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 …

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 …

Miers Resigns As White House Counsel  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Harriet Miers, President Bush's failed Supreme Court nominee, has submitted her resignation as White House counsel, the White House announced Thursday.  —  White House press secretary Tony Snow said the president reluctantly accepted …

Rehnquist Files Reveal Bolton Shenanigan  —  Here's a piece of muck history unearthed yesterday from deceased Supreme Court justice William Rehnquist's FBI files.  —  In 1986, the Reagan administration was eager to protect its nomination of Rehnquist to be chief justice the Supreme Court.

W pushes envelope on U.S. spying  —  New postal law lets Bush peek through your mail  —  WASHINGTON - President Bush has quietly claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans' mail without a judge's warrant, the Daily News has learned.  —  The President asserted his new authority …

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.

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 …

Our Iraqi Mistake  —  WHAT WAS IT, EXACTLY?  —  Listen to the MP3 audio version of this story here, or sign up for Slate's free daily podcast on iTunes.  —  Virtually everyone now agrees that the war in Iraq has been a vast mistake.  But what, exactly, was the nature of that mistake?

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 …

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.

Awaiting Bush's Iraq Plan, Democrats Weigh Replies  —  Some key Senate Democrats say they could consider supporting a short-term increase in American troop levels in Iraq, a stance that reflects division within the party and could provide an opening for President Bush as he prepares to announce …

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).

Back to Work on the Issues that Matter  —  This past November, the American people sent us an undeniable message: they want change.  For far too long, Congress took its eye off of helping people.  In the last Congress, for example, under Republican control, we didn't do anything to make college …