Your stories from the Washington Examiner

Though the mystery of feminine wants has stumped poets, philosophers, and the father of psychoanalysis, today’s Democratic politicians think they’ve found the key — at least to the political desires of most women: a single-minded focus on the gynecological.

» Political targets

Gareth Croke underestimated how much trouble his tweet would cause.

» A nation divided by marriage

W. Bradford Wilcox thinks marriage is worth saving. The head of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia believes the fortunes of the middle class depend on it.

» Army rolls out bid to stay relevant

The nation’s largest military branch bears the brunt of Pentagon budget cuts, and politicians from President Obama on down are running away from the idea of another major ground war after 13 years of exhaustive, often frustrating conflict with ambiguous results.

» Why a White House shake-up won’t work for Obama

Given the late timing of the announcement, the already extensive turnover in his Cabinet and hardened perceptions of his presidency, Obama would see little political uptick from overhauling his team of advisers, analysts said.

» Why gay marriage never became a midterm issue

In a key election year, an unexpected Supreme Court decision on a divisive political issue would usually send shockwaves. But when the Supreme Court opted recently to let stand rulings allowing gay marriage in five states, it hardly registered on the campaign trail.

» Green space in the heart of the energy boom?

A North Dakota conservation effort has turned into a bidding war between the oil and gas industry and environmentalists that likely will make the ballot initiative the priciest in state history.

» Democratic candidates come out swinging against Obama

With President Obama’s approval ratings sinking to historic lows, House and Senate Democratic lawmakers seeking re-election in swing states have made a point of distancing themselves from the unpopular president.

» Once-hot candidates fade before the final stretch

Now that candidates have entered the home stretches of their races, some of the cycle’s biggest busts are on display from Oregon to Ohio.

» Obamacare enrollees use more expensive prescriptions

One of the key factors that will determine the success of President Obama’s healthcare law is whether there are enough young and healthy enrollees to offset the costs of covering older and sicker participants, particularly those with pre-existing conditions.

» A swipe at the cash register leaves everyone unhappy

Banks were the original losers from the rule, which capped the fees they can charge merchants for debit card transactions. Now retailers are suing the Federal Reserve to lower the fees even more.

» Think Tanks: Obama sides with Amazon against workers

Amazon’s business model is based on quick, easy buying and low prices.

» Watchdog: Obama insiders reap riches at trio of healthcare IT firms

A trio of giant IT firms that dominate the rapidly growing digital medical documents market enjoy special insider access to key policymakers as the government implements its mandate that healthcare providers convert to electronic health records.

» Michael Barone: Does the end of history result in political decay?

Francis Fukuyama picked an auspicious publication date for his latest book, “Political Order and Political Decay.” The news is full of stories of political decay.

» Op-Ed: Promised savings from ACOs look increasingly unlikely to occur

It’s starting to look like the cost savings from accountable care organizations are just as illusionary as those other promises.

» Watchdog: FMCS OKs higher locality pay for employees working in distant low-tax states

Some federal bureaucrats pump up their salaries and cut their taxes by listing their “duty stations” as expensive cities while actually working remotely from low-levy rural states.

» Editorial: Detroit’s lesson for the CDC and big government

The lesson of Detroit is one that governments everywhere can learn: In a world with finite resources, governments that try to do too much end up neglecting even the essential.

» Hugh Hewitt: Ebola burden on U.S. hospital system warrants tighter travel restrictions

Among the arguments in favor of stricter travel restrictions on West Africans wishing to come to the United States without first spending 21 days outside of “the hot zone” are the extraordinary costs that would be born by U.S. hospitals by any significant number of Ebola cases.