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• $1.1 Billion in Thanks From Bloomberg to University

  

  On Sunday, Michael Bloomberg makes a $350 million gift to his alma mater — by far the largest in its history — the New York City mayor, along with the president of the university, will disclose the staggering sum of his donations to Johns Hopkins over the past four decades: $1.1 billion.

• Pres. Obama's Recess Appointment Backlash 

  

  Sen. Mike Johanns, (R-NE), explains why he wants President Obama's recess appointments to the NLRB and CFPC to tender their resignations immediately.

• Obama Recess Appointments 'Invalid': Appeals Court

  

  A federal appeals court has invalidated President Obama's "recess" appointments to a labor board last year, ruling that the move was unconstitutional and dealing a blow to Obama's strategy of bypassing Senate Republicans.

• Obama's New Team Looks Like the Old One

  

  As he heads into a second term with sweeping ambition in an era of gridlock, President Obama is assembling a new White House team that looks much like the old one, choosing familiarity over freshness even at the risk of insularity.

• Geithner's Legacy: Contention Through Financial Storms

  

  To many, Geithner deserves credit for helping steady the banking system and helping restore investor confidence. Yet his toughest critics say his policies consistently favored big banks over struggling Americans.

• Obama Picks McDonough as White House Chief of Staff

  

  President Obama has chosen longtime adviser and national security expert Denis McDonough as White House chief of staff.

• Senate Leaders in Deal to (Sort of) Muzzle Filibusters

  

  The Senate's senior Democrat and Republican reached a tentative agreement to impose modest limits on the filibuster, the delaying tactic that minority parties have long used to kill legislation and was immortalized in the film "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

• Obama Picks Mary Jo White to Lead SEC

  

  President Obama nominated Mary Jo White to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission, tapping an attorney with broad experience in prosecuting white-collar crimes to lead an agency that has a central role in implementing Wall Street reform.

• House Votes to Suspend Debt Ceiling Until May

  

  With tacit support from President Barack Obama, the GOP-controlled House approved an extension of the debt ceiling Wednesday, heading off an economy-rattling fiscal crisis for at least four months.

• Gov. Sam Brownback: Make Kansas Income Tax Free

  

  Kansas lawmakers have received a bill to inch the state closer to eliminating income taxes, a key part of an agenda that many Republicans hope will serve as a model of conservative governance.

• Hillary Clinton Clashes With GOP Senator 

  

  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton responds vehemently to Sen. Ron Johnson's (R-WI) allegation that the State Department misled the American public on the embassy attack in Libya. (1:03)

• Washington Takes to Google to Reach Public

  

  It's not one of FDR's Fireside Chats, it's an Obama "Fireside Hangout."

• GOP Moves to Suspend Debt Ceiling Until May

  

  House Speaker John Boehner indicated Tuesday that Republicans will vote on an extension of the federal debt ceiling to allow Treasury to borrow money until mid-May. The move would reverse the order of a series of expected debt and spending fights in Washington, an effort designed to put the GOP on more sound political footing.

• Sen. Toomey: 'Senate Doesn't Function' 

  

  Sen. Pat Toomey, (R-PA), weighs in on the House vote today on the debt ceiling and explains why he would like to see offsetting spending cuts.

• House to Vote on 'No Budget, No Pay' Wednesday

  

  House Republican leaders have scheduled a vote on Wednesday on a nearly four-month extension of U.S. borrowing capacity.

• Don't Forget to Take These Tax Deductions and Credits

  

  Taxpayers can breathe a sigh of relief after crucial credits and deductions were extended. Now, what were they again?

• 40 Years After Roe v. Wade, Most Want Abortion Legal: Poll

  

  As the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade takes place Tuesday, a majority of Americans – for the first time – believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

• Yes, You Can Tweet About Your Boss—and Work

  

  As Facebook and Twitter become as central to workplace conversation as the water cooler, federal regulators are ordering employers to scale back policies that limit what workers can say online, The NY Times reports.

• Obama Lays Out Battle Plan as He Launches Second Term

  

  A confident President Barack Obama kicked off his second term on Monday with an impassioned call for a more inclusive America that rejects partisan rancor and embraces immigration reform, gay rights and the fight against climate change.

• Obama's Second Term: What History Says to Expect

  

  The myths and realities of second-term presidents – and what they portend for Obama.