GOP scrambles for response to Obama's gun control actions  —  Congressional Republicans are scrambling for a way to halt President Obama's new unilateral actions on gun control.  —  One powerful appropriator, Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), has threatened to block federal funding for the Department …

North Korea says it successfully conducts hydrogen bomb test  —  Hong Kong (CNN)North Korea says it has successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test in a region of the country where it conducted three previous nuclear tests.  —  If the claim is verified, a hydrogen bomb test …

Trump says Cruz's Canadian birth could be ‘very precarious’ for GOP  —  LOWELL, Mass. — Donald Trump said in an interview that rival Ted Cruz's Canadian birthplace was a “very precarious” issue that could make the Texas senator vulnerable if he became the Republican presidential nominee.

Harney County Sheriff: Armed Occupiers Will Face Charges  —  In a wide ranging interview Tuesday, Harney County Sheriff David Ward urged members of the community to distance themselves from the armed men occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.  —  “I think if one person gives …

The Clintons are in denial about Bill's sex scandals  —  Even though Donald Trump had already warned that Bill Clinton's past indiscretions would be “fair game” in the presidential race, the ex-president seemed surprised to face the issue as he began to take a prominent role in his wife's campaign.

Meet the chef who decides what Tom Brady eats—and what he definitely doesn't  —  Allen Campbell talks about why our quarterback rarely eats tomatoes, where he shops for groceries, and why he doesn't serve mushrooms.  Ever.  —  Allen Campbell has never been anything but a chef.

Trump quietly builds a data juggernaut  —  Donald Trump's rivals cling to the hope that the surprise GOP presidential front-runner lacks the know-how to lure supporters to the polls, but POLITICO has learned that his campaign several months ago assembled an experienced data team …

Trump Organization says proposed UK ban over Muslim remarks ‘a dangerous precedent’  —  Donald Trump's business conglomerate fired back Tuesday against a scheduled debate in British Parliament to discuss whether the Republican contender should be banned from entering the United Kingdom.

Facebook's Secret Chat SDK Lets Developers Build Messenger Bots  —  M won't be the only artificial intelligence on Facebook Messenger.  Facebook has given some developers access to an unannounced Chat SDK that allows them to build interactive experiences and “bots” in Messenger for shopping …

The Certainty of More Shootings  —  Below are Atlantic notes, from James Fallows and others, on the inevitability (or otherwise) of mass shootings in the United States.  Email hello@theatlantic.com to join the discussion.  —  Below you see the YouTube version of the official White House feed from earlier today.

Lots of Rich People Seem to Be in Tough Financial Straits  —  Here's a fairly remarkable poll from Gallup about financial well-being.  The direction of the answers is unsurprising: if you earn more, you're more likely to have enough money to buy the things you need, and less likely to be cutting back on spending.

Blizzard Buried Some Dairy Cows in the Snow; 35,000 Die  —  LUBBOCK, Tex. — After a mild and dry Christmas Day, a fierce blizzard whipped across the rolling plains of West Texas and eastern New Mexico.  The wind blew mercilessly for 48 hours, leaving snow drifts as high as 14 feet.

Rams' relocation application says it's best for long-term success in L.A.  —  The Rams' proposed stadium in Inglewood is lit up at sunset in this artist rendering.  —  The Inglewood stadium proposal backed by the St. Louis Rams is vastly superior to the rival plan in Carson …

Apple Scales Back Orders for Its iPhones  —  Component suppliers that rode the iPhone's boom are now bracing for lower sales  —  BEIJING— Apple Inc. is scaling back orders for its iPhones, sending ripples throughout the multibillion-dollar industry that supplies and builds the company's phones.

President Obama And The Rhetoric Of Rights  —  Today the President of the United States gave a speech about gun control measures.  I don't intend to critique those measures.  Nor do I mean to critique his rhetoric about gun violence.  I do intend to critique his language about rights …

Man faces charges after climbing I-65 sign, causing 2-hour closure  —  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) - A man persuaded to climb down from a sign above Interstate 65 early Tuesday evening after causing a 2-hour shut down will be facing charges.  —  Metro police told News 2 the man …