Russian Officials Fire Back at Olympic Critics  —  One Sochi Defender Claims Only 103 Registered Complaints; ‘Surveillance Video’ in Hotel Rooms  —  SOCHI, Russia—Rooms without doorknobs, locks or heat, dysfunctional toilets, surprise early-morning fire alarms and a Welcome Wagon of stray dogs …

Jails Enroll Inmates in Obamacare to Pass Hospital Costs to U.S.  —  Being arrested in Chicago for, say, drug possession or assault gets you sent to the Cook County Jail to be fingerprinted, photographed and X-rayed.  You'll also get help applying for health insurance.

Cantor takes mission impossible  —  House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is taking the lead on crafting the GOP's Obama-Care replacement proposal.  —  The extraordinarily tough task faces many obstacles and is complicated by election-year politics and an unruly GOP conference.

Texas candidate keeping distance from Christie  —  ASBURY, N.J. — Not even a trip to the Lone Star State is allowing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to get away from the George Washington Bridge scandal.  —  Christie, as chairman of the Republican Governors Association …

Taliban Fighters Claim To Have Captured U.S. Military Dog  —  The Taliban this week released a video that may well be the first of its kind — one that shows a dog they claim to be a U.S. military service dog, still wearing its gear, and that they say was captured after a lengthy firefight with American troops.

The Koch Brothers Left a Confidential Document at Their Last Donor Conference—Read It Here  —  A list of one-on-one meetings between VIP donors and the Kochs and their operatives offers a revealing look into their mighty political machine.  —  Charles Koch: Bo Rader/ZUMA; David Koch: Sonia Moskowitz/ZUMA

Senate fails to advance unemployment bill  —  Washington (CNN) - A Democratic proposal to continue long term unemployment benefits failed Thursday to get the 60 votes needed to clear a procedural hurdle in the Senate despite support from some Republicans.  —  It was defeated 58 to 40.

Paul Ryan Is the Odds-On Favorite to Win the Republican Nomination in 2016  —  There's been a lot of blathering about who the front-runner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is, and so far I've resisted taking part.  But I guess I'm kind of curious: Is there much of a case to be made for anyone other than Paul Ryan?

New Bogus GOP Obamacare Attack Debuts In 2014 Political Ad (VIDEO)  —  Despite the consistent refutation of their claim that the Congressional Budget Office said Obamacare would cost the country 2 million jobs — even from within their own party — Republicans are now putting the attack in congressional ads.

At Executive Mansion, McAuliffe puts out the welcome mat  —  RICHMOND — Gov. Terry McAuliffe has added a potent weapon to his bipartisan charm offensive: better booze.  —  Desperately in need of Republican friends to get his agenda through a divided General Assembly, McAuliffe (D) …

New evidence undercuts White House claims about IRS motivation.  —  House committees are still digging into the IRS political targeting scandal, and based on a hearing Wednesday there's more to learn.  The day produced more evidence blowing apart President Obama's claims that there was …

Democrats Aim to Make 2014 More Like 2012 and 2008  —  WASHINGTON — The Democrats' plan to hold onto their narrow Senate majority goes by the name “Bannock Street project.”  It runs through 10 states, includes a $60 million investment, and requires more than 4,000 paid staffers.

GOP Conference chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers faces possible ethics inquiry  —  GOP Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.) faces a possible House Ethics Committee investigation over allegations by a former staffer that she improperly mixed campaign and official funds to help win a 2012 House leadership race.

Work was supposed to be liberating.  Now nonwork is.  —  Annie Lowrey, an economics reporter for the New York Times, has an essay in this coming weekend's Times magazine rebutting what she calls “the policy solution du jour” to the problem of “how to alleviate poverty”—namely, “marriage promotion.”

How John Podesta is changing Obama's White House  —  John Podesta doesn't have a standing appointment with President Barack Obama.  He doesn't join chief of staff Denis McDonough for the nightly “wrap” meeting with the president.  He doesn't have a defined portfolio of assignments.

Power Station Sniper  —  What motivated the sophisticated sniper attack on a San Jose power station last April?  The Times wonders:  —  Months Later, Sniper Attack at Power Hub Still a Mystery  —  SAN FRANCISCO — A mysterious and sophisticated sniper attack last year …