David Carr, Media Equation Columnist for The Times, Is Dead at 58  —  David Carr, who wrote about media as it intersects with business, culture and government in his Media Equation column for The New York Times, died at the office on Thursday.  He was 58.  —  For the past 25 years, Mr. Carr wrote about media.

Ginsburg wasn't ‘100 percent sober’ during State of the Union  —  Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg admits to sharing some wine with her colleagues and not being “100 percent sober” for President Obama's State of the Union address in January.  —  During Obama's speech …

Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber's options fade as allies abandon him  —  In one of the most surreal days in Oregon political history, the state's top Democratic leaders called for Gov. John Kitzhaber to resign, and the governor vanished from public view.  —  With support of even allies evaporating …

GOP infighting grows over Homeland Security funding  —  GOP infighting between the House and Senate is growing as Republicans work to prevent a partial shutdown of the Homeland Security Department at the end of the month.  —  House conservatives on Thursday pointedly criticized Senate Republicans …

Biden: 2016 is battle for third Obama term  —  The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee should embrace the notion of a third term of the Obama presidency, Vice President Biden said Thursday, during a speech at Drake University in Iowa.  —  “I call it sticking with what works,” Biden declared.

Obama Secretly Partied With Bill Ayers Last Summer  —  On Aug. 30, 2014, MSNBC anchor Alex Wagner and former White House chef Sam Kass got married at a private wedding north of New York City.  It was widely reported at the time that President Obama, a longtime friend of the groom, attended the ceremony with his family.

The war on Jeb Bush  —  His fast start has reordered the Republican 2016 race, and put a bull's-eye on his back.  —  The war on Jeb Bush is on.  —  Rand Paul is attacking him as a hypocrite on marijuana who's indistinguishable from Hillary Clinton.  Ted Cruz is questioning whether Bush's stands …

Rush Limbaugh: Scott Walker should announce he quit college to avoid rape accusations  —  DON'T MISS STORIES.  FOLLOW RAW STORY!  —  Rush Limbaugh suggested that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announce that he quit college to avoid being accused of rape.  —  The likely 2016 Republican …

Military approves hormone therapy for Chelsea Manning  —  WASHINGTON — Chelsea Manning, the convicted national-security secrets leaker, has been approved for hormone therapy for transition to a woman at the Army's Fort Leavenworth prison, according to a memo obtained Thursday by USA TODAY.

On his final day in the White House, President Obama's counselor explains how the administration is proving environmental goals are achievable.  —  Fifty years ago this week, Lyndon Johnson, in pushing America to clean up its air and water, made a prescient prediction: “This generation …

David Cassidy files for bankruptcy protection  —  ‘The Partridge Family’ star filed for protection in Florida on Wednesday, saying he made the filing ‘to reorganize my life’ and ‘restructure my finances.’  —  David Cassidy has fallen on hard times: “The Partridge Family” star has filed for bankruptcy protection.

League Of The South Celebrates Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln  —  As we reported earlier today, Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has close personal and financial ties with Michael Peroutka, the neo-Confederate activist and theocrat who has helped develop the view …

What Did Obama Really Say About the Crusades?  —  Crusades art, “Saladin and Guy” by Said Tahsine (1904-1985 Syria) ( Wikimedia )  —  Last week President Obama spoke about faith, doubt, violence, and extremism, and was roundly criticized by many conservatives for what they saw as the “anti-Christian” tone of his remarks.

FBI director acknowledges ‘hard truths’ about racial bias in policing  —  In an unusually frank, personal speech, FBI Director James B. Comey on Thursday acknowledged “hard truths” about racial bias in policing, saying there's a desperate need for law enforcement to understand …

Transgender former Navy SEAL plans to challenge second-ranking House Democrat in Maryland congressional primary and snipes that ‘religion ... is going to destroy the earth’  — Steny Hoyer, the House Whip, will face a primary challenge from Kristin Beck, born Christopher Beck

Ashton B. Carter Is Confirmed as Defense Chief, Replacing Chuck Hagel  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday confirmed Ashton B. Carter to be the next defense secretary, installing a new Pentagon chief as the United States increases military action against the Islamic State.

Islamic State fighters seize western Iraqi town: officials  —  (Reuters) - Islamic State insurgents took control on Thursday of most of the western Iraqi town of al-Baghdadi, threatening an air base where U.S. Marines are training Iraqi troops, officials said.

Which image of Obama mugging for BuzzFeed's cameras diminishes the presidency the most, ranked  —  The #Millennial-friendly website BuzzFeed has taken over for Zach Galifianakis as the White House's preferred video venue for encouraging young people to sign up for health insurance.

The Destroyer Goeth  —  I met Walter Cronkite once.  He was a jerk.  —  The occasion was the 100th anniversary of my college newspaper, the Daily Texan, where Cronkite had worked as a young man before dropping out of the University of Texas.  It was 1999, and the possibility of …

U.S. Orders Alabama to License Gay Unions  —  MOBILE, Ala. — A federal judge here ruled on Thursday that the local probate judge cannot refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, potentially adding some clarity to a judicial quarrel that has roiled Alabama for most of a week.