Iraq threatens arrest of police officer  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Interior Ministry acknowledged Thursday that an Iraqi police officer whose existence had been denied by the Iraqis and the U.S. military is in fact an active member of the force, and said he now faces arrest for speaking to the media.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Reported Dead  —  A source close to Pajamas Media has learned that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has apparently succumbed to the cancer that hospitalized him last month, as exclusively reported by Pajamas Media, at age 67.

Pelosi ready to make history as new speaker  —  A new Congress convenes today with a narrow Democratic majority lording over a despondent Republican minority.  —  While the full weight of Republicans' powerlessness sinks in after 12 years of control, Democrats are celebrating …

Miers Resigns As White House Counsel  —  White House legal counsel and failed Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, a longtime friend and adviser of President Bush, resigned from her White House position today, Press Secretary Tony Snow announced.  —  Miers, 61, will leave her job at the end …

Duke Lacrosse Accuser Gives Birth to Baby Girl  —  CHAPEL HILL — WRAL has confirmed that the accuser in the Duke lacrosse case gave birth Wednesday to a baby girl at UNC Hospitals.  —  Sources tell WRAL the woman delivered the baby by a Cesarean section.  No other detail were available about the birth.

North Korea Prepping Nuclear Weapons Test  —  Defense Officials Tell ABC News 'They've Put Everything in Place'  —  North Korea appears to have made preparations for another nuclear test, according to U.S. defense officials.  —  "We think they've put everything in place to conduct …

Replacements for Generals Abizaid and Casey  —  ABC News' Martha Raddatz Reports: ABC News has learned that the president intends to nominate Admiral William J. Fallon to replace General John Abizaid at Central Command.  The announcement is expected next week, before the president gives …

FEELINGS ABOUT NEW CONGRESS  —  Optimistic  —  Pessimistic  —  But when asked if Democrats and President Bush can cooperate — in general and on Iraq, which is overwhelmingly Americans' top priority — half those polled were doubtful.  —  Fifty-one percent said the White House and Congress …

Bush to Nominate Khalilzad to U.N. Post  —  Announcement Could Come as Early as Tomorrow  —  ABC News has learned that President Bush will nominate Zalmay Khalilzad to be the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.  Khalilzad is currently the U.S. ambassador to Iraq.  The announcement may come as soon as tomorrow.

In the House, Suddenly Righteous Republicans  —  Thirty-one-year-old Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) is not a large man, standing perhaps 5 feet 3 inches tall in thick soles.  But he packed a whole lot of chutzpah when he walked into the House TV gallery yesterday to demand …

Majority of Americans View Media Coverage of Iraq as Inaccurate  —  Most likely to say coverage is too negative  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A majority of Americans — 56% — believe that the news media's coverage of the situation in Iraq is generally inaccurate.  About 4 out of 10 Americans agree …

D.C. Notes: Wes Clark is Steamed, Jane Harman Isn't, and Terry McAuliffe is High on Hillary (Big Shock There, Huh?)  —  At the packed-to-the-rafters brunch preceding Nancy Pelosi's formal swearing in, Melinda and I ran into Wes Clark (and I mean that literally; like I said, it was packed).

Best Friends Forever?  —  Just now on MSNBC, I saw Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) make his way over to introduce himself to Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA), whose back is to the camera.  And that's Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) looking on as the Muslim-fearing Goode shakes hands with the House's first elected Muslim.