Pardon me while I break for some sustenance. Here are some readings in the meantime:

1. Matt Steinglass on the Newtown shooting.

2. Josh Marshall brings the history on the absurd notion that guns “protect our freedom.”

3. Erik Voeten argues that the recent Second Amendment rulings may make an assault weapons ban more likely.

4. A great New York Times piece on how focus at the state level has paid off for the GOP.

5. It’s official, 2012 was the hottest year ever for the Lower 48.

6. Rogue geoengineering experiment seems to have worked, though knock-on effects have yet to be measured.

Back in a flash.

Ryan Cooper

Follow Ryan on Twitter @ryanlcooper. Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at The Week. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New Republic, and The Nation.