‘Joe The Plumber’ Describes His New Union Job, Contemplates The Meaning Of ‘Tea Bagger’  —  Samuel Wurzelbacher's encounter with Barack Obama gave some material to Republicans who were eager to brand the Illinois senator a socialist.  Today, the man better-known as “Joe The Plumber” has himself a union job.

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.

Kathleen Sebelius: No job loss under Obamacare  —  Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says there is “absolutely no evidence” that the Affordable Care Act will drive down employment, despite a report from the Congressional Budget Office released Feb. 4 predicting fewer people would be working.

Melvin Reynolds arrested in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwean official says  —  HARARE, Zimbabwe — Former U.S. Rep. Melvin Jay Reynolds has been arrested in Zimbabwe, said a Zimbabwean immigration official.  —  The official, Ario Mabika, told The Associated Press Tuesday that Reynolds is being investigated.

Congressional Republicans are focused on calming their divided ranks  —  After a tumultuous week of party infighting and leadership stumbles, congressional Republicans are focused on calming their divided ranks in the months ahead, mostly by touting proposals that have wide backing within …

Financier Plans Big Ad Campaign on Climate Change  —  A billionaire retired investor is forging plans to spend as much as $100 million during the 2014 election, seeking to pressure federal and state officials to enact climate change measures through a hard-edge campaign of attack ads against governors and lawmakers.

Republicans open investigations into ObamaCare's disaster sites  —  Republicans are launching investigations into three state-run ObamaCare exchanges that are failing disastrously.  —  Lawmakers are setting their sites on exchanges in Oregon, Maryland and Massachusetts where Democratic governors embraced …

Unemployment Rises to Top Problem in the U.S.  —  Fewer Americans name the government as the most important problem in February  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans have a new No. 1 problem.  Nearly one in four Americans mention jobs and unemployment as the most important problem facing the country, up from 16% in January.

‘Abundant evidence’ of crimes against humanity in North Korea, panel says  —  (CNN) — A stunning catalog of torture and the widespread abuse of even the weakest of North Koreans reveal a portrait of a brutal state “that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world,” a United Nations panel reported Monday.

Spain, Land of 10 P.M. Dinners, Asks if It's Time to Reset Clock  —  MADRID — Dipping into a bucket filled with Mahou beers, Jorge Rodríguez and his friends hunkered down on a recent Wednesday night to watch soccer at Mesón Viña, a local bar.

‘Bible’ Producers Cut Satan Scenes From ‘Son of God’ Following Obama Controversy (Video)  —  Eager to avoid a controversy about the devil looking like the president, Roma Downey and Mark Burnett decided to leave the character out of their film, which is based on “The Bible” miniseries.

Lefty Meltdown Leads Latin Revival  —  Are we about to witness a big power shift in Latin America?  —  Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina are languishing in differing shades of turmoil, steadily losing ground to regional underdogs.  The Pacific Alliance, an historic trade agreement between Mexico …

Michael Dunn Compares Himself To Rape Victim In Newly Released Calls From Jail  —  CREDIT: AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Bob Mack, Pool  —  In newly released audio of phone calls made by Michael Dunn while in jail, the man who shot 17-year-old Jordan Davis after a loud music dispute claiming self-defense …

Obama Plays Water Guzzling Desert Golf Courses Amid California Drought  —  After preaching shared sacrifice to assuage the California water shortage, Obama has played some of the country's thirstiest golf courses.  —  President Barack Obama traveled to California Friday to highlight …

Why Hillary Clinton's past is fair game in presidential race  —  HILLARY CLINTON BILL CLINTON 2016 ELECTIONS CAMPAIGNS KENNETH STARR WHITEWATER  —  There's a debate going on about Hillary Clinton's past.  If she runs for president in 2016, should Republicans reach back to the scandals of her years as First Lady?

Exclusive: Mega-donors plan GOP war council  —  A group of major GOP donors, led by New York billionaire Paul Singer, is quietly expanding its political footprint ahead of the midterm elections in an increasingly assertive effort to shape the direction of the Republican Party.

Secession movement in New York pushes for Big Apple to split from Upstate  —  When Frank Sinatra sang “New York, New York,” he may have been on to something.  —  A movement is afoot to split New York into two regions — upstate and downstate — to acknowledge the gaping philosophical differences and improve representation.

Pussy Riot members among group of activists arrested in Sochi  —  Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, who were detained by police, deny claims they stole woman's handbag  —  Members of the punk group Pussy Riot have been detained by Russian police in Sochi, apparently on suspicion of stealing a woman's handbag.

Obama's Stimulus, Five Years Later  —  Not much growth, but a new costume for Bobber the Water Safety Dog.  —  THE STIMULUS ANNIVERSARY  —  Five years ago today, President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law.  The $830 billion spending blowout was sold …

Obama to take next step in fuel efficiency for trucks  —  Washington (CNN) - The Obama administration will take the next step on Tuesday in its multi-year effort to cut emissions and reduce oil use by getting better fuel economy from trucks.  —  President Barack Obama is set to announce …