Times political reporter-columnist Ron Brownstein is taking his act to the opinion side, writing a weekly Op-Ed page column and longer pieces for Current. He'll also have a presence online. Publisher David Hiller says in the release that "the Times will benefit immensely from having Ron Brownstein's authoritative voice on the op-ed page. His mastery of both politics and policy, and his gift for taking the news and framing it in a broader context make him a natural columnist for the ages." Brownstein, based in Washington, has been with the paper since 1989. His first column is penciled in for March 14.

* New book: Brownstein's The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America will be released in the fall by Penguin Books.