Israel launches ground offensive in the Gaza Strip  —  Palestinian witnesses said the artillery barrage caused a large explosion in Gaza City as well as a series of blasts stitching the nearby frontier with Israel.  —  Channel 10 television quoted a witness as saying that Israel …

Reid pressured Blagojevich not to appoint Jackson Jr. to Obama's U.S. Senate seat  —  Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid made it clear who he didn't want in the post …

Mr. Gore: Apology Accepted  —  You are probably wondering whether President-elect Obama owes the world an apology for his actions regarding global warming.  The answer is, not yet.  There is one person, however, who does.  You have probably guessed his name: Al Gore.

U.S.-installed Iraqi ex-PM says Bush “utter failure”  —  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Former U.S.-installed Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has denounced the policies of President George W. Bush as an “utter failure” that gave rise to the sectarian venom that ravaged his country.

Analysis: Bush's personality shapes his legacy  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush will be judged on what he did.  He will also be remembered for what he's like: a fast-moving, phrase-mangling Texan who stays upbeat even though his country is not.

A New Cigarette Hazard: ‘Third-Hand Smoke’  —  Parents who smoke often open a window or turn on a fan to clear the air of second-hand smoke, but experts now have identified another smoking-related threat to children's health that isn't as easy to get rid of: third-hand smoke.

Reinventing conservatism, one tweet at a time  —  Since the humbling results of the November election came in, the conservative movement has been scrambling to assess what happened—and to figure out how to prevent it from happening again.  Much of this effort, in light of the Obama campaign's …