The Wire: February 13, 2013

Politics
2:09 p.m.
TWT
Paul wants answer from Brennan on drone uses on U.S. soil
Troubled by the Obama administration’s controversial policy on drone use, Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday said he will hold up the confirmation of John O. Brennan as CIA director.
Emily Miller
4:32 p.m.
TWT
MILLER: The State of the Union gun grab
President Obama’s State of the Union speech Tuesday was carefully staged to promote his gun-grabbing second-term agenda. Arrangements were made so TV cameras would pan to the faces of victims of gun violence in the House galleries.
Politics
12:28 p.m.
TWT
Jose Antonio Vargas testifies for illegal immigrants
At the witness table at Wednesday’s Senate hearing on immigration reform sat the head of the labor union for immigration enforcement agents. Two seats away, at the same table, sat an illegal immigrant — testifying without fear of deportation thanks to President Obama’s new policies.
Politics
12:27 p.m.
TWT
Sen. Patrick Leahy bill gives gay couples same immigration rights as heterosexual couples
Vermont Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy said he will introduce on Wednesday a bill that extends immigration benefits to same-sex married couples.
Local
11:14 a.m.
TWT
Gray ally says he’s ‘not involved’ in health contract
A familiar name in D.C. political circles was missing from a D.C. Council committee hearing Wednesday to address concerns about a contract to salvage the money-losing, city-owned United Medical Center.
Entertainment
11:24 a.m.
Latest ‘Die Hard’ a Valentine’s Day blast
Is the title of the latest installment on the aging “Die Hard” franchise a wry comment on romantic entanglements?
Other
8:30 a.m.
ND suspends boxer for diving against Ray Edwards
North Dakota’s fight commissioner has suspended an Iowa boxer for allegedly taking a dive 13 seconds into a bout against former Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons defensive end Ray Edwards.
Politics
5:50 a.m.
TWT
Rubio, Paul reflect GOP split on defense cuts
The two Republican rebuttals to the State of the Union address Tuesday night reinforced the GOP’s commitment to cutting spending — but the dueling responses from Sens. Marco Rubio and Rand Paul also exposed a split in the party over how that philosophy applies to the defense budget.
Politics
5:50 a.m.
TWT
Republicans vow to hold out for data before vote on Hagel
Democrats pressed ahead Wednesday with Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be secretary of defense, scheduling a showdown vote for Friday even as top Republicans signaled that they need more information before confirming him for the Pentagon’s top civilian post.
Politics
5:50 a.m.
TWT
Napolitano: No need to bind amnesty to border security
Homeland Security Secretary Janet A. Napolitano told lawmakers Wednesday that the southwest border is more secure than ever and warned against holding legalization hostage to more border security — prompting a key Republican to warn the Obama administration that it is endangering chances for a bill this year.
National
12:50 a.m.
HARPER: Network newscasts’ failure to evolve spells irrelevancy
Two important stories — this week’s resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and last week’s storm in the Northeast — underline the growing irrelevance of the traditional network evening-news programs.
National
6:58 p.m.
TWT
Thousands mourn slain LAPD officer
Thousands of mourners gather Wednesday for the funeral of a Riverside police officer believed to have been gunned down a week ago by ex-Los Angeles policeman Christopher Dorner.
Local
6:56 p.m.
TWT
Cupid’s advice for lovelorn hard to come by on Valentine’s Day
Lots of people think they know something about maneuvering the land mines of love. But few of them try to patent their wisdom.
Inside The Ring
5:26 p.m.
TWT
Inside the Ring: Who killed bin Laden?
A second Navy SEAL who reportedly fired the shots that killed Osama bin Laden is challenging an earlier version of events that said the al Qaeda leader was killed by a commando outside bin Laden’s room.
Basketball
4:45 p.m.
Turkoglu banned 20 games for positive steroid test
Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu was suspended 20 games by the NBA on Wednesday after testing positive for steroids.
Politics
4:03 p.m.
TWT
White House opposes House Republican bill to freeze pay for federal employees
The White House said Wednesday night it opposes a bill by House Republicans to extend a pay freeze for federal civilian employees through the end of this year.
Hockey
4:00 p.m.
Blue Jackets hire 1st European as NHL GM
The Columbus Blue Jackets hurried to make history.
Politics
3:39 p.m.
TWT
Obama extends sanctions against Libya
Declaring that the situation in Libya still poses a threat to the U.S., President Obama on Wednesday extended for another year emergency sanctions against that nation in the wake of the fall of the regime of Muammar Gadhafi.
Security
3:39 p.m.
TWT
Administration's cybersecurity directive inadequate for industry, analysts say
Cybersecurity analysts on Wednesday criticized the Obama’s administration’s new plan to protect vital industries such as banking and energy from attacks by hackers, spies and foreign enemies.
Inside The Beltway
3:39 p.m.
TWT
Inside the Beltway: An expensive address
It’s a pricey policy landscape. According to National Taxpayers Union Foundation’s line-by-line analysis of President Obama’s most expensive State of the Union address yet: his 40 proposals weighed in at $83.4 billion worth of quantifiable agenda items. But wait. That could balloon to $100.4 billion, depending on how Mr. Obama deals with the looming sequester March 1.
Golf
3:15 p.m.
Swedish golfer treats herself for spider bite
Swedish golfer Daniela Holmqvist says she was bitten by a spider and used a tee to extract what she thought was potentially fatal venom before finishing her round during qualifying for the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Women’s Australian Open.
Politics
2:15 p.m.
TWT
NRA CEO LaPierre to respond to SOTU Thursday
National Rifle Association vice president and CEO Wayne LaPierre will “directly respond” to President Obama’s State of the Union address Thursday afternoon, the group announced Wednesday.
Tennis
12:45 p.m.
US Fed Cup team to host Sweden in April playoffs
The United States will host Sweden in the Fed Cup playoffs April 20-21, with the winner returning to the World Group in 2014.
Baseball
12:30 p.m.
Felix Hernandez signs 7-year deal with Mariners
His hands trembled, his breath quickened and his eyes began to fill with tears. Felix Hernandez looked down at the piece of paper containing details of the largest contract ever placed in front of a pitcher and emotion took over.
Entertainment
11:45 a.m.
Actress Alyson Hannigan obtains restraining order
A judge Wednesday granted Alyson Hannigan a temporary restraining order from a man who she claims has repeatedly threatened her and her family in online postings.
Racing
10:45 a.m.
Legge threatens legal action against Dragon Racing
Katherine Legge threatened legal action over her termination from Dragon Racing on Wednesday, one day after the team said Sebastian Saavedra had been hired to drive the No. 6 this IndyCar season.
Racing
10:45 a.m.
Start 'em up: NASCAR season arrives with a buzz
There’s a buzz about NASCAR and the season-opening Daytona 500 that has nothing to do with an exploding jet dryer or a well-timed tweet from a driver.
Entertainment
10:15 a.m.
Review: 'Safe Haven' is routine romantic thriller
It’s easy to understand why Hollywood loves doing business with author Nicholas Sparks. His books are huge best-sellers, and several of the films adapted from his novels _ “Message in a Bottle,” “The Notebook,” and “Dear John” _ have achieved impressive box office grosses. The latest Sparks adaptation, “Safe Haven,” will probably continue his winning streak, especially with its Valentine’s Day opening pegged to lure female fans. A thriller element that has not been present in earlier Sparks movies is designed to draw reluctant male viewers to see the picture, but they won’t respond with the same enthusiasm as his core audience of woozy romantics.
Politics
10:13 a.m.
TWT
Rubio pushes ahead with school choice bill
Following through on his promise to promote school choice, Sen. Marco Rubio introduced a measure Wednesday that would create tax incentives aimed at helping students cover the costs of private school.
Ncaa
10:12 a.m.
TWT
FENNO: Paterno report sad attempt to salvage legacy
The “Critique of the Freeh Report” leaves you sad, a desperate, reality-detached attempt to salvage Joe Paterno’s legacy that won’t change anyone’s mind.
Security
10:02 a.m.
TWT
Training the few, the proud, the ethical: Civilians get chance to make tough decisions like Marines
Creeping through the hilly, wooded terrain, the squad of Marines spotted something across the river. It looked like three men having a picnic.
Entertainment
10:00 a.m.
Nielsen: 33.5 million watch State of the Union
The 33.5 million people who saw President Barack Obama’s fifth State of the Union made it the smallest audience for the annual speech since Bill Clinton’s last address in 2000.
Politics
9:17 a.m.
TWT
Lew pressed by Senate, but he stays on track for Treasury post
Jack Lew, President Obama’s pick to head the Treasury Department, faced several uncomfortable moments over his brief stint in the private sector, but he emerged from a Senate hearing Wednesday apparently still on track for a relatively quick confirmation by the full Senate in the coming weeks.
Entertainment
9:15 a.m.
Wallis a natural actress, but is 9 too young?
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” star Quvenzhane Wallis is an actress of talent, poise and maturity well beyond her years.
World
9:14 a.m.
Pope celebrates last public Mass as pontiff
Starting his public farewell to his flock, a weary Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his final public Mass as pontiff, presiding over Ash Wednesday services hours after a bittersweet audience that produced the extraordinary scene of the pope explaining his decision to step down directly to the faithful.
Technology
8:30 a.m.
Report: Meredith eyes buying Time Warner magazines
Meredith Corp., the publisher of magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens and Fitness, is talking with Time Warner about buying several magazines from it, including People, InStyle and Real Simple, according to a Fortune magazine report.
Other
8:30 a.m.
Fight Schedule
Feb. 15
Technology
8:15 a.m.
Cisco's fiscal 2Q earnings rise above Street views
Cisco’s latest quarterly report provided further evidence that spending on technology gear is rising modestly in most parts of the world, despite persisting concerns about a still-shaky economy.
Accountability
8:05 a.m.
TWT
Watchdog warns U.S. fuel purchases in Afghanistan could be aiding Iran
The government’s chief watchdog for Afghanistan reconstruction said that billions of dollars continue to be lost due to corruption and fraud, and expressed concerns that U.S. funding is unwittingly helping Iran.
Soccer
7:15 a.m.
David Beckham has 1st training session with PSG
David Beckham has started his first training session with Paris Saint-Germain, with dozens of camera crews and photographers jostling for position at the club’s training facility in the western suburb of Paris.
Soccer
7:00 a.m.
Soccer match-fixers spoke in elaborate codes
At trials in Croatia and Turkey, police wiretaps revealed that those trying to fix soccer matches used elaborate codes to disguise what they were talking about. In Croatia, the code was based on food, women and cars; in Turkey, it was based on farming and construction terms.
Politics
6:50 a.m.
TWT
On the road, Obama told to go home
As President Obama took to the road Wednesday promoting his plan for more federal aid for manufacturers, an industry official said the president could help businesses far more by agreeing on a budget deal with Congress.
Local
5:54 a.m.
TWT
SIMMONS: Preparing children for jobs of tomorrow any way we can
Well, well, well. President Obama finally has acknowledged that public schooling doesn’t necessarily mean placating unionized labor or trying to reinvent the status quo.
Technology
5:15 a.m.
Brown-and-white whistling owl ID'd as new species
Researchers looking for a nocturnal bird in Indonesia accidentally identified a new species of owl _ one that has a distinct whistling song and is believed to exist nowhere else in the world.
Politics
5:07 a.m.
TWT
Ted Nugent blasts Obama's gun control plan as 'more nonsense'
Rocking Second Amendment activist Ted Nugent’s response to President Obama’s State of the Union push for more gun control was simple and to the point: It’s “nonsense,” he said.
Entertainment
4:00 a.m.
Epic to pull song with offending Lil Wayne lyric
Epic Records is going to “great efforts” to take down a new Future remix leaked over the weekend with a vulgar Lil Wayne lyric that has offended the family of Emmett Till.
Ncaa
4:00 a.m.
USC fires baseball coach for NCAA violations
Southern California has fired baseball coach Frank Cruz for violating NCAA rules regarding limits on practice time and organized team activities.
Golf
3:30 a.m.
Golf has an offseason if the players want
Graeme McDowell tried not to watch golf on TV the last few months to avoid the temptation to play. Adam Scott has been so far removed from the game that he didn’t learn about Phil Mickelson’s cruel lipout for a 59 until he finished his pro-am round Wednesday at Riviera.
Entertainment
3:00 a.m.
NY Fashion Week fades to black on runway and off
New York Fashion Week is fading to black.
Football
12:30 a.m.
Frazier's deal with Vikings thru 2014
After leading the Minnesota Vikings to a surprising playoff berth last season, Leslie Frazier has reached an agreement on a contract through 2014.