Charlie Hebdo attack: new hostage situation at Paris shop - live updates  — Second hostage situation as police evacuate area around Paris kosher shop  — Suspected Charlie Hebdo gunmen holed up in town north-east of capital  — Police linking killing of policewoman on Thursday to Charlie Hebdo attack

Obama Wants Free Community College.  Where's the Money?  —  White House offers plan to benefit 9 million students, but no roadmap to fund it.  —  President Obama wants to provide free tuition at community colleges, a plan that could benefit as many as 9 million students …

How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech  —  From ‘trigger warnings’ to wide support for hate-speech laws, it's time to recognize that freedom of expression has never been so threatened in the U.S.  —  Today we are all Charlie Hebdo.  But what about tomorrow?  And the day after that?

House to move on immigration next week  —  The House plans to vote next week on legislation that would defund President Obama's executive action on immigration.  —  Republicans also plan to include language rolling back a 2012 action Obama took that gave legal status to children brought to the United States as illegal immigrants.

Does Islam Mean Peace?  —  The NY Times boldly takes on the Big Question - is Islam inherently violent?  Their nuanced take will surprise no one, but it is interesting nonetheless.  And the recent speech by Egyptian President el-Sisi calling (yet again) for an Islamic reformation finally gets noticed by the Times:

U.S. Liberals at Record 24%, but Still Trail Conservatives  —  Story Highlights  —  PRINCETON, N.J. — Conservatives continued to outnumber moderates and liberals in the U.S. population in 2014, as they have since 2009.  However, their 14-percentage-point edge over liberals last year …

Nebraska court clears obstacle for Keystone pipeline  —  The Nebraska Supreme Court removed a major obstacle to the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline on Friday, making it more likely that President Barack Obama will have to render a verdict in the coming months on a controversy that has spanned his time in the White House.

Bush Team Sets Bold Fundraising Goal: $100 Million in Three Months  —  Jeb Bush's allies are setting a fundraising goal of $100 million in the first three months of this year—including a whopping $25 million haul in Florida—in an effort to winnow the potential Republican presidential primary field …

House votes down ObamaCare's 30-hour workweek, 252-172  —  The House on Thursday in a 252-172 vote approved legislation that would waive fees on businesses that do not offer health insurance to employees working fewer than 40 hours per week.  —  The legislation - which has been at the center …

Voodoo Time Machine  —  Many of us in the econ biz were wondering how the new leaders of Congress would respond to the sharp increase in American economic growth that, we now know, began last spring.  After years of insisting that President Obama is responsible for a weak economy …

Apology: Error should not have happened  —  No reasonable excuse exists for the horrible mistake that occurred Thursday in The News-Enterprise.  By now, many of you have heard about it.  —  The paper reported on the front page in a paraphrased statement: “Hardin County Sheriff John Ward …

The Left's Unpopular Populism  —  The debate between Democrats who want to play up populist themes (let's call them the Elizabeth Warren camp) and those who favor centrist ones (the Hillary Clinton crowd) ignores a major division among the various themes that carry the populist label.

Bangers v bullets  —  A gun is now more likely to kill you than a car is  —  ACCORDING to data gathered by the Centres for Disease Control (CDC), deaths caused by cars in America are in long-term decline.  Improved technology, tougher laws and less driving by young people have all led to safer streets and highways.