Yahoo webcam images from millions of users intercepted by GCHQ  —  • Optic Nerve program collected Yahoo webcam images in bulk  —  • 1.8m users targeted by UK agency in six-month period alone  —  • Yahoo: ‘A whole new level of violation of our users’ privacy'

Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill on Refusal of Service to Gays  —  PHOENIX — Ending a day that cast a glaring national spotlight on Arizona, the state's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, decided late Wednesday to veto a bill that would have given business owners the right to refuse service to gays and lesbians on religious grounds.

Bradley A. Smith: Connecting the Dots in the IRS Scandal  —  The ‘smoking gun’ in the targeting of conservative groups has been hiding in plain sight.  —  The mainstream press has justified its lack of coverage over the Internal Revenue Service targeting of conservative groups because there's been no …

Cruz won't promise to stay out of primaries  —  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Thursday didn't rule out involvement in GOP primaries this year against incumbent Republican senators.  —  Cruz said he had made no “ironclad promise” to stay out of the primaries.  —  “What I have said is that I'm likely …

Paula Deen Compares Her Struggles to ‘That Black’ Openly Gay NFL Prospect Michael Sam  —  The celebrity chef also expressed a newfound “empathy” for other controversial public figures such as “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson  —  Paula Deen's $100 million empire crumbled last year …

Mississippi Scraps Discriminatory ‘Religious Freedom’ Provisions Following Backlash In Arizona  —  On January 31, the Mississippi Senate unanimously passed SB 2681, a bill that adds “In God We Trust” to the state seal.  It also contained language just like that in Arizona's freshly-vetoed bill …

Most Americans disappointed in Obama's presidency, poll says  —  Shares -  —  Amid continued pessimism about the economy and direction of the country, 59 percent of Americans say they are disappointed in Mr. Obama's presidency (including 37 percent who are very disappointed); 40 percent are satisfied.

Ukraine leader warns Russia after armed men seize government HQ in Crimea  —  (Reuters) - Armed men seized the regional government headquarters and parliament in Ukraine's Crimea on Thursday and raised the Russian flag, alarming Kiev's new rulers, who urged Moscow not to abuse its navy base rights …

Clinton endorses looking at Obamacare fixes, but defends law  —  Orlando (CNN) - Hillary Clinton backed efforts to alter Obamacare on Wednesday, but also used her remarks to a health care group in Florida to offer a full defense of the sweeping and controversial law.

New F.D.A. Nutrition Labels Would Make ‘Serving Sizes’ Reflect Actual Servings  —  WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration for the first time in two decades will propose major changes to nutrition labels on food packages, putting calorie counts in large type and adjusting portion sizes to reflect how much Americans actually eat.

Generic Ballot Model Shows Senate Control at Tipping Point  —  Look for more partisan conflict and polarization in new Senate  —  Crystal Ball Senior Columnist Alan Abramowitz's discussion of his Senate elections model not only confirms how close we expect the 2014 Senate campaign will be …

Republicans flip-flop on ‘judicial activism’  —  There was a time not too long ago when Republicans decried “activist judges.”  Now they're lamenting that judges are not being activist enough.  —  “Unfortunately, the courts have been reluctant to exercise their constitutionally conferred power …

Was Bush Really a Champion of Democracy?  —  For five years now, it's happened again and again.  A dictatorship somewhere wobbles, protesters crowd the streets, and the Obama administration strikes a careful tone, urging respect for human rights while trying to safeguard various American interests.

GWB Scandal: Release of previously redacted messages reveals new information  —  The private messages that linked Governor Christie's office to lane closures at the George Washington Bridge also contain jokes about causing “traffic problems” at the home of a New Jersey rabbi associated …

The Mammoth Cometh  —  The first time Ben Novak saw a passenger pigeon, he fell to his knees and remained in that position, speechless, for 20 minutes.  He was 16.  At 13, Novak vowed to devote his life to resurrecting extinct animals.  At 14, he saw a photograph of a passenger pigeon in an Audubon Society book and “fell in love.”

Bill Clinton's rescue ride  —  Springtime is coming, baseball teams have reassembled for training, Robert Redford is back on cable playing Roy Hobbs in “The Natural” and Bill Clinton has begun his ride to rescue Democrats in the 2014 midterm elections.  —  In politics, the trick …

De Blasio's school fight: Column  —  New York disagreement over charter schools spotlights Democrat vs. Democrat battle.  —  Most non-New Yorkers know only two things about Bill de Blasio, the city's new progressive mayor: He eats pizza with a knife and fork, and Al Roker attacked him for sending students to school in a snowstorm.