Henry Waxman, 20-Term Democrat, Leaving House  —  WASHINGTON — Representative Henry A. Waxman of California, a diminutive Democratic giant whose 40 years in the House produced some of the most important legislation of the era, will announce on Thursday that he is retiring at the end of the year.

Why the rich are freaking out  —  NEW YORK — The co-founder of one the nation's oldest venture capital firms fears a possible genocide against the wealthy.  Residents of Manhattan's tony Upper East Side say the progressive mayor didn't plow their streets as a form of frosty revenge.

Democrats: Cede the House to save the Senate  —  With Democrats' grasp on the Senate increasingly tenuous — and the House all but beyond reach — some top party donors and strategists are moving to do something in the midterm election as painful as it is coldblooded: Admit the House can't be won and go all in to save the Senate.

Lunches seized from kids in debt at Salt Lake City elementary  —  Education » School officials cite unpaid balances on students' meal accounts.  —  | The Salt Lake Tribune  —  Up to 40 kids at Uintah Elementary in Salt Lake City picked up their lunches Tuesday …

For 2016, Hillary Clinton has commanding lead over Democrats, GOP race wide open  —  Hillary Rodham Clinton holds a commanding 6 to 1 lead over other Democrats heading into the 2016 presidential campaign, while the Republican field is deeply divided with no clear front-runner, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Release Detail  —  January 30, 2014 - Crist Tops Florida's Scott On Almost Every Measure, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters See Crist Better On Top Priority - Economy  —  Watch Video: Assistant Director Tim Malloy discusses poll results  —  Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist …

Gallup Obama approval numbers suggest shifting Electoral College map  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL BARACK OBAMA POLLS CAMPAIGNS APPROVAL RATINGS ELECTORAL COLLEGE  —  Gallup has released President Obama's approval numbers for 2013 for the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Anthony Weiner's advice to Rep. Michael Grimm on how to get along with reporters  —  Help from a former embattled congressman to a current one.  —  Former Congressman Anthony Weiner is no stranger to strife between policians and the press — giving him unique insight into the brouhaha …

No Smoking Guns Yet, But the Noose is Tightening Around Chris Christie  —  The New York Times is pretty clearly expending a lot of resources on the various Chris Christie scandals.  So far they haven't produced any smoking guns, but they're sure digging up some stuff that doesn't look good for Team Christie.

77 cents not worth a plug nickel  —  The assertion that women are the victims of discrimination in the workplace was one of the featured themes of President Obama's State of the Union Address on Tuesday.  To support the assertion he hauled out the old canard that women earn 77 cents on the dollar compared to men.

Is National Review doomed?  —  The conservative movement's leading magazine faces a lawsuit that could bring it to its knees  —  N  —  ational Review, founded by William F. Buckley, Jr. in 1955, has had an enormous impact on the nation's politics.  Its writers formulated the ideology …

JOHANSSON STEPPING DOWN AS OXFAM AMBASSADOR  —  You are here  —  Home » SodaStream International Ltd. » Johansson stepping down as Oxfam ambassador  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scarlett Johansson is ending her relationship with a humanitarian group after being criticized over her support …

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: January 2014  —  January 1st may have been a monumental date for those working on and closely following the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds little change in the public's knowledge and views of the law.

Former Speaker Hastert Calls for Immigration Overhaul  —  Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert has a message for his former colleagues: Pass an immigration overhaul.  —  In an interview, he said there are two imperatives: secure the border and give legal status to the estimated 11.5 million people living in the U.S. illegally.

Obama Issues Fewer Executive Orders than Any President Since the 1800s  —  Ted Cruz has already referred to Barack Obama's use of executive orders as “lawless.”  Considering it's a safe bet we'll be hearing a lot more of this rhetoric in the months to come, I decided to dig into the historical data on presidential executive orders.

White House Seeks Drug Clemency Candidates  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration, in its effort to curtail severe penalties in low-level drug cases, is taking the unprecedented step of encouraging defense lawyers to suggest inmates whom the president might let out of prison early.

Pre-K, the Great Debate  —  Against all odds, prekindergarten is gaining ground.  —  President Obama called again in his State of the Union address for Congress to support high-quality preschool for all, noting that 30 states are already moving ahead on this front (including New York).