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AP - Tea party activists long skeptical of Mitt Romney are either warming up to the GOP presidential front-runner or reluctantly backing him after giving up on finding a candidate they like better.

AP - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich says his consulting group never lobbied for clients. But his business hired state and federal lobbyists to work with clients, and some staff left to take lobbying jobs, according to lobbying disclosures and corporate reports.

AP - U.S. oil prices fell below $97 per barrel Monday as growing supplies offset moves by President Barack Obama and other Western leaders to make it tougher for Iran to sell crude. Here's how energy contracts traded.

AP - U.S. oil prices fell below $97 per barrel Monday as growing supplies offset concerns that President Barack Obama and other Western leaders will make it tougher for Iran to sell crude.

AP - Tax reform sounds like a good idea to lots of people, but where to start? Eliminate the popular deduction for home mortgages? End the write-off for charitable contributions? How about expanding the Social Security payroll tax?

AP - After losing Saturday's Nevada caucus race, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich sought solace in what he called an encouraging statistic: that his supporters were turning out to vote more enthusiastically than those of his chief rival, Mitt Romney.

Politico - There won't be a special investigative subcommittee to look into allegations against the congressman.

AP - President Barack Obama's call to shrink the military, shut bases and cancel weapons to meet the demand for budget cuts tests the resolve of lawmakers who came to Washington determined to slash the deficit.

ContributorNetwork - COMMENTARY | One of the most curious commercials to grace the Super Bowl was one that was said to be for the Chrysler Corp., but which the Hollywood Reporter suggested was really a Barack Obama campaign commercial. It was narrated by Clint Eastwood.

AP - Mitt Romney's remark that he's not worried about the very poor, the latest gaffe in a campaign rich with blunders, joins a long list of wait-let-me-explain episodes in presidential election history.

Politico - The Republican links to a faux story about Planned Parenthood opening an "$8 Billion Abortionplex."

ContributorNetwork - COMMENTARY | After tweeting angrily about how Newsweek had run an article about "dumb" critics of Barack Obama by Andrew Sullivan, a "Trig Truther," Sarah Palin has published her own piece in the same magazine about her special-needs son.

Politico - Santorum argues that if Romney could cost Republicans the general election if he becomes the nominee.

AP - Sports events across Europe are falling victim to the continent's deep freeze, but the Dutch are ecstatic, hoping that the revered "Eleven Cities" speedskating race can be staged later this month for the first time in 15 years.

Politico - Good help is hard to find — and keep — for many representatives.

Politico - The 2012er gets flak for distributing energy loans while governor of Massachusetts.

Reuters - President Barack Obama tightened sanctions on Iran another notch, the White House said on Monday, targeting its central bank and giving U.S. banks new powers to freeze assets linked to the government.

AP - The Rev. Ian Paisley, once the loud voice of Protestant opposition to compromise with Catholics in Northern Ireland, has been taken to a hospital, his wife said Monday.

AP - You wouldn't know it from the Republicans, but these are boom times for American energy.

AP - Mitt Romney has added to his lead in the race for delegates now that Republican officials in Nevada finished the vote count from Saturday's presidential caucuses.