Gun focus shifts from ban to checks and trafficking
Washington (CNN) - Eight weeks after the massacre of 20 Connecticut first-graders, a ban on the kind of semi-automatic rifle used by the killer remains elusive - if not impossible.
Such a ban became a rallying cry for victims' families, advocacy groups and politicians supporting tougher gun laws in the emotional aftermath of the Newtown shootings in December.
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Almost two years out, it's rough in Kentucky
(CNN) – The U.S. Senate race in Kentucky is already the nastiest Senate fight in the country, twenty-one months before voters head to the polls.
Without an official Democratic candidate in the race, Republicans are going after actress Ashley Judd, who has expressed interest in running for the seat but has yet to officially declare her candidacy. She did, however, set up a feature for soliciting emails addresses on her website this week.
[tweet https://twitter.com/AshleyJudd/status/299714318612701184%5D
Conservative group to intensify campaign to defeat Hagel
Washington (CNN) - A conservative advocacy group, the American Future Fund, is intensifying its campaign to defeat Chuck Hagel, the defense secretary nominee, with a new national ad highlighting some of his comments from last week's confirmation hearing widely-panned by critics.
The ad, entitled "Novice," is set to air nationally on some of the talk shows this coming Sunday and uses clips that paint Hagel's testimony in a poor light. In one clip he is asked about past comments he made that Israel was keeping "Palestinians caged up like animals." When asked about the remark, the ad uses part of Hagel's response aid at the hearing when he said "I don't remember the context or when I said it."
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How popular is Hillary Clinton?
Washington (CNN) - She's a private citizen now, but if Hillary Clinton changes her mind and decides to run for president again in 2016, she currently has something any politician would love: impressive poll numbers.
According to a new national survey from Quinnipiac University, 61% of registered voters say they have a favorable impression of Clinton, who stepped down last week after serving four years as secretary of state. Thirty-four percent of voters questioned in the poll, which was released Friday, say they had an unfavorable opinion of Clinton.
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In Christie's defense: Top Democrat weighs in
(CNN) – Chris Christie has found a defender amid the latest hubbub over his weight.
David Axelrod, the former top adviser to President Barack Obama, wrote on Twitter Friday:
[tweet https://twitter.com/davidaxelrod/status/299890101260005378%5D
Postal Service loses less, but still in trouble
Washington (CNNMoney) - If it weren't for Congress, the U.S. Postal Service might not be doing so badly.
In the final three months of last year, the agency lost $1.3 billion - considerably less than the $3.3 billion lost in the same 2011 period.
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Investigation opened into hacked Bush family e-mails
(CNN) – The United States Secret Service is investigating the hacking and publication of private e-mails between members of the Bush family, including former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, which were published online late Thursday.
"The Secret Service is investigating this matter," the agency's spokesman Ed Donovan told CNN on Friday.
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Calendar of fiscal crazy: Congress and the budget
New York (CNNMoney) - Like suspense, confusion and midnight deals? Draw a big red circle around March.
It's chock full of cliffhanger deadlines and budget proposals that could drive the country's finances for the foreseeable future.
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POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: Friday, February 08, 2013
The CNN Washington Bureau’s morning speed read of the top stories making news from around the country and the world. Click on the headlines for more.
CNN Security Clearance: Five things we learned from John Brennan's confirmation hearing
John Brennan came well-prepared Thursday and held his own during questioning at his Senate confirmation hearing to become the 21st director of the Central Intelligence Agency. It was in stark contrast to what was considered by many as an ill-prepared, lethargic performance by defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel at his confirmation hearing last week. Here are five things we learned from the hearing:
CNN: Levin to press forward with committee vote on Hagel, despite GOP opposition
Democratic Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin is making clear he is fed up with Republicans dragging their feet on Chuck Hagel's nomination for Defense Secretary, and now says he will schedule a vote soon, even over Republican opposition. "We can't not vote because there is dissatisfaction on the part of people because that could be endless," said Levin, D-Michigan. "We're going to schedule a vote as soon as we're ready to have a vote."
Menendez talking points: 'Stop the rush to judgment!'
(CNN) - Sen. Robert Menendez has denied wrongdoing regarding several recent claims, including that he partied with prostitutes while on trips to the Dominican Republic.
A memo of talking points sent to supporters by his communications director Tricia Enright after those claims and others surfaced calls for his supporters to "step back, take a breath and look at the facts." The memo of talking points was obtained by CNN.
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