Obama to Raise Minimum Wage Under Federal Contractors  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to sign an executive order requiring that janitors, construction workers and others working for federal contractors be paid at least $10.10 an hour, using his own power to enact a more limited version …

Pete Seeger, Songwriter and Champion of Folk Music, Dies at 94  —  Pete Seeger, the singer, folk-song collector and songwriter who spearheaded an American folk revival and spent a long career championing folk music as both a vital heritage and a catalyst for social change, died Monday.

Poll: Christie numbers tank as scandals continue  —  Chris Christie's political future looks to be in serious danger with more Americans believing the embattled New Jersey governor is lying about the bridge closure scandal than telling the truth, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

56 Dems endorse Hillary for 2016  —  Fifty-six Democratic lawmakers say they would endorse Hillary Clinton for president if she launches a 2016 White House bid, according to a survey conducted by The Hill.  [SEE COMPLETE LIST]  —  Twenty-two congressional Democrats had already publicly endorsed Clinton.

The Five Worst Things About The New Republican Proposal To Replace Obamacare  —  On Monday, a trio Republican senators unveiled an alternative to Obamacare eerily similar to the one that former presidential candidate Mitt Romney proposed in 2012.  The plan boils down to a rehash …

Exclusive: Democratic senators to file amicus brief in Hobby Lobby birth control case  —  In a brief to be filed with the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, 19 Democratic senators are siding with the Obama administration against evangelical Christian businessmen who argue that paying …

What is wrong with this guy?  He is such a jerk!  He is a repeat offender!  —  This posting is not about Wendy Davis.  It is not about her views.  This is about a man who has pattern of being disrespectful to women:  —  We are a big nation with different viewpoints.

How Republicans Lost the Farm  —  On a recent Monday in San Antonio, Texas, Tom Vilsack, the secretary of agriculture, got up to speak to an auditorium full of farmers.  Vilsack, a doughy, wavy-haired former governor of Iowa, wore a grim expression as he gripped the lectern.

Karzai suspects U.S. is behind insurgent-style attacks, Afghan officials say  —  KABUL — President Hamid Karzai has frequently lashed out at the U.S. military for causing civilian casualties in its raids.  But behind the scenes, he has been building a far broader case against the Americans …

Democrat wins Virginia Senate recount, giving Gov. Terry McAuliffe's agenda a crucial boost  —  VIRGINIA BEACH — Democrats prepared to seize control of the Virginia Senate on Monday after winning a recount by just 11 votes in a razor-thin special election, giving Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe's first-year agenda a crucial boost.

Matthews goes after McCain critic  —  Sen. John McCain, under fire from the Arizona GOP for not being conservative enough, got an unlikely ally in his defense against the state party's censure of the senator, as MSNBC host Chris Matthews went after the author of the Arizona GOP's critique of McCain.

German cows cause methane blast in Rasdorf  —  Methane gas released by dairy cows has caused an explosion in a cow shed in Germany, police said.  —  The roof was damaged and one of the cows was injured in the blast in the central German town of Rasdorf.  —  Thanks to the belches and flatulence …

Google Glass to Be Covered by Vision Care Insurer VSP  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Google and VSP, the nation's biggest optical health insurance provider, have struck a deal to offer subsidized frames and prescription lenses for Google Glass, the Internet-connected eyewear.

Obama's Puzzle: Economy Rarely Better, Approval Rarely Worse  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama will pronounce on the state of the union for the fifth time on Tuesday, and never during his time in office has the state of the economy been better — yet rarely has he gotten such low marks from the public for his handling of it.

Barack Obama's lows could hurt Democrats in 5 states  —  Senate Democrats must defend seats this year in five of the 10 states where President Barack Obama is most unpopular.  —  Daily tracking numbers published Monday by Gallup highlight the treacherous map facing Democrats in the midterm elections …