Evening Edition: Map: If the size of countries reflected their populations

The most important stories of the day  •  Mon., Feb. 2, 2015 View in your Web browser

Obama may have new leverage with his $4 trillion budget request President Obama’s $4 trillion budget request is packed with familiar-looking plans to hike spending and raise taxes on the rich. With Republicans newly in control of Congress and eager to end an era of political gridlock, the request kicks off a long negotiation in which the president may have new leverage.  Read full article »

Wife of Paris attacker now France’s ‘most wanted’ woman

PARIS — France’s most-wanted woman once loved the warm waves of the Dominican Republic, posing in a black bikini with her future husband, a petty thief. As her faith deepened, she exchanged the bathing suits for headscarves and new destinations: mosques in Malaysia, a pilgrimage to Mecca and now, authorities say, the jihadist cauldron of Syria.   Read full article »

How Rand Paul tried to lead an eye doctors’ rebellion

The letters came from a young ophthalmologist in Kentucky. He was recruiting for an eye doctors’ rebellion.“We won’t be trod upon,” he wrote, using the language of 1776. “You can’t promulgate injustice without consequences.”  Read full article »

Bill Belichick made a sneaky-smart decision that might have contributed to fateful play call by Pete Carroll

Pete Carroll’s confounding last-minute play call Sunday night will be dissected, debated and mocked for as long they play Super Bowls. It might have been prodded by a sneaky-brilliant decision by Bill Belichick.  Read full article »

Christie clarifies comments on measles vaccine after call for ‘balance’ causes stir

CAMBRIDGE, England — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie walked back comments he made here Monday morning calling for "balance" on the measles vaccine debate to allow for parental choice, asserting that "there is no question kids should be vaccinated."  Read full article »

This Detroit man walks 21 miles in his daily commute. So the Internet is trying to help.

James Robertson’s commute is tougher than yours. Just … trust me on this.Robertson takes a bus to his job at a factory, more than 20 miles from his Michigan home. Well, he takes a bus part of the way there.  Read full article »

After 17 years on Argentine bomb case, prosecutor was sure ‘truth will triumph’

BUENOS AIRES — Moments before Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman presented his findings in the case that had come to define his life, and just days before his violent death would horrify the nation, he texted a group of friends a solemn message.  Read full article »

Map: If the size of countries reflected their populations

This map, compiled by Reddit user TeaDranks, shows what the world would look like if a country's size was proportional to its population. As you can see, our sense of geographic space gets rather radically rearranged as a result.  Read full article »

The weird duel between Russia and Pakistan over the corpse of a hanged terrorist

Relations between Pakistan and Russia may be on the upswing, but that didn't prevent a wild diplomatic showdown in late December, when Pakistan executed a Russian citizen.In a story that could have been an episode on Showtime's "Homeland" -- the latest season of which was based in a fictional version of Islamabad -- Pakistan’s respected Dawn newspaper reported Monday that the body of the Russian prisoner went missing for two days after he was hanged.  Read full article »