under arrest.