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?

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 …

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 …

‘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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

Snowden Documents Reveal Covert Surveillance and Pressure Tactics Aimed at WikiLeaks and Its Supporters  —  Top-secret documents from the National Security Agency and its British counterpart reveal for the first time how the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom targeted WikiLeaks …

Poll: 71% of Obama voters, 55% Democrats ‘regret’ voting for his re-election  —  WASHINGTON SECRETS BARACK OBAMA HILLARY CLINTON POLLS 2012 ELECTIONS 2016 ELECTIONS CAMPAIGNS MITT ROMNEY  —  Over seven in 10 Obama voters, and 55 percent of Democrats, regret voting for President Obama's reelection in 2012 …

Kazakhstan: Lace underwear ban sparks protests  —  News from Elsewhere...  The authorities in Kazakhstan have detained several women protesting against a ban on lace underwear, it's been reported.  —  One of the seven women held at the demonstration in Almaty, was waving what she said was the last pair …

‘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.

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.

Sen. Cochran: I'm just running my campaign, based on my qualifications  —  Traveling on a bus branded “Thad for Mississippi”, Senator Thad Cochran made about half a dozen campaign stops Monday.  One at Nucor Steel in Flowood.  —  “Trying to be sure that we understand the problems confronting us,” Cochran told reporters.

‘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.

California Bill Would Extend ‘Obamacare’ To Illegal Immigrants  —  A California bill would extend health coverage to undocumented immigrants, using an Obamacare-style program to assist those left uncovered by the health care reform law.  —  Kaiser Health News reported that the legislation …

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.

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 …

GOP legislator Rep. Darrell Issa, in NH, says he wants to shape 2016 debate  —  CONCORD — California Republican Darrell Issa opened his speech at Monday night's Lincoln-Reagan Dinner saying he was not there as a candidate.  —  “I came here to hopefully shape the debate for 2016 …