Today’s Times
- Gen. John R. Allen, the four-star Marine Corps officer who served as the top commander in Afghanistan, will retire from the military to focus on “health issues within his family,†Thom Shanker and Michael D. Shear report. President Obama nominated General Allen to be the supreme commander of NATO, but he decided to step down instead.
- Mr. Obama once again finds himself in a budget showdown with Republicans, Jackie Calmes writes. On Tuesday, he tried to shame them into a compromise that could avoid further self-inflicted job losses and damage to the fragile recovery, but Republicans were declining to engage.
- Mr. Obama paints a dire picture for the federal government after automatic budget cuts hit on March 1, Michael D. Shear reports. The impacts are expected to ripple gradually across the nation as agencies are faced with across-the-board cuts to all their programs.
- The Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to federal campaign contribution limits, Adam Liptak reports. It may be the most important federal campaign finance case since the 2010 decision in Citizens United.
Around the Web
- Thanks to the movie “Lincoln,†Mississippi passed a timely vote abolishing slavery this month, The Clarion-Ledger newspaper reports.
- Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. will host the Medal of Valor ceremony at the White House. The honor is awarded to public safety officers who have “exhibited exceptional courage†in the attempt to save or protect others.
- The National Archives will host free screenings of the Academy Award nominees in four categories: documentary feature, documentary short subject, live action short film and animated short film at the William G. McGowan Theater through Feb. 24.
