The federal government today announced a record $25 billion settlement with the five biggest banks that were related to widespread foreclosure abuse that nearly annihilated the nation’s housing market, ABC News reports. The deal is the largest multi-state settlement since the Tobacco Settlement in 1998, the Department of Justice said. Among the money allocated will…

The central mandate of President Barack Obama’s decision to require most employers to cover birth control and insurers to offer it at not cost has been law for more than a decade, Nick Baumann reports at Mother Jones. Despite the longstanding precedent, “no one screamed” until now, said Sara Rosenbaum, a health law expert at…

Buzzfeed is reporting that the American Conservative Union is standing by its decision to allow Peter Brimelow, a leading white nationalist figure, to appear on a speaker’s panel at its Conservative Political Action Conference today. “CPAC is proud to have more than 150 sponsors and exhibitors this year,” said spokeswoman Kristy Campbell in an email.…

In what could be a major step toward resolving the controversy surrounding complaints that remarks made by CNN political analyst Roland Martin via his Twitter feed during the Super Bowl were homophobic, he has agreed to meet with the LGBT-rights group that called for his firing. Martin and GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)…

Detroit News columnist Nolan Finley tries to determine why the horrific murder of a 12-year-old African-American Detroit girl received far less coverage than that of a white, wealthy Grosse Pointe, Mich., woman. He says that while the default answer is race, the reason may actually be the unusual nature of Jane Bashara’s death compared with…

President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign has made a major about-face, announcing that it will reportedly begin using administration and campaign aides to raise funds for Priorities USA Action, a super PAC that supports the president, CNN reports. Obama has been an outspoken critic of current campaign financing laws, in particular a Supreme Court ruling that…

Reuters is reporting that the GOP is crying foul over a Chrysler ad that ran during the Super Bowl on Sunday, showing Clint Eastwood delivering a tough-talking halftime pep talk to America. In the ad — dubbed “Halftime in America” — Eastwood extols the resiliency of the American spirit — as exemplified by the auto…

The Hill is reporting that Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) was duped by the satirical news outlet the Onion after he (or whoever runs his Facebook page) reportedly reposted a story on his Facebook page about Planned Parenthood’s plans to open an “$8 billion Abortionplex.” The article, which is months old, was reposted on the paper’s…

U.S. News & World Report is reporting that the U.S. House of Representatives was set to vote Wednesday on a GOP measure to ban electronic withdrawals for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families at strip clubs, casinos and liquor stores. The measure, sponsored by Louisiana Republican Rep. Charles Boustany, had originally been approved by the House…

During a discussion with MSNBC’s Martin Bashir about the GOP’s rising disrespect for President Barack Obama, the Rev. Jesse Jackson veered away from politics to a grim warning that the fiery rhetoric could incite a shooting at the White House. What? Mediaite reports: Bashir rattled off a laundry list of Republican bad behavior, from Arizona…