Obama Relents on Proposal to End ‘529’ College Savings Plans  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama, facing angry reprisals from parents and from lawmakers of both parties, will drop his proposal to effectively end the popular college savings accounts known as 529s, but will keep an expanded tuition tax credit …

Clinton willing to testify before Benghazi panel, Democrat says  —  Hillary Clinton is willing to testify before the House Select Committee that is investigating the 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, according to the panel's top Democrat.  —  Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) …

Huckabee Couldn't Deal With Women At Fox News Who Swore In The Office  —  Mike Huckabee channeled his internal Ned Flanders last week, lamenting the fact that he doesn't just hear cuss words in the office these days, but he even hears them coming from women.

Republican leaders look for escape plan on immigration  —  Republican leaders in the House and Senate are boxed in on immigration and searching for a way out.  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) are struggling to find a way to fund the Department …

Punch-Drunk Jonathan Chait Takes On the Entire Internet  —  So, here is sad white man Jonathan Chait's essay about the difficulty of being a white man in the second age of “political correctness.”  In a neat bit of editorial trolling, New York teased the column with following question …

Sheldon Silver Built Power by Speaking Softly While Punishing Foes  —  The state assembly speaker practiced politics the old-fashioned way.  —  t hgoldman77  —  (Bloomberg) — New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver became the state's most powerful lawmaker by practicing politics the old-fashioned way …

Indiana Governor to Expand Medicaid Coverage  —  Move Comes After Securing a Key Concession From Obama Administration  —  Indiana on Tuesday announced plans to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act after securing concessions from the Obama administration that could pave …

Koch donors give Marco Rubio early nod  —  Straw poll at donor summit rates 5 GOP hopefuls.  —  Getty  —  The Koch brothers' conservative network is still debating whether it will spend any of its massive $889-million budget in the Republican presidential primaries, but the prospect …

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore says he will continue to recognize ban on same-sex marriage  —  Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has released a letter to Gov. Robert Bentley saying that he intends to continue to recognize the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and urging the governor to do so.

The Netanyahu Disaster  —  Benjamin Netanyahu, making friends and influencing people (Reuters/The Atlantic)  —  Benjamin Netanyahu believes he has just one job, and that is to stop Iran from getting hold of nuclear weapons.  He might argue that this description of his mission …

Michelle Obama's uncovered head draws Saudi Twitter critique  —  First lady Michelle Obama faced backlash from Twitter users in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for not wearing a head covering during her brief visit there with the president.  —  Obama wore loose-fitting clothes including a long blue jacket …

The importance of being Ernst  —  The just-elected Iowa senator aims to be a player in 2016.  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — Sen. Joni Ernst hasn't been in office a month, but she's already delivered the GOP response to the State of the Union.  And now the Iowa Republican is looking to parlay …

Rick Perry loses second request to dismiss case against him  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  Perry has long insisted he was exercising his line item veto authority.  —  Rick Perry was indicted for abusing his powers in the veto threat of the Public Integrity Unit.

Apple's Earnings: The Staggering Numbers - The Numbers  —  Profit  —  Apple posted net of $18.0 billion for its fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 27, up 38% from $13.1 billion in the same period a year earlier.  —  Earnings Per Share  —  48%  —  Earnings per share rose more sharply …

NYC Mayor: ‘Reconcile Yourselves With Your God, For All Will Perish In The Tempest’  —  NEW YORK—As a major winter storm continued its advance toward New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio advised residents Monday to make peace with whatever higher power they call God, for all shall meet their death in the coming tempest.

New All-Female ‘Ghostbusters’ Cast Chosen  —  The Paul Feig-directed reboot is eyeing a summer shoot in New York.  —  Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy  —  The all-new, all-female Ghostsbusters are here.  —  Melissa McCarthy, who was already in talks for one of the leads …