‘Meet the Press’ Host: Climate Segment Meant as Debate on ‘Policies’  —  After excoriating “Meet the Press” in advance for its planned climate change “debate,” environmentalists came away with a mixed bag.  —  They feared the “debate” format would cast undue doubt on the scientific consensus …

Man Allegedly Shoots And Kills 15-Year-Old Girl For Egging A Car  —  Adrian Broadway.  —  CREDIT: Fox 16  —  An Arkansas man faces a murder charge for allegedly gunning down a car filled with teenagers who had wanted to play a prank on his son.  One of the passengers, 15-year-old Adrian Broadway …

Miami Artist Destroyed $1M Ai Weiwei Vase Because PAMM “Only Displays International Artists”  —  Yesterday, art lovers around the world were shocked when someone strolled into the Pérez Art Museum Miami and destroyed a $1 million vase by Ai Weiwei.  —  Well, the story gets even more shocking.

The economics of sex: Has the price gotten too cheap?  —  With the romantic haze of Valentine's Day behind us, can we return to the reality of relations between the sexes?  —  Start with a new film short, “The Economics of Sex,” from the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture.

EXCLUSIVE: National clown shortage may be approaching, trade organizations fear  —  As the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus returns to Brooklyn Thursday, membership at the country's largest clown organizations has plunged over the past decade amid declining interest, old age and higher standards for the jokesters.

After Chattanooga  —  Examining the roots of the United Auto Workers' defeat at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant.  —  On Friday afternoon, a reporter friend of mine emailed me to ask what I thought would happen that night when the votes were counted at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga …

5 Years After Stimulus, Obama Says It Worked  —  White House points to jobs saved and economic growth fostered in forthcoming report  —  Five years ago Monday, President Barack Obama visited the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, his $800 billion stimulus bill.

Spy Chief: We Should've Told You We Track Your Calls  —  The U.S. government long considered its collection of Americans' call records to be a state secret.  Now the Director of National Intelligence admits it would have been better if Washington had acknowledged the surveillance in the first place.

George Zimmerman Refuses to Say Whether He Regrets Killing Trayvon Martin  —  In the wake of the verdict in the trial of Michael Dunn for the murder of Jordan Davis, George Zimmerman sat down with CNN's New Day host Chris Cuomo to discuss his reaction to that trial and share his reflections …

President's Day: University textbook claims Reagan was sexist, conservatives view people as incapable of ‘charity,’ ‘lazy’  — Mandated reading claims wealthy people “find that having a social class of poor people is useful,” it “allows them to look down on classes below them.”

Why Lewinsky Shouldn't Be a GOP Talking Point  —  Clinton-bashing makes the Republican Party look desperate and out of control.  —  Bill Clinton uses a car-racing metaphor to explain the difference between rash and calm decision-making in politics.  “The great drivers, when the cars get close …

Trump fires top advisor & political consultant Sam Nunberg  —  Donald Trump couldn't pass up the opportunity to say, “You're fired” to an underling — even when the man offered to resign.  —  Furious over a snarky Buzzfeed article about his political aspirations, the developer took a page …

GOP operative asks judge to delay trial until after elections  —  Claiming key GOP campaign strategies could be “exposed” before this year's gubernatorial and legislative races, a Queens Republican operative wants his federal corruption trial delayed until after November's elections.

‘The Sixth Extinction,’ by Elizabeth Kolbert  —  Over the past decade, Elizabeth Kolbert has established herself as one of our very best science writers.  She has developed a distinctive and eloquent voice of conscience on issues arising from the extraordinary assault on the ecosphere …

Failing Liberals Turn To Oppression To Hold On To Power  —  If you're a conservative, you don't need to silence the opposition.  —  In fact, we conservatives want liberals to talk, to make buffoons of themselves, to prove their folly.  We want liberals to expound upon their ridiculous ideas …

Seasonal Reflections  —  This afternoon there's nothing to do but snow haiku.  My attempts at 5, 7, 5:  —  Full fat flake fell far  —  To sleep on the rude pavement.  —  Grraaawwwr.  The shovel.  Run!  —  Snowflake: distinctive,  —  Unique.  Liquefies, blends.  A  —  Loss, but less lonely