The Kochs eclipse the RNC  —  Meet the guys behind the right's best data shop.  —  The Koch brothers and their allies are pumping tens of millions of dollars into a data company that's developing detailed, state-of-the-art profiles of 250 million Americans, giving the brothers' political operation all the earmarks of a national party.

By the Numbers: Half of the Senators Who Voted for Obamacare Will be Gone in 2015  —  Louisiana Republican Bill Cassidy's double-digit ousting of Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu on Saturday was, in the words of the senator-elect, an “exclamation mark” on a 2014 election that saw the Republicans win control of the Senate.

Racial politics in plain sight  —  America's racial tensions, hot after the painful non-indictments in Ferguson and New York, bubbled up on Capitol Hill last week.  The occasion was a House Judiciary hearing on President Obama's executive authority to limit deportations of illegal immigrants.

Massive downtown L.A. fire burns 3 towers; freeways begin to reopen  —  A massive fire in downtown Los Angeles early Monday engulfed an apartment tower under construction, damaged two other buildings and left freeways and roads closed.  —  The northbound 110 Freeway remained closed as of 5 a.m. …

Will Jonathan Gruber Topple Obamacare?  —  The health economist's controversial remarks could undo him and the law he worked so hard to create.  —  Why the hell did Jonathan Gruber say that?  And that?  And that?  And (sigh) the other thing?  Those are the questions on the minds …

Crafting a sustainable New Republic  —  The writer is owner and publisher of the New Republic.  —  Last week, about a dozen members of the editorial staff of the New Republic walked out in protest over new leadership.  By their account, this was a clash of cultures : Silicon Valley versus tradition, and everyone must choose a side.

Recovery at Last?  —  Last week we got an actually good employment report — arguably the first truly good report in a long time.  The U.S. economy added well over 300,000 jobs; wages, which have been stagnant for far too long, picked up a bit.  Other indicators, like the rate at which workers are quitting …

Killer 'shot his newly-married stepdaughter so he could video himself having sex with her dead body - then buried her behind his shed'  — Gregory Graf recorded himself sexually abusing the body of Jessica Padgett, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said on Friday

Reporting on Rape  —  Last month, Rolling Stone ran an article about an alleged gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity house, based on interviews with a student identified only as “Jackie.”  It now appears that key details of the story, reported by Sabrina Rubin Erdely, may not be true.

Sarah Palin to return to Iowa for summit  —  Former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will take part in the Iowa Freedom Summit in Des Moines on Jan. 24.  —  The inaugural event is being held by Citizens United and Congressman Steve King.  The summit will serve as a place …

AMERICA'S MILITARY: A force adrift  —  HOW THE NATION IS FAILING TODAY'S TROOPS AND VETERANS  —  A worsening morale crisis  —  AFTER 13 YEARS OF WAR, TROOPS FEEL BURNED OUT AND WITHOUT A SENSE OF MISSION.  MORE DOUBT THEIR LEADERS AND THEIR JOB SECURITY.

Clinton Trumps Republican Rivals on Leadership, Vision for 2016  —  Former first lady, senator, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would enter the presidential race with positive views of her past experience and personal traits, making her a formidable contender against lesser-known Republican rivals.

Bush and C.I.A. Ex-Officials Rebut Torture Report  —  WASHINGTON — A long-awaited Senate report condemning torture by the Central Intelligence Agency has not even been made public yet, but former President George W. Bush's team has decided to link arms with former intelligence officials and challenge its conclusions.

Chlorine gas sickens 19 at furries convention  —  5 photos  —  ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Chlorine gas sickened several people and forced the evacuation of thousands of guests from a suburban Chicago hotel early Sunday, including many dressed in cartoonish animal costumes for an annual furries convention …

Not a parody  —  Columbia Law School is permitting students claiming to be impaired due to the emotional impact of recent non-indictments in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner matters to postpone taking their final exams.  Here is the text of a message from interim dean Robert Scott to the law school community: