The Obamas: How We Deal with Our Own Racist Experiences  —  The Obamas open up about raising their daughters, the impact of stereotypes, and what's on the POTUS dance party playlist.  Subscribe now for instant access to the exclusive PEOPLE interview!  —  The protective bubble that comes …

Cuba releases American Alan Gross; Obama to overhaul relations  —  Washington (CNN) — U.S. contractor Alan Gross, held by the Cuban government since 2009, was freed Wednesday as part of a landmark deal with Cuba that paves the way for a major overhaul in U.S. policy toward the island, senior administration officials tell CNN.

No author, no law  —  Something very odd has occurred in connection with the atrociously named “cromnibus” bill passed by Congress this weekend — a bill that the president, if only he might repent of the position he has taken to now, still both can and ought to veto.

Is Jeb Bush Too Liberal To Win The Republican Nomination In 2016?  —  On Tuesday, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush announced that he will “actively explore” a bid for the White House.  While Bush has not yet formed a presidential exploratory committee, he's “running” for president by any practical definition of the term.

Exclusive: Sony Emails Say State Department Blessed Kim Jong-Un Assassination in ‘The Interview’  —  CEO Michael Lynton showed a rough cut of the movie to U.S. officials before moving ahead.  Now hackers are threatening to bomb any theater that shows it.  —  The Daily Beast has unearthed …

Why do people vote against their interests?  —  During my time as a political strategist, one of the most vexing problems was figuring out why so many people vote against their perceived interests.  Commentators like myself have spent countless hours speculating on why so many people vote …

Ecuador Family Wins Favors After Donations to Democrats  —  MIAMI — The Obama administration overturned a ban preventing a wealthy, politically connected Ecuadorean woman from entering the United States after her family gave tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic campaigns, according to finance records and government officials.

Obama issues ‘executive orders by another name’  —  By issuing his directives as “memoranda” rather than executive orders, Obama has downplayed the extent of his executive actions.  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama has issued a form of executive action known as the presidential memorandum …

Blacks falling behind under ObamaCare  —  African-Americans are less likely to see benefits under ObamaCare compared to other racial groups, according to research released Tuesday.  —  While Hispanics, American Indians and Alaska natives have seen “dramatic” increases in healthcare coverage …

District court declares Obama immigration action unconstitutional (Updated)  —  Earlier Tuesday, a federal court in Pennsylvania declared aspects of President Obama's executive actions on immigration policy unconstitutional.  —  According to the opinion by Judge Arthur Schwab …

Stephen Colbert Prepares Final ‘Colbert Report’  —  For nine years, Stephen Colbert has relentlessly maintained his pompous, deeply ridiculous but consistently appealing conservative blowhard character on his late-night show, “The Colbert Report” — so much so that when he puts the character …

Ted Cruz apologizes to colleagues over antics  —  Ted Cruz privately apologized to GOP senators Tuesday for interrupting their holiday schedules by his surprise tactics that effectively brought the Senate into session over the weekend.  —  According to five senators who attended Tuesday's caucus lunch …

Democratic Allegiance Hits a Low; Can the GOP Seize the Opportunity?  —  The number of Americans identifying themselves as Democrats has dropped to a record low in nearly 34 years of ABC News/Washington Post polls, marking the party's challenges after its poor showing in the 2014 midterm elections.