Putin's Ukraine Gambit  —  Henry Kissinger once pointed out that since Peter the Great, Russia had been expanding at the rate of one Belgium per year.  All undone, of course, by the collapse of the Soviet Union, which Russian president Vladimir Putin called “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the [20th] century.”

Dem senators push IRS to cap political activity  —  A group of Democratic senators urged the Obama administration on Thursday to cap the amount of political activity that tax-exempt 501(c)(4) groups can engage in at 5 to 15 percent.  —  The 15 senators, in public comments on a proposed regulation change …

The fight for Mitt Romney's donors is on  —  Mitt Romney knows how to raise money.  He collected more than $1.1 billion in the 2012 campaign, relying on contacts he built during his time as Massachusetts governor, head of the Salt Lake City Olympics, years working in private equity …

O'Reilly To Valerie Jarrett: Get ‘Gangsta Rappers’ To ‘Knock It Off’ (VIDEO)  —  Fox News host Bill O'Reilly on Thursday advised Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett to get “gangsta rappers” like Jay Z and Kanye West to say their behavior is wrong if the White House really wants to improve minority communities.

Changes (Personal/Professional)  —  Some news: I have informed Princeton that I will be retiring at the end of next academic year, that is, in June 2015.  In August 2015 I will join the faculty of the Graduate Center, City University of New York, as a professor in the Ph.D. program in economics.

Larry Summers Nails The Radical Economic Implications of The Facebook-WhatsApp Mega-Deal  —  Larry Summers gave a speech today at the National Association For Business Economics (NABE) conference in Arlington Virginia.  —  In his speech he said some really sharp stuff about the significance of WhatsApp …

Three Cups of Tea  —  The Tea Party turns five years old this week, and the mainstream media are filled with stories saying it has lost clout and influence.  Certainly the unfair assaults on it as racist and extremist have taken a toll, but in terms of where the political landscape is right now …

Outrage Over Sexist Remarks Turns Into a Political Fund-Raising Tool  —  In the past few months, Republicans have called Wendy Davis, a Democratic candidate for Texas governor, “Abortion Barbie,” likened Alison Lundergan Grimes, a Senate candidate from Kentucky, to an “empty dress,” …

Noonan: America and the Aggressive Left  —  Half the country feels—and is—beset by government.  That's not progress.  —  The constant mischief of the progressive left is hurting the nation's morale.  There are few areas of national life left in which they are not busy, and few in which they're not making it worse.

GOP blocks veterans bill  —  Senate Republicans stopped Democrats from advancing a bill that would have expanded healthcare and education programs for veterans.  —  In a 56-41 vote Thursday, the motion to waive a budget point of order against the bill failed, as Democrats fell short …

Rubio gets second look from GOP after Venezuela speech  —  2013 wasn't the greatest year for Sen. Marco Rubio.  After starting out as the tentative GOP frontrunner for president, the Florida Republican devoted himself to passing immigration reform only to awkwardly back away from the issue after conservatives rebelled.

America plays its role in a changing world right  —  As America navigates a changing world, the people who seem to be having the greatest difficulty with the adjustment are the country's pundits.  Over the past few weeks, a new conventional wisdom has congealed on the op-ed pages …

Mt. Gox Files for Bankruptcy  —  TOKYO — Mt. Gox, the troubled exchange for the virtual currency Bitcoin, filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday and said that it might have lost all of its customers' coins in a hacking attack.  —  The Tokyo-based exchange, which warned earlier this month …

House votes to overhaul federal reg process  —  The House on Thursday approved legislation that would force federal agencies to be more transparent about pending regulations, and make them choose regulatory alternatives that impose the smallest cost possible on companies.

COURT: SCHOOL CAN BAN US FLAG SHIRTS FOR SAFETY  —  You are here  —  Home » General news » Court: School can ban US flag shirts for safety  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Officials at a Northern California high school acted appropriately when they ordered students wearing American flag T-shirts …

911 audio released from Fort Lee traffic jam  —  (CNN) - Officials in Fort Lee, New Jersey released 911 audio Friday from the week in September when two out of three access lanes were closed to the George Washington Bridge, ultimately causing massive traffic gridlock across the city for four days …

Where Time Comes From  —  The time that ends up on your smartphone—and that synchronizes GPS, military operations, financial transactions, and internet communications—originates in a set of atomic clocks on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory.  Dr. Demetrios Matsakis, Chief Scientist for USNO's Time Services, gives a tour.