Target announces it will drop part-time employees from its healthcare plan  —  Target Corp. announced on Tuesday it would no longer offer healthcare coverage to its part-time employees.  —  In a blog post on the company's website, Jodee Kozlak, the executive vice president of human resources …

The real problem with the American right: Aging, white radicals  —  But less understood is the true reason why  —  The Republican Party's total failure to make even cosmetic changes to its image and policy agenda last year has at this point become the kind of cliché-cum-running joke …

GOP Rep.: Wife Should ‘Voluntarily Submit’ To Her Husband  —  Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) believes that although a wife is supposed to “voluntarily submit” to her husband, she is not inferior to him, according to the Washington Post.  —  “The wife is to voluntarily submit …

Ex-husband: Wendy Davis would be a ‘very capable governor’  —  Dallas (CNN) - Wendy Davis' second ex-husband, Jeff Davis, says he doesn't want to talk any more about his ex-wife, adding he wasn't pleased with the explosive debate that originated from his recent comments about the Texas gubernatorial candidate.

Obama's Job Approval Points to 2014 Trouble for Democrats  —  With the advent of this election year, the time to turn from generalities/playing field pieces to tracking specific races is fast approaching.  But before picking up my series on competitive Senate races (I wrote on three …

NEW POLLING ON CHRISTIE RATINGS  —  A PDF of Questions, Tables, and Full Text of this release is available here  —  WHILE MOST NJ REPUBLICANS STAND BY CHRISTIE, DEMOCRATS ABANDON HIM  —  Favorability and Job Ratings Drop to Pre-Sandy Levels  —  Note: Two-thirds of this poll was completed …

Resolved: Obamacare Is Now Beyond Rescue  —  Last Wednesday, Scott Gottlieb and I debated Jonathan Chait and Douglas Kamerow on this proposition: “Resolved: Obamacare Is Now Beyond Rescue.”  I was feeling a little trepid, for three reasons: First, I've never done any formal debate; second …

Chinese Internet Traffic Redirected to Wyoming Shell Company  —  Updated: This post was updated to include the new location of the registered agent for Sophidea Inc., Wyoming Corporate Services, as well as additional reporting.  —  In one of the more bizarre twists in recent Internet memory …

There's No Getting Rid of David Vitter, America's Most Contemptible Senator  —  After surviving a prostitution scandal and a dead madam, the Republican wants to be the Bayou State's next governor.  —  I was once shooting the breeze with a Democratic senator I knew fairly well.

For the First Time, Ukraine Protests Lead to Deaths  —  KIEV, Ukraine — After two protesters were shot to death during clashes with the police on Wednesday, the first fatalities in Ukraine's two-month civil uprising, President Viktor F. Yanukovich met with opposition leaders as efforts to defuse the crisis took on new urgency.

Scott gains 10 points on Crist  —  PPP's newest look at the Florida Governor's race finds that it has tightened considerably over the last three months.  What was a 12 point lead for Charlie Crist over incumbent Rick Scott in September at 50/38 is now just a 2 point advantage at 43/41.

'We're Dancing on Deck of the Titanic': Touré Kills Co-Hosts' Snow Buzz with ‘Heavy’ Climate Change Rant  —  On Wednesday, the hosts MSNBC's The Cycle were engaging in a lighthearted discussion about the joys of snowfall and how childhood memories come flooding back when the frozen precipitation begins to pour.

Republicans Seek To Sabotage Obamacare With Higher Premiums  —  Conservative wonks and Republican lawmakers are coalescing around a new strategy to sabotage Obamacare by repealing a temporary piece of the law designed to hold down premiums in the event of major market disruptions.

Statement by the President on Roe v. Wade Anniversary  —  Today, as we reflect on the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, we recommit ourselves to the decision's guiding principle: that every woman should be able to make her own choices about her body and her health.

Iranian official on nuke deal: We did not agree to dismantle anything  —  (CNN) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif insisted Wednesday that the Obama administration mischaracterizes concessions by his side in the six-month nuclear deal with Iran, telling CNN in an exclusive interview that …

Turmoil as de Blasio botches early snow  —  Mayor de Blasio bungled the second winter storm of his administration when the snow hit a few hours earlier than expected Tuesday — causing a rash of car crashes and snarling traffic across the city.  —  The snow had stopped by Wednesday …

Where Is Rep Steve Stockman?  —  The Texas congressman mounting a long shot campaign for Senate hasn't appeared on Capitol Hill for weeks.  —  Judge Crater, Jimmy Hoffa and Steve Stockman?  —  The Tea Party Texas congressman challenging incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn in March's primary …

The Loud Truth About Abortion Protesters  —  Justice Scalia calls the demonstrators “counselors” who are comforting women.  That's not what I found at one New Jersey clinic.  —  “Be a man-stop your woman from killing your baby!”  —  “Mommy, don't kill me!”  —  “You are going to be the father of a dead baby!”

The ugly, sordid, damning details in the Bob McDonnell indictment  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL VIRGINIA CORRUPTION BOB MCDONNELL  —  If the prosecutors' case in United States v. Robert F. McDonnell and Maureen G. McDonnell is correct, the corrupt acts of the 71st governor of Virginia and his wife …

Trooper gives sex lesson  —  Sandusky County prosecutor Stierwalt: No crime in highway patrolman's sexual encounter with pre-teen  —  An Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper with a history of domestic violence won't face charges related to alleged sexual encounters involving a boy, Sandusky County Sheriff's Deputy Sean O'Connell said.

Dave Agema skips GOP meetings in Washington amid rumors of resignation  —  WASHINGTON — Dave Agema, the Republican National Committee member under fire for comments and Facebook postings seen as intolerant, is bypassing this week's RNC meetings, saying his critics are using them as a pretext for a …

US and other Olympic teams get terror threat ahead of Sochi Games  —  Delegations in some countries, including Hungary, have reported receiving letters warning that Sochi, the location for the upcoming Olympic Winter games, is not safe.  The U.S. continues to take precautions to protect Americans at the event.

When Public Opinions Collide  —  The progressive challenge of adjusting to a new climate of public opinion on deficits, entitlements, and jobs. … A major problem that confronts progressives and Democrats in dealing with deficits, entitlements and jobs is the extraordinary degree …

Bernie Madoff recovering from heart attack, battling kidney cancer as he rots in federal prison  —  The 75-year-old mastermind behind the epic Ponzi scheme has stage four kidney cancer, meaning it could have spread to the tissue and other parts of the body.  —  Bernard Madoff …

9th congressional GOP hopefuls differ on many issues  —  Voters in the Republican primary will have two very different candidates to choose from in the 9th Congressional District, as David Earl Williams III and Susanne Atanus vie for the right to face Rep. Jan Schakowsky in the fall.