Huckabee: Dems think women can't control their libido  —  Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R) said Thursday that Republicans need to take a more combative attitude toward winning the votes of women, by emphasizing that women aren't weaklings in need of help from the government.

Biggest Liberal ‘Super PAC’ to Fund Possible Clinton Bid  —  The largest liberal “super PAC” in the country has begun raising money to elect Hillary Rodham Clinton president, formally aligning itself with Mrs. Clinton's undeclared presidential ambitions more than two years away from the election.

U.S. Attorney Issues Subpoena to Christie's Re-election Campaign  —  Federal prosecutors in New Jersey conducting a preliminary inquiry into accusations that aides to Gov. Chris Christie shut down access lanes to the George Washington Bridge as political retribution have issued grand jury subpoenas …

Utah Special Attorney General Cites “Religious Duty” in Decision to Take Anti-Marriage Equality Case  —  Gene Schaerr, a Washington, D.C. partner at the law firm Winston & Strawn, is citing his personal religious beliefs as the rationale behind his decision to quit his job and become …

Pope Cautions Catholics Against ‘Bombarding People With Religious Messages’  —  Pope Francis on Thursday said that Catholics should start a conversation about their beliefs in order to promote their message, not simply tout their perspective.  —  “Effective Christian witness …

Watchdog Report Says N.S.A. Program Is Illegal and Should End  —  WASHINGTON — An independent federal privacy watchdog has concluded that the National Security Agency's program to collect bulk phone call records has provided only “minimal” benefits in counterterrorism efforts, is illegal and should be shut down.

Rand Paul Is the 2016 Republican Frontrunner  —  Don't laugh.  He has built-in advantages in Iowa and New Hampshire, a party moving in his direction, and formidable fundraising potential.  —  If Chris Christie was ever the frontrunner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, he isn't anymore.

Leaning Right in Hollywood, Under a Lens  —  LOS ANGELES — In a famously left-leaning Hollywood, where Democratic fund-raisers fill the social calendar, Friends of Abe stands out as a conservative group that bucks the prevailing political winds.  —  A collection of perhaps 1,500 right-leaning players …

Mystery of the Lyubov Orlova: Ghost ship full of cannibal rats ‘could be heading for Britain’  —  A ghost ship carrying nothing but disease-ridden rats could be about to make land on Britain's shore, experts have warned.  —  The Lyubov Orlova cruise liner has been drifting across …

Justin Bieber arrested in Miami Beach over DUI, drag-racing  —  After allegedly smoking pot all day, drinking beer and popping anti-depressants, bad-boy pop star Justin Bieber went on a wild pre-dawn drag race in Miami Beach that landed him in jail Thursday morning, police said.

Schumer seeks to poison Tea Party  —  Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the Senate Democrats' political guru, has a plan to poison the Tea Party by driving a wedge between its rich funders and its blue-collar rank and file.  —  Schumer, one of the Democrats' most influential strategists …

Welder lauded by Scott Walker in speech is sex offender  —  By Daniel Bice of the Journal Sentinel  —  Emphasizing his role as a job creator, Gov. Scott Walker praised Christopher Barber's initiative during the governor's annual “state of the state” speech on Wednesday.

Revenge-Porn King Hunter Moore Indicted on Federal Charges  —  Moore and an alleged accomplice Charles “Gary” Evens were indicted on 15 counts, including conspiracy, seven counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information and seven counts of aggravated identity theft

The Heritage Foundation Might Be Shedding Some Of Its Crazy Soon  —  2013 wasn't exactly been a banner year for the Heritage Foundation, Washington's most well-known and influential conservative think tank.  —  In its first year under former senator and tea party godfather Jim DeMint …

Moody's downgrades health insurers, citing Obamacare  —  Warns of ‘unstable and evolving regulatory environment’  —  Moody's Investor Service has changed its outlook for the U.S. health care insurance sector from stable to negative, citing Obamacare's rollout and the uncertainty it brings.

CNN lays off more than 40 journalists  —  CNN has laid off more than 40 senior journalists in its newsgathering operation - including a pregnant producer who was two weeks away from giving birth to twins - as part of a reorganisation of the business under Jeff Zucker.

Guns Make Voting Even Harder  —  If you want to feel truly dispirited about the health of U.S. democracy, skip the stories about Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell and go straight to today's report on the American voting experience.  —  The report, by a presidentially appointed commission …

Paul Ryan doesn't want to be House speaker  —  SAN ANTONIO — Rep. Paul Ryan said he does not want to be speaker of the House, a declaration that will have reverberations in Republican leadership circles in Washington.  —  During a wide-ranging luncheon in a hotel ballroom here Thursday …

Why the 2014 Senate Races Matter So Much  —  Yesterday I laid out some scenarios for the 2014 Senate races.  At President Obama's current job approval rating, Democrats would likely suffer substantial losses in the upper chamber.  On the other hand, if the president were to improve his standing …