Scott Walker, eyeing 2016, faces fallout from probes as ex-aide's e-mails are released  —  MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has been eyeing a 2016 presidential run since his battles with labor unions made him a Republican star, is in the midst of dealing with the fallout …

Juror in ‘Loud Music’ Trial Wanted Murder Conviction … A juror in the controversial Florida “loud music” trial says there was no chance from the start of a murder conviction in the shooting of an unarmed teen at a gas station because several jurors were convinced Michael Dunn acted in self-defense.

VW workers may block southern U.S. deals if no unions: labor chief  —  (Reuters) - Volkswagen's top labor representative threatened on Wednesday to try to block further investments by the German carmaker in the southern United States if its workers there are not unionized.

Whip-wielding Russian Cossacks attack Pussy Riot members near Sochi Olympics  —  SOCHI, Russia — Members of the performance-art group Pussy Riot were attacked on a public plaza Wednesday by Cossacks brandishing whips and discharging pepper spray, a day after police picked them up and held them for nearly four hours without charges.

Ukraine Puts ‘Extremists’ on Notice After Deadly Clashes  —  KIEV, Ukraine — The security authorities in Ukraine offered the first indication on Wednesday that the deadly political violence afflicting Kiev had spread far beyond the city limits, announcing a crackdown on what the Interior Ministry called …

George W. Bush: ‘I miss Air Force One’  —  Former President George W. Bush said Wednesday that there isn't much he misses about being president, except for one big perk.  —  “A lot of people ask me, you know, do I miss much about being president,” Bush said.  “The answer's really no. I mean I miss the people I served with.

Poll: Cotton gains edge over Pryor, Ross and Hutchinson remain tied  —  A recent poll shows U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Dardanelle, gaining ground in his bid to unseat Democrat U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor.  The poll results also show the Arkansas' governors race to be tied up, and U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin …

Texas, it starts with you!  —  2014 is here.  The choices are becoming clearer, and the battle lines are being drawn.  The GOP Beltway crowd has convinced itself that the way to maintain or retake the majority is through compromise and capitulation on important issues like amnesty, Obamacare, and the ever-increasing federal debt.

The Endless Third-Party Fantasy  —  Since third-party fantasies reemerge every time there is evidence Americans hold their elected officials in minimum high regard, Brendan Nyhan provides a public service with a compendium of “here comes a third party!” predictions dating back to 2005.

More Americans Now View Afghanistan War as a Mistake  —  Republicans most likely to say the war was not a mistake  —  PRINCETON, NJ — For the first time since the U.S. initially became involved in Afghanistan in 2001, Americans are as likely to say U.S. military involvement there was a mistake as to say it was not.

Iowa Newspaper Drops Brent Bozell's Column, Nobody Complains  —  Nobody seemed to mind when an Iowa newspaper dropped Brent Bozell's syndicated column from its pages last weekend.  —  The Quad-City Times announced Saturday that it will no longer run the column after it was revealed …

Our Decadent Elites  —  Watching Season 2 of “House of Cards.”  Not to be a scold or humorless, but do Washington politicians understand how they make themselves look when they embrace the show and become part of its promotion by spouting its famous lines?  Congressmen only work three days a week.

Ex-Con Ex-Governor Running for Congress  —  You're wrong if you think politics couldn't get saucier in Louisiana, where the ex-Democratic mayor of New Orleans was just convicted for bribery and the religious-right-supporting senator who got caught with hookers is a favorite to win the governorship …

Another Chance for the Justices to Say No to Prosecutorial Misconduct  —  Virginia prosecutors hid exculpatory evidence and defied a federal judge in a death-penalty case.  Will the Supreme Court let them get away with it?  —  Justice Sonia Sotomayor is one of only two* current members …

READING THE NUMBERS  —  Last week's report about the declining abortion rate in the United States was potentially good news for everyone, especially, one would think, for right-to-life groups.  Most of them, though, weren't cheering.  A statement from Americans United for Life called the report …

Wal-Mart Says ‘Looking’ at Support of Federal Minimum Wage Rise  —  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), the largest private employer in the U.S., said it's looking at supporting an increase in the federal minimum wage, breaking with business and industry groups that oppose such a measure.

Utah lawmaker: Our atmosphere needs more carbon dioxide  —  Air quality » Bill would exempt CO2 and other “natural” gases from regulation.  —  | The Salt Lake Tribune  —  Arguing that we need more carbon dioxide, not less, in the atmosphere, Rep. Jerry Anderson, R-Price …

Will the Roberts Court Follow Its Own Religious-Freedom Precedent?  —  The cases challenging the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate challenge the conservative majority on the Court: Will they respect precedent if it pushes them toward upholding the mandate, or brush by it in their eagerness to carve out a religious exception?

Attorney: Teen was shot for having Wii controller in hand  —  EUHARLEE, Ga. —  The family of a 17-year-old shot and killed by a Euharlee police officer has hired an attorney, and they say he had a remote control in his hand.  They say it was not a gun.

New Confederate license plate brings skirmishes  —  Georgia's new license plate commemorating the Sons of the Confederacy features the Confederate battle flag more prominently than in the prior design.  The emblem, incorrectly referred to in popular culture as the “Confederate flag,” …

‘We need the iPhone of guns’: Will smart guns transform the gun industry?  —  Video: Not long ago, smart guns — personalized weapons that only fired for authorized users — were seen only in the movies.  Today, after millions of dollars and more than 10 years of research, there are finally smart guns for the public.

Candidate For Orange County GOP Chairman Arrested On Assault Charge After Dispute At Polling Place  —  ORANGE COUNTY - A candidate for Orange County GOP Chairman was arrested Tuesday and released from jail on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond after he was charged with assaulting a man at an early voting location.

Homeland Security is seeking a national license plate tracking system  —  The Department of Homeland Security wants a private company to provide a national license-plate tracking system that would give the agency access to vast amounts of information from commercial and law enforcement tag readers …

Hillary Clinton surfaces as issue in Republican Senate race  —  Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) - Each one of Lindsey Graham's five underfunded Republican primary opponents have been struggling to gain traction in the race and emerge as the South Carolina senator's leading conservative opponent.

Repeal of Missouri's Background Check Law Associated with Increase in State's Murders  —  Missouri's 2007 repeal of its permit-to-purchase (PTP) handgun law, which required all handgun purchasers to obtain a license verifying that they have passed a background check, contributed …