Exclusive — David Brat: Next House Speaker Must Tackle Trillion-Dollar Problems  —  Whoever runs for the Republican leadership of the U.S. House on Tuesday must communicate on paper how Congress is going to lead on the big issues.  The American people elected us to solve trillion-dollar problems …

The Democrats' donkey in the room  —  Their biggest headache in 2015?  How to talk about Obama.  —  Democrats are beginning 2015 in an uneasy state, but it's not as bad as it could be.  Rather than the bloody circular firing squad that the party resembles all too often …

Huck Gets Serious  —  It came as something of a surprise move to people who didn't think Mike Huckabee was really going to run for president in 2016, and the larger group who figured he would not give up his wealth-creating, base-appealing gig at Fox News until such time as a proto-campaign …

Privilege of ‘Arrest Without Incident’  —  The day after Christmas, a shooter terrorized the streets of a Chattanooga, Tenn., neighborhood.  According to the local newspaper, the shooter was “wearing body armor” and “firing multiple shots out her window at people and cars.”

Grand Juror Sues McCulloch, Says He Mischaracterized The Wilson Case  —  A grand juror is suing St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch in an effort to speak out on what happened in the Darren Wilson case.  Under typical circumstances, grand jurors are prohibited by law from discussing cases they were involved in.

The Bill  —  Steven Brill on how health-care reform went wrong.

2014 Was Hottest Year On Record Globally By Far, Reports Japan Meteorological Agency  —  The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has announced that 2014 was the hottest year in more than 120 years of record-keeping — by far.  NOAA is expected to make a similar call in a couple of weeks and so is NASA.

Jeb Bush on court-ordered gay marriages in Florida: “It ought to be a local decision”  —  As he considers a presidential run, Jeb Bush is not offering encouraging words about same-sex marriages coming to his home state.  —  “It ought be a local decision.  I mean, a state decision,” …

Owner of St. Louis Rams plans to build NFL stadium in Inglewood  —  The owner of the St. Louis Rams plans to build an NFL stadium in Inglewood, which could pave the way for the league's return to Los Angeles.  —  Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who bought 60 acres adjacent to the Forum a year ago …

Hedge fund founder, 70, shot dead by son, 30, in East Side apartment: cops  —  Thomas Gilbert Sr., founder of Wainscott Capital Partners, was found fatally wounded after an argument with his son, police said.  The son fled the scene, according to police.  —  A Wall St. whiz who headed …

Doe attacks man after being shot with arrow  —  It's not often a deer get its revenge.  —  A man was injured Friday evening, Jan. 2, in Fond du Lac County when he was attacked by the deer that he had wounded with an arrow.  —  The 72-year-old man was transported by ambulance to St. Agnes Hospital …

The British People Must Now Take Control of the Establishment Paedophile Scandal  —  As Prince Andrew becomes the latest figure to be named in an establishment paedophile scandal, the British nation has woken up today to face, yet again, the uncomfortable possibility that they are governed …

Is Life Better in America's Red States?  —  THE new Congress that starts work this week is the latest reminder of America's stark political divisions: The parties in Washington are more polarized than they have been in decades, the partisanship gap between rural Republicans and urban Democrats has grown …

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson says he didn't trust the Ohio Attorney General's Office to handle Tamir Rice investigation  —  Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson answers a question during an “open discussion” with media about the DOJ findings on police use of force, on Thursday, December 11, 2014.

‘Black brunch’ protesters interrupt diners in NYC, Oakland  —  Yahoo News 17 hrs ago  —  3rd stop.  No business as usual.  #BlackBrunch #Oakland2NYC #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/pMI7VlVXPg  —  Celebrity News Headlines  —  TechTarget.com  —  In a twist on sit-in-style protests …

The End of One Big Inflation and the Beginning of One Big Myth  —  I recently had a short back-and-forth with Noah Smith on the subject of Tom Sargent's article “The Ends of Four Big Inflations,” in which I called it “terrible history and questionable economics.”