Richardson withdraws as Commerce nominee  —  New Mexico governor cites pending investigation of business dealings  —  New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday announced that he was withdrawing his nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama's commerce secretary amid a grand jury investigation …

Obama Eyes $300 Billion Tax Cut  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are crafting a plan to offer about $300 billion in tax cuts to individuals and businesses, a move aimed at attracting Republican support for an economic-stimulus package and prodding companies to create jobs.

For Israel, Chance to Strike Before an Ally Departs  —  For nine days, as European and United Nations officials have called urgently for a cease-fire in Gaza, the Bush administration has squarely blamed the rocket attacks of the Palestinian militant group Hamas for Israel's assault …

Panel to declare Franken winner of Senate race  —  MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) — A state election board on Monday will announce Democrat Al Franken has defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race, state officials told CNN Sunday.

Leading Democrat: Bush 'the worst president we've ever had'  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - As the nation prepares for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, a leading Democrat is not letting up in his criticism of President George W. Bush.  —  “I really do believe President Bush …

And there lie the bodies  —  The legend, lest it be a true story, tells of how the late mathematician, Professor Haim Hanani, asked his students at the Technion to draw up a plan for constructing a pipe to transport blood from Haifa to Eilat.  The obedient students did as they were told.

Israel's Gaza strategy  —  In the fog of war, it isn't just the truth that falls casualty.  So does common sense.  Quite a few pundits seem to think that Israel lacks a strategy in Gaza.  But unlike the Lebanon war of 2006, this war has been planned in advance, and every stage has been war-gamed.

A donor's gift soon followed Clinton's help  —  WASHINGTON: A developer in New York state donated $100,000 to former President Bill Clinton's foundation in November 2004, around the same time that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton helped secure millions of dollars in federal assistance for the businessman's mall project.

Activist Unmasks Himself as Federal Informant in G.O.P. Convention Case  —  When the scheduled federal trial begins this month for two Texas men who were arrested during the Republican National Convention on charges of making and possessing Molotov cocktails, one of the major witnesses …

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine to head DNC  —  Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine has been chosen by President-elect Barack Obama to head the Democratic National Committee, a Democratic official said.  —  The pick is a bet that an energetic younger leader will help the party capitalize on the historic enthusiasm that swept Obama to his landslide win.

Influential Hamas Leader Sheikh Hassan Yousef's Son Renounces Islam  —  FNC documentary “Escape from Hamas” featured the son of Yousef, Mosab Hassan Yousef.  Yousef now faces death for renouncing Islam and converting to Christianity.  —  Yousef, when asked; “Can the Palestinians and Israel live in peace?”:

Is NBC going to help Coulter sell this book? … As Media Matters for America has noted, author and syndicated columnist Ann Coulter recently announced that she is scheduled to appear on the January 6 broadcast of NBC's Today to promote the release of her new book, Guilty: Liberal “Victims” …

Paul-ites, still rolling  —  Here's a mark of the continuing energy behind Ron Paul, and the parallel lack thereof among other Republican Party structures, particularly online: the Digg-style website set up by Americans for Tax Reform for its Republican National Committee Chairman debate tomorrow …