White House: Boehner invite to Netanyahu breach of protocol  —  ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — The White House says House Speaker John Boehner's invitation for Israel's prime minister to come to Washington is a breach of normal diplomatic protocol.  —  President Barack Obama's press secretary …

Abortion bill dropped amid concerns of female GOP lawmakers  —  This item has been updated.  —  House Republican leaders abruptly dropped plans late Wednesday to vote on an anti-abortion bill amid a revolt by female GOP lawmakers concerned that the legislation's restrictive language …

U.S. Not Expected to Fault Officer in Ferguson Case  —  WASHINGTON — Justice Department lawyers will recommend that no civil rights charges be brought against the police officer who fatally shot an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Mo., after an F.B.I. investigation found no evidence to support charges …

Sheldon Silver, New York Assembly Speaker, Faces Arrest on Corruption Charges  —  Federal authorities are expected to arrest Sheldon Silver, the powerful speaker of the New York State Assembly, on corruption charges on Thursday, people with knowledge of the matter said, in a case that is likely to throw Albany into disarray.

Romney and Jeb Bush to Meet in Utah  —  WASHINGTON — Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney are scheduled to meet privately this week in Utah, raising the possibility that the two former governors will find a way to avoid competing presidential campaigns that would split the Republican establishment next year …

White ‘vigilante’ puts 62-year-old black man in chokehold for legally carrying gun in Florida Walmart  —  DON'T MISS STORIES.  FOLLOW RAW STORY!  —  The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has asked vigilantes to please be careful about which gun owners they choose to attack …

Republicans outfox Democrats on climate votes  —  The GOP accepts the notion of climate change - but not the way Democrats wanted them to.  —  Senate Republicans head-faked Democrats on climate change Wednesday, agreeing in a floor vote that the planet's climate was changing …

‘American Sniper’ Is Almost Too Dumb to Criticize  —  I saw American Sniper last night, and hated it slightly less than I expected to.  Like most Clint Eastwood movies - and I like Clint Eastwood movies for the most part - it's a simple, well-lit little fairy tale with the nutritional value …

A Debt-Free State of the Union  —  Want to understand why President Obama sounded so exuberant last night and the Republicans who responded to him sounded so cautious?  The answer lies in the sudden disappearance of two all-important words from America's political lexicon: deficit and debt.

Forget What He Said, Joe Biden Is Not Running for President  —  He's doing none of the things a 2016 run requires, but he's still trying to keep the dream alive.  —  You can't help but feel for Vice President Joe Biden.  After a State of the Union where he dutifully played the Ed McMahon sidekick role …

Joni Ernst's Family Got Hundreds Of Thousands In Farm Subsidies  —  I put Joni's SOTU response up there so you can listen to her little anecdote at the beginning again, but this time with a little more transparency and truth around her “bread bag” story.  —  Please be still, my beating heart …

Racist cartoon leads SD cop to sue city  —  A sergeant alleges discrimination after complaining about offensive caricature  —  SAN DIEGO — A San Diego police sergeant has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the city, claiming his supervisors punished him for complaining about the use …

NY Sheriff to Constituents: Keep Your Handguns and Toss the Permit Applications  —  A New York lawman is winning plaudits from gun owners over his stance on firearm regulation—he wants less of it.  Fulton County Sheriff Thomas J. Lorey is already known as a supporter of the Second Amendment …

Democrats Always Talk About Latino Voters, So Why Are They Snubbing Their Most Prominent Latino Leader?  —  Antonio Villaraigosa has the resume and name recognition for a strong California Senate run, but national party leaders are looking right past him.  —  In Texas, no matter the year …

‘Charlie Hebdo’ crosses the line  —  With latest depiction of Mohammed, news weekly's actions turn toxic.  —  Charlie Hebdo has gone too far.  —  In its first publication following the Jan. 7 attack on its Paris office, in which two Muslim gunmen massacred 12 people …

How struggling Americans reacted to Obama's speech — in real time  —  The policies the President laid out in his State of the Union speech may be going nowhere on Capitol Hill.  But they amount to a kind of template for the broader economic agenda and governing philosophy that will define …

The Problem With Obama's Bold SOTU  —  He let the Republicans off the hook.  —  Barack Obama is very good at getting elected president (two for two!) and pretty darn good at policy (Obamacare; the stimulus; the auto industry rescue; Wall Street reform; ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell; Cuba …

Obama's Bad Economic Ideas  —  PRESIDENT OBAMA'S economic proposals in Tuesday's State of the Union address were a disappointment.  His ideas — free community college, an enhanced tax credit for child care and higher taxes on high-income earners and large financial institutions — failed to go beyond mere talking points.