Rolling Stone whiffs in reporting on alleged rape  —  For the sake of Rolling Stone's reputation, Sabrina Rubin Erdely had better be the country's greatest judge of character.  On Nov. 19, the magazine published Erdely's story about a ghastly alleged gang rape at the stately Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at the University of Virginia.

A Pelosi bailout?  —  House GOP's deal to keep government open may fall apart without Democratic votes.  —  The government will shut down in just eight days unless Congress acts, and Republican lawmakers and aides in and around leadership fear their two-step government-funding plan cannot pass without help — from Nancy Pelosi.

McConnell ‘Perplexed’ by Obama's Reaction to Midterm ‘Butt Kicking’  —  Video: McConnell on His Relationship With Obama  —  Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) on Tuesday said President Barack Obama has lurched to the left since suffering a “butt-kicking” during November's midterm elections …

Truth trumps hype in Ferguson  —  There are times when symbolic gestures pack a powerful punch.  Fifty-nine years ago yesterday, Rosa Parks refused to give her bus seat to a white passenger.  Parks' action became an important symbol for the Civil Rights movement and an inspiration to those fighting to end segregation in America.

Meet the likely next Defense Secretary  —  Washington (CNN) — Ashton Carter, the former second-in-command at the Pentagon appears to be the top choice to replace outgoing Secretary Chuck Hagel.  —  Barring any last minute complications, Ash Carter will be President Barack Obama's choice …

U.S. Partisanship Shifts to GOP After Midterms  —  Story Highlights  —  PRINCETON, N.J. — Since the Republican Party's strong showing on Election Day last month, Americans' political allegiances have shifted toward the GOP.  Prior to the elections, 43% of Americans identified as Democrats …

A long list of sex acts just got banned in UK porn  —  Pornography produced in the UK was quietly censored today through an amendment to the 2003 Communications Act, and the measures appear to take aim at female pleasure.  —  The Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2014 requires that video-on-demand …

Sheriff Defends Stopping Black Man For Walking With Hands In His Pockets  —  A black Michigan man who was stopped by a sheriff's deputy after walking with his hands in his pockets said he believes he was the victim of racial discrimination.  —  The local sheriff says the deputy acted appropriately …

Inhofe's Grand Climate Conspiracy Theory: It's All About Barbra Streisand  —  That's what the GOP senator who'll be taking control of the environment committee told me several years ago.  —  The recent news on the front page of the New York Times was stark.

Stephen Hawking warns artificial intelligence could end mankind  —  Prof Stephen Hawking, one of Britain's pre-eminent scientists, has said that efforts to create thinking machines pose a threat to our very existence.  —  He told the BBC:"The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race."

N.Y. Post corrects Obama-Chuck Todd item  —  The New York Post has corrected a report that wrongly quoted President Barack Obama badmouthing NBC's Chuck Todd.  —  The Post's initial report, published Saturday, quoted Obama as calling the “Meet the Press” moderator “sad” while on a visit to a Washington, D.C., bookstore.

Republicans Back to Raising Taxes on the Poor  —  Because of immigration.  It all makes sense, kind of.  —  Shares … Conservative anger at President Obama's immigration-relief plan was bound to burble up in the form of some kind of demand for revenge.

How to Score in Congress  —  The GOP needs reformers to run CBO and the Joint Tax Committee.  —  Republicans have twice captured new majorities in the House and Senate since 1994, only to achieve less than they hoped.  If they want to do better the third time as they take charge next year …

The Cycle of Republican Radicalization  —  Yesterday, the Washington Post reported on a Quinnipiac poll from a week ago showing a striking change in public opinion on immigration.  The question was whether undocumented immigrants should be deported or should be able to get on a path to citizenship.

Kathleen Sebelius: Jonathan Gruber?  Who?  —  WASHINGTON — Former Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius, disputing the description of MIT professor Jonathan Gruber as an architect of the Affordable Care Act, says she had never met with him and minimized the significance …

Former Democratic congressional aide pleads guilty to sexual assault  —  A former Democratic congressional aide pleaded guilty Tuesday to sexually assaulting two women in 2010.  —  Donny Ray Williams Jr., 37, who served as a staff director for the Senate Homeland Security …

Soap Opera Producer Is Now an Ambassador and John McCain Isn't Happy … The Senate confirmed a producer of the soap opera “The Bold and The Beautiful” today to serve as ambassador to Hungary, and Sen. John McCain is not happy about it.  —  Prior to the vote, McCain, R-Ariz. …