&c

--Shutdown Minnesota government fires the people who could tell them how shutdown they are

--Stiff upper lip: David Cameron celebrated Christmas season and went horse-riding with embattled tabloid editor Rebekah Brooks. 

--Elizabeth Samet untangles Joseph Heller

--David Leonhardt on the business lobby's faux-roundtable on the deficit

--And Jim Sleeper probably isn't a fan of twitter townhalls