The State of the Union Is… 'Still Pretty Bad…' says Paul Krugman. The first in our pre-#SOTU series - abcn.ws/TKC42w

Neither Rain Nor Sleet No Saturday - But does that really matter in this century? - Mail us your thoughts - http://abcn.ws/VDEAUY

No Brainer - Marco Rubio to Deliver GOP SOTU Republican Response-(also en Espanol) - Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will deliver the Republican response to the president's State of the Union address on February 12th. http://abcn.ws/UYxxZY

Christie to Former Clinton Doc on Obesity: 'Shut Up' - http://abcn.ws/XkU4yM (Walshe)

SCOTUS Passes on NLRB - SCOTUS Passes on NLRB: For now, the Supreme Court will not wade into the controversy regarding a president's recess appointment power. HealthBridge Management, a company that manages nursing homes and is involved in a labor dispute concerning the National Labor Relations Board had asked the Court to step in and delay an order made at the behest of the NLRB. In its application for a stay the company referenced a lower court ruling from last month holding that the President's recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board were unconstitutional. But late today the Court released a statement saying that the Court had denied the application for a stay.

Justice Alito took no part in the decision, most likely because his sister is involved in the matter as an employment lawyer.

John Brennan and Drone Wars - Tomorrow's confirmation hearing for Obama's trusted national security adviser John Brennan to head the CIA will bring to the forefront two difficult issues - first the "enhanced interrogation" techniques of the last administration and second the drone wars of the current one. A lot of Americans are still squeamish about the what the Bush administration okayed for use against terror suspects. The public generally supports the drone war. But some Republican lawmakers are starting to voice transparency concerns. And some consitutionalists in both parties still have legitimate questions about the widening net of preemptive strikes in foreign lands.

Jay Carney admitted Wednesday what's been pretty obvious - that civilians are killed when these unmanned aerial vehicles fire missiles and drop bombs to kill suspected terrorists.

Mary Bruce reports The White House today reaffirmed its commitment to working with Congress on the legal issues surrounding the targeted killing of suspected terrorists, including American citizens, as pressure from Capitol Hill mounts. http://abcn.ws/WyQ0vp( Mary Bruce)

Blotter - U.S. Launched Deadly Drone Attacks From Saudi Arabia - http://abcn.ws/Wzlfq7

Hillary Clinton Out of Political Life…But Still in Public Eye - Less than a week after Hillary Clinton stepped down from her position as Secretary of State - and, by her own account, began a break from political life - she is emerging on the Web in a very public way. Already two different official sites are being tied to her and what could be her return to politics in the future. http://abcn.ws/11M53qG (Dana Hughes)

Still No Gay Scouts Allowed - For Now -The Boy Scouts of America, which was expected to announce today a decision regarding their controversial ban on gay and lesbian members, instead said a decision won't come until May at the earliest. http://abcn.ws/14EpTqs (Sarah Parnass)

Celebrities Join Gun Control Fight on Capitol Hill - A group including celebrities Tony Bennett, Chris Rock and Amanda Peet, along with survivors of gun violence, today called on Congress to act on President Obama's gun violence proposals, hoping to bring urgency to Capitol Hill for tougher gun control legislation. http://abcn.ws/YU3Mgg (Sunlen Miller)

Ashley Judd Takes Jabs From Conservative Super PAC- Actress Ashley Judd has not yet decided to run for Senate in Kentucky, but she's already the subject of an attack video posted online by a conservative super PAC American Crossroads. http://abcn.ws/XVWTo5 (Jilian Fama)

House Speaker Boehner Says 'It's Time to Act' on Budget Deficit-As President Obama requests a short-term delay to automatic spending cuts scheduled to take effect March 1, House Speaker John Boehner expressed a growing frustration today over Washington's inability to tackle the federal deficit. http://abcn.ws/YU1BcI (John Parkinson)

Happy 102, Ronald Reagan - http://abcn.ws/WR0KDE (Jilian Fama)

Will Immigration Reform Mean More Hispanic Republicans?-If immigration reforms pass Congress, will it mean more Hispanics running for office as Republicans in the coming years? http://abcn.ws/VIsqPT (Chris Good)

Obama to Tap REI CEO as Interior Secretary-President Obama will nominate Sally Jewell to be the next secretary of the interior, a senior White House official told ABC News. http://abcn.ws/YTpBMX ( Jonathan Karl)