Feds: Man planned to blow up Ill. mall  —  CHICAGO - A man who authorities said wanted to commit acts of "violent jihad" against civilians was charged Friday in a plot to set off hand grenades in garbage cans at a shopping mall, authorities said.  —  Derrick Shareef, 22, of Rockford …

JIMMY CARTER FIRES BACK AT LONGTIME AIDE OVER BOOK  —  WASHINGTON — Former President Jimmy Carter faced new criticism Friday over his controversial book on Palestinian lands when a former Middle East diplomat accused him of improperly publishing maps that did not belong to him.

Jeane Kirkpatrick, RIP; 'But Then, They Always Blame America First'  —  Update IV: 10:51 a.m.: John Bolton was just on CNN.  Clearly choking back tears, he said that "it really is very sad for america" and that Kirkpatrick "will be greatly missed."  He said:

AP Poll: Few Americans expect victory in Iraq  —  WASHINGTON: Americans are overwhelmingly resigned to something less than clear-cut victory in Iraq and growing numbers doubt the country will achieve a stable, democratic government no matter how the U.S. gets out, according to an AP poll.

Report: House GOP leaders neglected to protect pages … WASHINGTON (CNN) — The House ethics committee has found that GOP leaders did not break any rules in handling allegations of improper Internet exchanges between former Rep. Mark Foley and former pages, but they were negligent in protecting the teenagers.

Bush Backs Away From 2 Key Ideas of Panel on Iraq  —  President Bush moved quickly to distance himself on Thursday from the central recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, even as the panel's co-chairmen opened an intensive lobbying effort on Capitol Hill to press Mr. Bush to adopt their report wholesale.

That Murder in London  —  The poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, renegade Russian spy and fierce critic of Vladimir Putin's government, is everywhere being called a mystery.  There is dark speculation about unnamed "rogue elements" either in the Russian secret services or among ultranationalists acting independently of the government.

A Father's Tears  —  George H.W. Bush cried at a tribute to his son Jeb.  What else was he feeling?  —  He stood there at the podium, the kind of podium he'd stood at 5,000 times in a long political life, and talked to the kind of audience he knew well: supporters and loyalists, old friends and new.

Return fire from the right  —  The idea of talks with Iran and Syria riles many conservatives.  Some say the focus was on an exit, not a victory.  —  WASHINGTON — Right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh called it "The Iraq Surrender Group."  —  The conservative New York Post tabloid doctored …

Labor Presses for Measure to Ease Unionizing  —  Claiming a major role in the Democrats' victory last month, labor leaders are pressing Congressional Democrats to enact a measure to make it easier for workers to unionize.  —  Labor leaders see the measure as pivotal to stop a slide in union membership that has lasted decades.

Sherrod Brown: First We Go After Big Pharma  —  WASHINGTON DISPATCH: The senator-elect from Ohio weighs in on drug-pricing reform, Iraq, the '08 campaign, and (oh yeah, that!) trade.  —  Fresh from victory in Ohio's knock-down drag-out Senate race, Sherrod Brown is happily preparing to exit …