Death Toll Rising in India in Coordinated Attacks  —  NEW DELHI — Coordinated terror attacks struck the heart of Mumbai, India's commercial capital, Wednesday evening, targeting at least two five-star hotels, the city's largest commuter train station, a historic movie theater and a hospital.

Sources: Al Qaeda Targets Amtrak N'east Corridor  —  Heightened Security Presence In Place At Penn Station; Attack Could Cripple Transit Between Boston, Washington  —  Cops, Feds Armed With M16s On Patrol For Forseeable Future  —  CBS News Interactive: America On Guard

Franken Loses Crucial Ruling in Minnesota Recount  —  (CNN) — Minnesota's Canvassing Board voted unanimously to reject Franken's request to include thousands of absentee ballots that are not included in the recount in the Minnesota senate race between the Democratic challenger and Republican incumbent Norm Coleman.

Voters Fail the Test  —  WASHINGTON — So much for the wisdom of The People.  —  A new report from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) on the nation's civic literacy finds that most Americans are too ignorant to vote.  —  Out of 2,500 American quiz-takers, including college students …

The Irrelevant House Republicans  —  Elizabeth Drew has an interesting piece on “The Truth About the Election” but I wanted to comment on this one point: … The thing of it is that it doesn't really matter what Eric Cantor thinks.  The House Republicans are, in effect, irrelevant.

Lieberman Contributed to GOP Senate, House Candidates  —  Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) support of John McCain's presidential campaign was well known.  His contribution to Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) was not.  (By Melina Mara — The Washington Post Photo)  —  By Paul Kane

LET SANTA LIGHT THE MENORAH  —  WHITE HOUSE IN HANUKKAH TREE GAFFE  —  Merry Hanukkah from the White House!  —  The president and the first lady invited leaders of America's Jewish community for a Hanukkah reception at the White House next month - but raised more than a few eyebrows …

Raul Castro to Sean Penn: he'd meet Obama at Gitmo  —  HAVANA - Cuban President Raul Castro said in an interview released Wednesday that he would like to meet President-elect Barack Obama on “neutral ground” — and he suggested the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

OBAMA: CHANGE COMES FROM ME  —  From NBC's Athena Jones  —  CHICAGO — In response to criticism that he is departing from his promise to bring change to Washington because several members of his economic team were Beltway insiders, Barack Obama said today that his team would combine experience …

GA-Sen: Race still tight; will Obama come?  —  Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 11/23-25.  Likely voters.  MoE 4% (11/17-19 numbers). … These numbers are in contrast to an InsiderAdvantage poll that showed a three-point race, and a Democratic poll which had it at two points.  —  Why the difference?

Volcker's Tough Approach As Fed Chief Upset Many  —  Today Economist Is Credited With Defeating Inflation  —  Paul A. Volcker was reviled before he was revered.  —  President-elect Obama named the 81-year-old Volcker yesterday to head a new economic advisory panel, citing “his sound and independent judgment.”

Career Opportunities, The Ones That Never Knock  —  The other day I wondered what the reported ascendence of Jim Steinberg to deputy secretary of state meant for Richard Holbrooke's job prospects.  Reading about the latest maneuvering in Iraq on the status of forces agreement …