A Defiant Rancher Savors the Audience That Rallied to His Side  —  BUNKERVILLE, Nev. — Cliven Bundy stood by the Virgin River up the road from the armed checkpoint at the driveway of his ranch, signing autographs and posing for pictures.  For 55 minutes, Mr. Bundy held forth to a clutch …

Southern Whites' Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats  —  President Obama's landslide victory in 2008 was supposed to herald the beginning of a new Democratic era.  And yet, six years later, there is not even a clear Democratic majority in the country, let alone one poised for 30 years of dominance.

F.C.C., in a Shift, Backs Fast Lanes for Web Traffic  —  WASHINGTON — The principle that all Internet content should be treated equally as it flows through cables and pipes to consumers looks all but dead.  —  The Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday that it would propose …

Holder says Sotomayor's affirmative action dissent was ‘courageous’  —  Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday called Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent in the Supreme Court's latest affirmative action ruling “courageous.”  —  At an event on diversity within the Justice Department …

WATCH: Rand Paul Says Jimmy Carter Was Better on the Budget Than Ronald Reagan  —  The Kentucky senator has been hailing Reagan lately.  But a few years ago, Paul routinely knocked the Republican icon as a fiscal failure.  —  As Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) ponders a presidential bid …

F.D.A. Will Propose New Regulations for E-Cigarettes  —  WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration will propose sweeping new rules on Thursday that for the first time would extend its regulatory authority from cigarettes to electronic cigarettes, popular nicotine delivery devices …

Keystone XL's continued delay is absurd  —  IF FOOT-DRAGGING were a competitive sport, President Obama and his administration would be world champions for their performance in delaying the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.  —  Last Friday afternoon, the time when officials make announcements …

Barack Obama, the adolescent president  —  Recently, Barack Obama — a Demosthenes determined to elevate our politics from coarseness to elegance; a Pericles sent to ameliorate our rhetorical impoverishment — spoke at the University of Michigan.  He came to that very friendly venue …

She Can See This Disaster From Her House  —  If Republicans lose the Alaska Senate race, they'll have Sarah Palin to thank.  —  Begich spoke on Feb. 3, ostensibly on the subject of new business opportunities in technology.  As he was being introduced, his darting eyes and scratches …

Justices Rule Child Pornography Restitution Is Too High  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside a $3.4 million award to a victim of child pornography who had sought restitution from a man convicted of viewing images of her.  That figure was too much, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote …

Photo Of Obama In Conservative Attack Ad Is Photoshopped From Hospital Trip After Aurora Shooting  —  Conservative group Americans For Prosperity cut out the hospital and the governor of Colorado to show President Obama and Democratic Sen. Mark Udall looking sad together for a negative campaign ad.

The Other Stealthy ObamaCare Menace  —  The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation exists to impose price controls and limit payments to providers.  —  The Affordable Care Act's Independent Payment Advisory Board has been so heavily criticized for being an unaccountable body with the power …

Proposal to Limit Prosecutions Of Marijuana Cases in Brooklyn  —  The Brooklyn district attorney's office will stop prosecuting people arrested on charges of possessing small amounts of marijuana, according to a confidential policy proposal that the district attorney, Kenneth P. Thompson …

Energy Plant in Oregon Burning Aborted Babies From Canada to Generate Electricity  —  An energy plant in Oregon is reportedly burning aborted babies from Canada to generate electricity.  UPDATE: Local officials say they will stop the practice while they look into the situation.

Felix Salmon to Take On Web-Based Role at Fusion  —  Felix Salmon, a prominent writer on finance and other topics who announced this week that he was leaving Reuters, will join the cable network Fusion on Monday in a web-based role that runs across multiple media.

Lavrov: Kiev issued ‘criminal order’ allowing use of weapons against civilians  —  The coup-appointed Kiev government's order to use force against Ukrainian citizens is “criminal,” the Russian Foreign Minister told RT. He also denied claims that there is Russian military presence on Ukrainian territory.