Dubya's New Digs  —  First couple drops $2.07 million on 1.13 acre Dallas spread  —  This is the Texas home that George W. Bush has purchased for his fast-approaching post-White House years.  The home, on a Dallas cul-de-sac, sits on 1.13 acres and offers 8501 square feet of living space, according to city appraisal records.

Donor: Obama suggested Jakarta visit  —  Barack Obama told a group of donors in California early last year that his first international trip would be to Muslim Indonesia, a supporter who was present recalled today.  —  Obama promised during the campaign to convene a Muslim summit …

The fringe movement to keep Barack Obama from becoming president.  —  If you want to stop Barack Obama from becoming president, there's still time.  But you have to act right now.  Go to RallyCongress.com, and you can be the 126,000th-odd American to demand “proof of citizenship” from the president-elect.

Democrats: Obama Needs Hands-On Economic Approach  —  WASHINGTON — Democrats are growing impatient with President-elect Barack Obama's refusal to inject himself in the major economic crises confronting the country.  Obama has sidestepped some policy questions by saying there is only one president at a time.

WARREN ENDORSES HANNITY'S WARMONGERING.... Pastor Rick Warren has a reputation for being far more stable and grounded than religious right leaders and TV preachers like Pat Robertson, but it's worth remembering that he's not exactly a moderate.  —  Last night, on Fox News …

Alito jabs at Biden over long-ago plagiarism  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — His Supreme Court confirmation hearings three years old, Justice Samuel Alito apparently still harbors some hard feelings toward one Democratic questioner at the time.  —  Alito made several joking references …

Missing ballots stall Minnesota Senate recount  —  MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) — A missing envelope containing about 130 ballots has stalled the recount in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken.

Matthews: It's ‘Really Hard’ to ‘Salute Sarah Palin’  —  On Thursday night's “Hardball,” Chris Matthews actually praised Sarah Palin for her ability to draw a crowd and even pegged her as the early frontrunner for the GOP nod in 2012, “Who's gonna beat her?”

DC Statehood  —  Many DC license plates are emblazoned with the slogan “taxation without representation” and it seems the DC Council wants president Obama to put those plates on his car.  —  I'd like to see that, too.  What I'd like even better is for congress to use its power to admit …

Tangled Web: Rangel son got campaign cash  —  Between 2004 and 2007, Rep. Charles Rangel steered nearly $80,000 in campaign cash to an Internet company run by his son - paying lavishly for a pair of political Web sites so poorly designed an expert estimated one should have cost no more than $100 to create.

Happiness Can Spread Among People Like a Contagion, Study Indicates  —  Happiness is contagious, spreading among friends, neighbors, siblings and spouses like the flu, according to a large study that for the first time shows how emotion can ripple through clusters of people who may not even know each other.

WHAT IS LIFE WORTH?  —  What is six months of your life worth?  And don't say priceless.  It's not priceless.  Not if you're not paying.  So let's sharpen the question: What should six months of your life be worth to your insurer, be that insurer the government or Aetna?

Gulf Oil CEO says gas could hit $1 next year  —  Gulf Oil CEO Joe Petrowski said on Wednesday that the price of oil could sink to $20 per barrel, and there is a chance gasoline prices could drop as low as $1 per gallon by early next year.  —  Speaking at a South Shore Chamber of Commerce breakfast …

Next on Obama's Dance Card, Mother Nature  —  The Obama transition team, moving along smartly to fill Cabinet posts, is planning to trot out nominees as early as next week for three jobs much watched by enviros: the secretaries of energy and the interior and the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Parliament shut for 7 weeks  —  OTTAWA- Prime Minister Stephen Harper has extended the life of his minority Conservative government until the new year after Governor General Michaelle Jean today granted his request to suspend Parliament.  —  Jean made the unprecedented decision …

A Balanced Strategy  —  Reprogramming the Pentagon for a New Age  —  Summary: The Pentagon has to do more than modernize its conventional forces; it must also focus on today's unconventional conflicts — and tomorrow's.  —  Robert M. Gates is U.S. Secretary of Defense.

Warship rescues pirates, sinks their ship  —  Article from:  —  A DANISH anti-piracy warship has rescued seven suspected pirates whose boat had broken down in the Gulf of Aden and then sank their heavily-armed vessel.  —  Danish soldiers seized several anti-tank rockets and AK-47 assault rifles …

Live-Blogging the Big Three Bailout Hearings  —  Two weeks ago, executives of the Big Three automakers trundled into their private jets to Washington to beg for $25 billion in federal bailout money.  Instead, they got a big public smackdown, as Congress sent the executives back to their rooms until …