Racial politics in plain sight  —  America's racial tensions, hot after the painful non-indictments in Ferguson and New York, bubbled up on Capitol Hill last week.  The occasion was a House Judiciary hearing on President Obama's executive authority to limit deportations of illegal immigrants.

The Kochs eclipse the RNC  —  Meet the guys behind the right's best data shop.  —  The Koch brothers and their allies are pumping tens of millions of dollars into a data company that's developing detailed, state-of-the-art profiles of 250 million Americans, giving the brothers' political operation all the earmarks of a national party.

Reporting on Rape  —  Last month, Rolling Stone ran an article about an alleged gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity house, based on interviews with a student identified only as “Jackie.”  It now appears that key details of the story, reported by Sabrina Rubin Erdely, may not be true.

The South Is Now Almost a Democrat-Free Zone  —  Sen. Mary Landrieu's loss Saturday night in Louisiana's run-off election not only allowed Republicans to increase the size of their majority in the Senate but also moved the GOP closer to taking complete control of a region that once voted almost exclusively for Democrats.

Recovery at Last?  —  Last week we got an actually good employment report — arguably the first truly good report in a long time.  The U.S. economy added well over 300,000 jobs; wages, which have been stagnant for far too long, picked up a bit.  Other indicators, like the rate at which workers are quitting …

Killer 'shot his newly-married stepdaughter so he could video himself having sex with her dead body - then buried her behind his shed'  — Gregory Graf recorded himself sexually abusing the body of Jessica Padgett, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said on Friday

Crafting a sustainable New Republic  —  The writer is owner and publisher of the New Republic.  —  Last week, about a dozen members of the editorial staff of the New Republic walked out in protest over new leadership.  By their account, this was a clash of cultures : Silicon Valley versus tradition, and everyone must choose a side.

GOP pins hopes of dismantling ObamaCare on the courts  —  The GOP is refocusing its attention on the courts as it searches for any way to weaken President Obama's signature healthcare law while he continues to wield a veto pen.  —  Twenty-five Republicans asked the Supreme Court …

Bush and C.I.A. Ex-Officials Rebut Torture Report  —  WASHINGTON — A long-awaited Senate report condemning torture by the Central Intelligence Agency has not even been made public yet, but former President George W. Bush's team has decided to link arms with former intelligence officials and challenge its conclusions.

Profiling guidelines to be unveiled  —  The Obama administration will Monday unveil its long-anticipated updates to its guidelines on racial profiling, tightening limits on the practice but still allowing federal law enforcement agencies to employ it at airports and along the border.

ER doctor discusses role in Ebola patient's initial misdiagnosis  —  Dr. Joseph Howard Meier was well into his overnight ER shift when he first saw the patient.  —  The man complained of a headache and abdominal pain.  Meier looked him over, checked his vital signs and ordered tests.

From Eric Garner and Michael Brown to the Ballot Box  —  There seems to be a new age of activism rising.  From Occupy Wall Street, to the “Stop Watching Us” march against government surveillance, to the Moral Monday protests, to the People's Climate March, to the recent nationwide protests …

Chlorine gas sickens 19 at furries convention  —  5 photos  —  ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Chlorine gas sickened several people and forced the evacuation of thousands of guests from a suburban Chicago hotel early Sunday, including many dressed in cartoonish animal costumes for an annual furries convention …

Not a parody  —  Columbia Law School is permitting students claiming to be impaired due to the emotional impact of recent non-indictments in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner matters to postpone taking their final exams.  Here is the text of a message from interim dean Robert Scott to the law school community: