MORNING READ

White House declares First Lady reduced child obesity rates
Vince Coglianese of The Daily Caller reports on a claim that a drop in childhood obesity is related to tougher food regulations.



Joe Biden: Forget political risk
CNN.com’s Ashley Killough reports on Vice President Biden’s trip to Danbury, Conn., on Thursday.



{mosads}Why the GOP will embrace gay marriage
Eric Sasson of The New Republic says it’s because there are votes to be won

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Obama reaches out to Boehner, McConnell
As sequester looms

, President Obama phones Republican leaders in Congress to discuss the impasse surrounding $85 billion in automatic spending cuts set to hit the government on March 1, The Hill’s Justin Sink reports.

15 GOP senators tell Obama to withdraw Hagel nomination
Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) and 14 other Republican senators urged President Obama to withdraw former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) as his pick for Defense secretary on Thursday, The Hill’s Jeremy Herb reports.