Burris denied entry to Senate  —  (CNN) — Roland Burris was denied entry to the Senate chambers on Tuesday as he tried to claim the seat once held by President-elect Barack Obama.  —  Burris said the secretary of the Senate rejected his credentials, and therefore he would not be allowed access to the floor.

REALLY A MYSTERY  —  From an observer up on the Hill ...  And from a career intel professional ...  I used to do a lot of intelligence reporting.  But I haven't really done any to speak of in a few years.  So I'm coming at this cold.  But I feel instinctively suspicious of the congressional reaction to this appointment.

40 Palestinians killed in IDF strike on UN school  —  Israel Defense Forces tank fire killed up to 40 Palestinians at a United Nations school in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, medical sources at two hospitals said.  —  The attack brought the Palestinian death toll to nearly 600 in Israel's 11 …

Levi Johnston quits oil field job  —  PUBLIC SCRUTINY: Rules say he needs diploma for apprenticeship.  —  wloy@adn.com  —  Levi Johnston, the boyfriend of Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol, has quit his North Slope oil field job over questions about his eligibility to work …

Obama Pitches Stimulus Plan  —  GOP Asked to Help Design Bill; $300 Billion in Tax Cuts Sought  —  President-elect Barack Obama arrived on Capitol Hill yesterday and immediately set to work reassuring skeptical Republicans about his massive economic stimulus package …

Richardson, Obama Teams Trade Blame  —  Weeks before President-elect Barack Obama chose New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to head the Commerce Department, a small group of volunteers with ethics, tax and investigative expertise — most of them lawyers — scoured his background looking for embarrassing facts or political problems.

Pelosi's power move leaves House Republicans fuming  —  House Democrats are poised to approve new rules that will significantly increase their authority while taking the bullets out of the few legislative weapons Republicans have in the lower chamber.  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) …

Senate bid by Jeb Bush iffy, friends say  —  Republican excitement over the prospect of Jeb Bush running for U.S. Senate has given way to increasing speculation that the former governor will stay out of the race.  —  Bush declined to comment for this article but was expected to make an announcement perhaps as early as this week.

Latinos push Obama on vacant post  —  READ  —  After the withdrawal of Bill Richardson's name as an Obama administration Cabinet nominee, Hispanic leaders say they expect the president-elect to name another Latino to head the Commerce Department.  —  An Obama transition team source …

The Obama stimulus package should be spent on transformative investments, not bridges and buildings.  —  The incoming Obama administration and Congress are planning a huge fiscal stimulus package.  They hope that such a stimulus will catalyze an economic turnaround and be a cornerstone of a “New New Deal.”

It's Up to You New York, New York  —  With the headlines, and the Bagger's bank account, painting a dreary picture of 2009, it was nice to be someplace, specifically Strata restaurant in Chelsea, where abundance was still in, um, abundance.  At the 74th annual New York Film Critics Circle Awards …

Ex-Detainee of U.S. Describes a 6-Year Ordeal  —  LAHORE, Pakistan — When Muhammad Saad Iqbal arrived home here in August after more than six years in American custody, including five at the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, he had difficulty walking, his left ear was severely infected …

LAURA BUSH GETS $1.6M ADVANCE  —  First Lady Laura Bush snagged a seven-figure deal to write her life story for the Scribner imprint of Simon & Schuster.  —  Bush is said to have received an advance of $1.6 million, according to one well-placed publishing source - although another source …

A Conflict Hamas Caused  —  Nearly a year ago, I was in the southern Israeli city of Sderot, where, on almost any day, you could see the current war coming.  “The next Middle East war may start over Sderot,” I wrote back then.  I came by my prescience the hard way — in a bomb shelter.

Five Reasons Why India Can't ‘Do A Gaza’ On Pakistan  —  Israel has far fewer restrictions.  —  Over the last week, many Americans (and not a few Indians) have asked me why India does not “do a Gaza” on Pakistan, referring, of course, to an emulation of Israel's punitive use of force …

Obama names gay man as director of Office of Management and Administration  —  Brad Kiley has been named as the director of the Office of Management and Administration by President-elect Barack Obama.  Kiley, who is openly gay, is currently the director of operations for the Obama-Biden Transition Project …

Respectfully, Hume Torch Is Passed  —  Bret Baier, who took over Fox's Washington newscast last night, dutifully declares that he will gradually put his own “stamp” on the program.  —  Yet in praising the decade-old show that Brit Hume built from scratch — with its heavy focus on politics and punditry …