It was worth it.  Probably.  —  Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act ended officially on Monday night.  And the last-minute rush to sign up for new insurance plans was every bit as big as the experts had always predicted.  Traffic to the online marketplaces and calls to the telephone help centers were the highest ever.

Obamacare Sign-Ups: 7,041,000  —  How many people have signed up for private coverage under Obamacare?  7,041,000, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney announced Tuesday afternoon.  —  That number is likely to rise: It does not include the Monday sign-ups in the 14 states operating their own marketplaces.

CIA misled on interrogation program, Senate report says  —  A report by the Senate Intelligence Committee concludes that the CIA misled the government and the public about aspects of its brutal interrogation program for years — concealing details about the severity of its methods …

CREW scores major FOIA win in Tom DeLay case  —  A watchdog group pressing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit for records about a federal investigation into former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) scored a major legal victory Tuesday by winning a court ruling that could increase public access …

The bizarre double life of conservative congressional hopeful Jake Rush  —  Running for the U.S. Congress can be the role of a lifetime for a budding politician, which would seem on the surface to fit right in with “conservative” Republican candidate Jacob A. Rush.

Home-Run Hitters of the Supreme Court  —  In the nation's history, 112 people have served on the Supreme Court of the United States.  Suppose that we were to select the all-time greats.  Who would make the cut?  —  To answer that question, we need a metric.

Why a Jeb Bush presidential run would be hard on the GOP.  —  Jeb Bush is having a moment.  For two months or so, as Chris Christie's presidential fortunes have appeared abridged, people who have supported the New Jersey governor (or at least are predisposed to support him) …

Starbucks apologizes to La. teacher for barista's Satanic designs drawn in her coffee foam  —  Starbucks has apologized to a Louisiana teacher who complained that a barista drew Satanic symbols in her coffee foam.  —  Megan Pinion posted photos of two beverages she bought at a Baton Rouge coffee shop …

Appeals Court Finds Florida's 2012 Voter Purge Broke The Law  —  A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that Florida's 2012 efforts to remove non-citizens from its voter rolls violated the National Voter Registration Act.  —  The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the state's efforts …

A Gaffe Can Matter When It Motivates the Base  —  We recently published a forecast that described the GOP as more likely than not to win the U.S. Senate in November.  But our analysis was less bullish on Republicans' prospects of flipping the seat in Iowa currently held by Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, who is retiring.

CIA officer confirmed no protests before misleading Benghazi account given  —  Information on ground rejects protest account  —  Before the Obama administration gave an inaccurate narrative on national television that the Benghazi attacks grew from an anti-American protest …

Someone Else's Debt Could Ruin Your Credit Rating  —  Debt collectors are pursuing one in seven Americans—and often screwing up  —  Last month, Amrit Singh, an adjunct professor at Hostos Community College in the South Bronx, received a letter from the New York City Marshal, advising him that he owed $10,000, due within 20 days.

How Republicans Rationalize Voter Suppression  —  The GOP's claims of defending “voter integrity,” “fairness,” and “uniformity” are complete nonsense.  —  Since 2011, Republican lawmakers in swing states have pushed hard for new restrictions on voting, from voter identification to new rules on early voting and ballot access.

Champagne Celebration as 7 Million Signups Achieved  —  Todd Park, White House Chief Technology Officer - Photo: Phil Larson  —  At 12:01 AM, White House Chief Technology Officer Todd Park acknowledged to QSSI, the Columbia, Maryland firm tasked with fixing Healthcare.gov that the ACA enrollments have surpassed the 7 million mark.

Covered California Sends Deaf Callers To Hotline Offering ‘Hot Ladies’  —  SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — On the deadline to sign up for health coverage through Covered California, some hearing-impaired residents were sent to a chat line offering ‘hot ladies’ instead of an insurance navigator.

Ryan Budget Would Cut Food Stamps and Medicaid Deeply  —  WASHINGTON — Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin on Tuesday will lay out a tough, election-year budget that purports to come into balance by 2024, in large part through steep cuts to Medicaid and food stamps and the full repeal …

British sniper in Afghanistan kills six Taliban with one bullet  —  Lance Corporal in the Coldstream Guards hit trigger switch of suicide bomber whose device then exploded, Telegraph learns  —  A British sniper in Afghanistan killed six insurgents with a single bullet after hitting …

Conservatives to women: Lean back  —  The conservative minds of the Heritage Foundation have found a way for Republicans to shrink the gender gap: They need to persuade more women to get their MRS degrees.  —  The advocacy group held a gathering of women of the right Monday afternoon to mark …