Hostages Held At Mumbai Hotels  —  Terrorists have conducted at least seven coordinated attacks in Mumbai's tourist areas, killing scores and taking ‘many hostages’.  —  Gunmen have targeted luxury hotels, a popular tourist attraction and a crowded train station in at least seven attacks across India's financial capital.

Franken loses absentee ballot appeal  —  The state Canvassing Board today rejected Democrat Al Franken's request to count absentee ballots his campaign says were wrongly rejected by poll judges.  —  Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's team had argued that the board lacks the power to include those ballots in the recount.

No New Torture Probes  —  There has been much speculation about how the Obama administration will deal with what many view as the Bush administration's harsh, abusive and illegal interrogation program.  Some have called for an investigation by Congress or the Justice Department, possibly leading to criminal sanctions.

Joe Klein's extreme revisionism  —  (updated below)  —  Joe Klein, this week's Time Magazine, on George Bush's legacy: … Joe Klein, Face the Nation, May 4, 2003, with Bob Schieffer — 3 days after Bush's Mission Accomplished speech: … I'm glad that many people, including some journalists …

A NEW DAY FOR TURKEY.  —  Like Matt, I have strong sectarian feelings against turkey.  But unlike him, I'm a political realist, I believe in mitigation, not abolition.  So as long as turkey is going to sit like a colossus atop the Thanksgiving meal, we may as well figure out a way to reduce its suck factor.

Exclusive: NY Rail Plot Details Based on ‘Reliable’ FBI Source  —  New Information in Last 48 Hours Led to Public Warning  —  Uniformed police officers have flooded New York City's Penn Station, home to the Long Island Rail Road, following a warning from the FBI of a “plausible but unsubstantiated” …

Michelle Obama's ‘Mommy’ Stamp  —  When Michelle Obama took to describing her new role as mom in chief, my first reaction was to wince at her words.  My second reaction was to identify with them.  —  I was okay, actually, with what Obama said.  But I worried: Did she have to say it out loud, quite so explicitly?

Send Bill Clinton to the Senate  —  Amid the blizzard of résumés blanketing Washington as the Obama era dawns, there is a superbly qualified candidate for full employment whose name has been overlooked.  We refer, of course, to William Jefferson Clinton, America's 42nd chief executive and commander in chief.

Why churches fear gay marriage  —  For author Richard Rodriguez, no one is talking about the real issues behind Proposition 8.  —  While conservative churches are busy trying to whip up another round of culture wars over same-sex marriage, Rodriguez says the real reason for their panic lies elsewhere …

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 …

Obama beats record for press conferences  —  In the 22 days since winning the White House, President-elect Barack Obama has taken 22 questions from reporters and has done two sit-down television interviews.  —  The Democrat held his fourth press conference since Nov. 4 in Chicago Wednesday morning …

Obama's Speechwriter Moves to the White House  —  CHICAGO - President-elect Barack Obama's wordsmith is moving to the West Wing.  —  In his latest round of White House staff announcements, Mr. Obama said Wednesday that he was naming Jon Favreau as his director of speechwriting.

Where's Sock Puppet's Bailout?  —  Live from Congress, the infamous Pets.com mascot, Sock Puppet, comes to lobby Washington for a bailout.  —  Approximately two minutes and 20 seconds.  —  To embed this video at your website, go here.  —  “Where's Sock Puppet's Bailout?” was written and produced by Ted Balaker.

Keeping Gates Signals Change  —  Keeping Bob Gates as Secretary of Defense was the most dramatic signal Barack Obama could have sent that he intends to implement major changes in defense policy.  That may sound counterintuitive, but it has the virtue of being true.