A Note To My Readers  —  One of the things I've always tried to do at the Dish is to be up-front with readers.  This sometimes means grotesque over-sharing; sometimes it means I write imprudent arguments I have to withdraw; sometimes it just means a monthly update on our revenues and subscriptions …

Romney began building expensive homes after 2012 loss  —  LA JOLLA, Calif. - On a recent weekday, a half dozen construction workers were crammed onto a small plot of land in this pricey community, banging away on an 11,000-square-foot house with expansive oceanfront views that will soon replace an old one a fraction of the size.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: January 2015  —  Bianca DiJulio, Jamie Firth, and Mollyann Brodie … The Public's Views Of King V. Burwell And Exchanges  —  The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case, King v. Burwell, in March about whether the health care law says people in all states …

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 …

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 …

Mike Huckabee complains of ‘trashy’ women at Fox News  —  Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said in a recent radio appearance that while in New York for his Fox News show, he experienced significant culture shock from all the “trashy” women swearing in a professional setting.

Scalise to meet with black leader who questioned his leadership  —  House Majority Whip Steve Scalise will meet with the head of the National Urban League in the wake of a revelation that the Louisiana Republican spoke to a white supremacist group in 2002.  —  Marc Morial, a former Democratic …

You Betcha I Was Wrong About Sarah Palin  —  It's time to admit that, whatever their motivation was at the time, the Alaska governor's critics always had a point.  —  Has conservative genuflection at the altar of Sarah Palin finally come to a halt?  —  In case you missed it …

Michelle Obama forgoes a headscarf and sparks a backlash in Saudi Arabia  —  Barack Obama was in Riyadh on Tuesday to pay his respects to the late Saudi King Abdullah.  His visit, for which he cut short a much-hyped trip to India, underscores how important the U.S.-Saudi relationship remains to the American leadership.

U-Va. sorority sisters ordered to stay home Saturday night for their own safety - while fraternity brothers party  —  Sorority sisters at the University of Virginia were ordered by their national chapters to avoid fraternity events this weekend — a mandate that many of the women said was irrational …

What to call a president's husband?  Bill Clinton has ideas  —  Bill Clinton has an interesting suggestion for what to call him if his wife becomes president: “Adam.”  —  In an interview with Rachael Ray airing Thursday, the cook-turned-talk show host asked the former president …

This is how a police state protects “secrets”: Jeffrey Sterling, the CIA and up to 80 years on circumstantial evidence  —  Sterling's conviction should chill anyone who believes in investigative reporting in a free society  —  The participants in the economy of shared tips and intelligence …

Anti-tank missile fired at Israeli military vehicle on Lebanon frontier: army  —  (Reuters) - An anti-tank missile was fired at an Israeli military vehicle near the Lebanon border on Wednesday, wounding four soldiers, a military source said.  —  The incident came several hours after Israel launched …

Exclusive: Spending- why ‘red’ states shoulder the deepest cuts under Obama  —  As Washington has tightened its belt in recent years, the budget cuts have sliced most deeply in states where President Obama is unpopular, according to an analysis of federal spending by Reuters.

Young Utah Family Poisoned Themselves; Feared ‘Pending Apocalypse’: Police … The mysterious deaths of five Utah family members in their Springville home baffled authorities at first.  —  Benjamin and Kristi Strack were found dead on their bed on September 27.

Testimony: ‘Ramifications upon my church,’ questions on bathroom use, ‘parading their genitalia’  —  The first four people to testify this morning at the HB 2 hearing all spoke against the bill, including Pastor Jeff Estes of Fellowship Baptist Church in Meridian, who said …

Judge: Marissa Alexander released to house arrest  —  Marissa Alexander must wear GPS ankle monitor for next 2 years  —  Author: Vic Micolucci, General assignment reporter, vic@wjxt.com … Marissa Alexander, a woman whose case helped bring national attention to Florida's stand your ground …

Students forced to expose underwear for inspection  —  elementary students in Gustine Texas were forced to lower their pants for inspection after feces were found on the school gym floor  —  GUSTINE, Texas — Here in Gustine, population 457, what happens at the schoolhouse affects nearly everyone.

Congressman Says Radio Host Should Have Personally Arrested Michelle Obama's Guest To The SOTU  —  This July 28, 2011 file photo shows Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., left, on Capitol Hill in Washington.  —  CREDIT: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite  —  Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) had a lighthearted moment during …

A Chance to Salvage a Master's Creation  —  Unless county legislators act quickly, a paragon of midcentury American idealism will be lost.  —  Paul Rudolph's Orange County Government Center, in Goshen, N.Y., announces itself as a civic hub.  It's made of corrugated concrete and glass …