Christie's Image Turns More Negative  —  Most Don't Believe His Assertions on Highway Controversy  —  Chris Christie's public image today is starkly different than it was a year ago.  Last January, following Christie's visible role in Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, favorable opinions …

Multnomah Republicans misfire again with Martin Luther King message: Editorial update  —  Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent Gray, fourth from right, takes part in an annual wreath laying ceremony at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington.  Multnomah County Republicans have fumbled …

Police Chief Accidentally Shoots Himself At Gun Shop, Blames Fleece Jacket  —  A Connersville, Ind. police chief accidentally shot himself in the leg while doing some shopping at a gun store on Saturday, the Indianapolis Star reported.  —  “I need to pay more attention,” David Counceller said.

SEAN HANNITY TO LEAVE NEW YORK AFTER ANDREW CUOMO'S ANTI-CONSERVATIVE RANT  —  In a radio interview last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) made some disparaging comments about pro-life conservatives, stating they had “no place in the state of New York because that's not who New Yorkers are.”

Urgent Search for ‘Black Widow’ Suicide Bomber, May Be Already in Sochi … Police in Sochi have launched an urgent search for a possible female suicide bomber who may have already made it past the ring of security set up for the Olympic Games.  —  Hotel employees in Sochi told ABC News …

Wendy Davis hits back at questions about bio  —  Wendy Davis, the Democratic state senator running for governor of Texas, swung back Monday at swirling questions about her personal life after a newspaper report suggested there were inconsistencies in the biography she's shared on the stump.

For Christie and MSNBC, a Messy Divorce Plays Out in Public View  —  It was a match made in moderately minded Northeast Corridor heaven.  —  Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey needed a TV network that would burnish his bipartisan bona fides and showcase his gleefully contrarian style.

Government conspiracy theories aren't crazy: Column  —  From the IRS to the NSA, Americans have reasons not to trust the Obama Administration.  —  At a tax symposium at Pepperdine Law School last week, former IRS chief counsel Donald Korb was asked, “On a scale of 1-10 ... how damaging is the current IRS scandal?”

Actress quits play because of protests over GOP video  —  Actress Out Of San Francisco Production After Endorsing Tea Party Candidate  —  Maria Conchita Alonso, who starred in movies such as “The Running Man” and “Moscow on the Hudson,” said Sunday that she had resigned from a play …

Hillary's no slam dunk in 2016  —  everyone thinks.  —  Could Hillary Clinton be the next Richard Nixon?  Now that's a provocative question, but it isn't quite what you think.  —  The other day, I watched Hillary and Bill Clinton take in their close friend Terry McAuliffe's inauguration as governor of Virginia.

Law's Expanded Medicaid Coverage Brings a Surge in Sign-Ups  —  WELCH, W.Va. — Sharon Mills, a disabled nurse, long depended on other people's kindness to manage her diabetes.  She scrounged free samples from doctors' offices, signed up for drug company discounts and asked for money from her parents and friends.

White House imposes secrecy rules on first lady's lavish, celebrity-filled birthday party  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL BARACK OBAMA MICHELLE OBAMA  —  There was a party in the East Room of the White House Saturday night, an affair attended by a reported 500 people, a lavish celebration with celebrities galore …

Olympic Icon Carl Lewis Offers Unique Political Perspective On Chris Christie  —  Shortly before Carl Lewis officially entered the 2011 state Senate election for New Jersey's 8th legislative district — a Republican stronghold located in Philadelphia's outer suburbs — Gov. Chris Christie caught wind of the decision.

‘To Those Who Would Call Me a Thug or Worse ...’  —  What a night, and what a finish.  —  Near midnight I still had about 70 unread text messages from friends and family, most of which read, “Best interview ever!”  Many of my Twitter mentions were less supportive.  My body ached.