Snowstorm Delays Border Bill, Other House Votes

The snowstorm hitting the East Coast is doing more than disrupting travel for millions of Americans - it's causing Washington politicians to miss votes. According to The Hill , the House pushed back legislation to Tuesday and Wednesday because some lawmakers were not able to travel back to Washington from their home states due to canceled flights.

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Romney makes Utah his sanctuary as he weighs 2016 run

After losing two straight presidential races, Mitt Romney packed up his home in Massachusetts and journeyed west to Utah, building a mansion here in the foothills of the Wasatch Range that has served as his sanctuary from defeat. Here in the Salt Lake Valley, first settled by his Mormon ancestors, residents look past Romney's electoral shortcomings and revere him as a savior for rescuing the 2002 Olympics.

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Obamaa s bid for fewest vetoes since Garfield is in jeopardy

Seemed for a time that President Obama was in line to make a little bit of history as the president who cast the fewest vetoes of any president, including one-termers, since James A. Garfield - who had no vetoes because he was shot by an assassin after four months in office in 1881. But that's because he didn't have a lot of opportunities to veto, which is almost certain to change with GOP in control of the Senate for the first time since Obama took office.

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Scott Walker Has Breakthrough Moment in Iowa. Now What?

Republican Scott Walker had a breakthrough moment at a forum for conservatives in Iowa. Now the Wisconsin governor has to find a way to break from the pack of politicians considering a U.S. presidential run in 2016.

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Marco Rubio: Governors Weak on Foreign Policy, Security Issues

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida challenged the notion that the 2016 Republican nominee should be a governor and not a Washington insider. He said that national security and foreign policy were too important to leave to someone who had little experience in the international arena, according to ABC News .

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Fidel Castro: 'I Don't Trust the US, Nor Have I Spoken with Them'

Fidel Castro does not "trust the US, nor have I spoken with them," the revolutionary icon, 88, said in a letter attributed to him and read out on state television Monday. "That does not represent -- far from it -- a rejection of peacefully settling conflicts," said the letter, a week after communist Cuba and the United States held landmark talks in Havana as they attempt to normalize ties.

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Jacob Sullum on How Congress Will Respond to D.C. Marijuana Legalization

Of the three jurisdictions where voters approved marijuana legalization in November, Washington, D.C., is the smallest but the most symbolically potent. The prospect of legal marijuana in the nation's capital dramatically signals the ongoing collapse of the 78-year-old ban on a much-maligned plant.

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Lunenburg atheist activist's book seeks to halt conservatives' 'attack on reason'

Earlier this month, author and secular activist David Niose took his place behind an improvised podium in a room of like-minded individuals in a church building to deliver a talk. Niose, 52, is a prominent atheist activist from Lunenburg.

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Obama defends Saudi relationship: 'Sometimes we have to balance'

President Barack Obama defended Tuesday the need to maintain a close alliance with Saudi Arabia, a strategic U.S. ally with a poor human rights record, shortly before leaving India for a short visit to the Gulf Kingdom. But even as the U.S. works closely with the Saudis on common strategic goals like counterterrorism, Obama said he and his administration continue to apply "steady, consistent pressure" on issues like human rights.

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More

State police are seeking authorization to use an aerial drone across Michigan to photograph vehicle crash scenes and give a bird's-eye view of other emergency situations. The Detroit News reports the agency hopes to get permission next month from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly a small, $158,000 remote-controlled helicopter that state police pilots have been training to use for more than a year.

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American Sniper misses its real target

Given the ferocious fights over politics and fidelity to history that have defined this Oscar season, perhaps it's no surprise that American Sniper star Bradley Cooper wants to avoid his portrayal of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle becoming a partisan football. "It's not a political movie at all, it's a movie about a man - a character study," he insisted in December.

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Lawmakers demand better adherence to Medicaid's eligibility and asset transfer rules

Two federal lawmakers are calling on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to crack down on states that don't enforce eligibility and asset-transfer regulations. "[Twenty two] states and the District of Columbia have yet to comply with federal law," notes a scathing joint letter from Rep. Fred Upton , chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Sen. Orrin G. Hatch , chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

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Dramatic plane landing caught on camera

A pilot en route to Hawaii crashed his single-engine plane into the Pacific Ocean and escaped safely thanks to the use of a full-plane parachute. US Coast Guard video captures the dramatic landing.

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What to expect from the new Saudi king

Saudi Arabia's new king has inherited the throne amid colossal challenges, say Saudi analysts. These include managing the country's relationship with the US, threats posed by the expanding Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant , a power vacuum in Yemen and the decline in oil prices and its impact on the Saudi population.

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OBAMAVILLES: More homeless camps are appearing beyond downtown...

OBAMAVILLES: More homeless camps are appearing beyond downtown L.A.'s skid row. They told me if I voted for Mitt Romney, oligarchs would grow fabulously wealthy even as poverty worsened. And they were right!

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Cruz-Rubio-Paul event previews GOP foreign policy debate

Three likely presidential candidates shared the stage Sunday night before a roomful of wealthy donors, engaging in a rapid-fire policy discussion that underscored sharp disagreement within the GOP over global affairs and national security. Republican Sens. Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul took part in a largely friendly, but occasionally fiery, panel at the Palm Springs event sponsored by mega GOP donors David and Charles Koch, better known as the Koch Brothers.

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Wikileaks staffers are SHOCKED that FBI read their Gmail

Wikileaks really needs your donation -- to purchase an email server. Three Wikileaks staffers, working for an organization hated by the US government, led by a man highly critical of both the US and Google, decided to use Google's Gmail -- because its so good.

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FAA Approves Bell 407 Tail Rotor Fan Shaft

The FAA has awarded Able Aerospace approval of a new tail rotor fan shaft replacement part for the Bell 407 aircraft. The new PMA is the industry's only OEM part alternative, meeting the highest industry safety standards a significant cost savings.

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Hillary Clinton Fundraiser Set for Next Week in DC

A "Ready for Hillary" fundraiser for former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled for next week in DC. The event is billed as a fundraiser featuring supporters who are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

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Spokesman: Secret Service recovers 'device' at White House

A spokesman for President Barack Obama said Monday that a "device" was found on the grounds of the White House while the president and first lady were in India but that it posed no threat. It was unclear if the president's daughters were at home at the time of the incident.

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Developing Possible drone discovered on White House grounds,...

Developing Possible drone discovered on White House grounds, officials say - An electronic device that could be a drone has been recovered on the White House grounds, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a briefing early Monday in New Delhi, India.

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Florida: 5 Things To Know For January 26

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is sending clear signs about an expected run for the presidency in 2016. The first-term Republican lawmaker was due at a California gathering organized by the conservative billionaire Koch brothers, who have a keen interest in the party's contenders.

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India's PM mocked for suit with name printed on it

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's daring fashion choices have won plaudits in the past, but his decision to wear a suit with his own name printed all over it sparked a barrage of mockery on social media. The rare sartorial misstep involved a pin-striped suit Mr Modi wore for his one-on-one meeting with visiting US President Barack Obama yesterday.

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Everything You Need to Know Now About Marriage Equality in Tennessee

There are two lawsuits in Tennessee: one in state court and the other in federal court. Of the two, the federal lawsuit is far more likely to bring marriage to the state, and possibly to the entire country.

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The Nationalsa Racing Presidents: What does it take to become one?

The weight of the presidency is about 50 pounds. That is, in any case, what each Racing President costume weighs.

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5 Things to Know in Florida for Jan. 26

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is sending clear signs about an expected run for the presidency in 2016. The first-term Republican lawmaker was due at a California gathering organized by the conservative billionaire Koch brothers, who have a keen interest in the party's contenders.

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Here's what's trending: 'Historic' storm; Jameis Winston accuser speaks; Christie in 2016

There's no need to ever feel left out again at the water cooler conversation. Here's a rundown of the stories currently trending in the world, the country and your backyard.

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George Will: Vermont's Sanders has mountains to climb

The young man who answered the phone in the Senate office of Vermont's Bernie Sanders told the caller, a would-be campaign contributor, that it is illegal for funds to be accepted on federal property. He advised the person to contact Sanders' political operation, which might become a presidential campaign.

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Week ahead: ObamaCare deadline nears

Federal health officials are gearing up for their final enrollment push ahead of the Feb. 15 deadline, roughly three weeks away. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell has been focused on raising the enrollment count to 9.1 million, the administration's goal for paid sign-ups in 2015.

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Obama 1st US leader to be chief guest at India's Republic Day festival

President Barack Obama's experience at India's Republic Day celebration may have felt a little like his two presidential inaugurations. He watched the two-hour parade of military hardware, marching bands and elaborately dressed camels from a rain-soaked, open-air reviewing stand.

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