Barack Obama administration ‘prepared to talk to Hamas’  —  The incoming Obama administration is prepared to abandon George Bush's ­doctrine of isolating Hamas by establishing a channel to the Islamist organisation, sources close to the transition team say.

Senate Allies Fault Obama on Stimulus  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama's economic recovery plan ran into crossfire from his own party in Congress on Thursday, suggesting that quick passage of spending programs and tax cuts could require more time and negotiation than Democrats once hoped.

Lei-off: Obama snubs Dean  —  The conspicuous absence of Howard Dean from Thursday's press conference announcing Tim Kaine's appointment as Democratic National Committee chair was no accident, according to Dean loyalists.  —  Rather, they say, it was a reflection of the lack of respect accorded …

House committee recommends impeachment  —  SPRINGFIELD — A state legislative committee unanimously voted today to recommend the Illinois House impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich based on allegations that he abused his powers and sold his office to enrich himself.

Jan. 1 Attack By CIA Killed Two Leaders Of Al-Qaeda  —  A New Year's Day CIA strike in northern Pakistan killed two top al-Qaeda members long sought by the United States, including the man believed to be behind September's deadly suicide bombing at a Marriott hotel in the Pakistani capital …

The Bush Administration's Most Despicable Act  —  “This is not the America I know,” President George W. Bush said after the first, horrifying pictures of U.S. troops torturing prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq surfaced in April 2004.  The President was not telling the truth.

Eric Holder pushed for controversial clemency  —  As deputy attorney general in 1999, Holder — now attorney general nominee — pressed subordinates to drop objections to clemency for 16 members of violent Puerto Rican nationalist organizations.  —  Reporting from Washington …

High-Profile Doctor in Gaza Called an ‘Apologist for Hamas’  —  A high-profile Norwegian doctor who has said the September 11 terrorists were justified in their attack is now treating patients in Gaza and is being accused of presenting “hard-core propaganda” to TV interviewers in his telling of the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Nationwide Inquiry on Bids for Municipal Bonds  —  The federal investigation that prompted Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico to withdraw his nomination as commerce secretary offers a rare glimpse into a long-simmering investigation of possible bid-rigging, tax evasion and other wrongdoing throughout the municipal bond business.

Palin takes digs at Fey, Couric  —  (CNN) — Sarah Palin is credited with making Tina Fey a world-wide star and boosting Katie Couric's ratings at CBS.  —  But in a recent interview with conservative John Ziegler, Palin said both “exploited” her twelve-week candidacy — a fact, she said, that “says a great deal about our society.”

Exxon CEO Backs Emissions Tax  —  The chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp. for the first time called on Congress to enact a tax on greenhouse-gas emissions in order to fight global warming.  —  In a speech in Washington, Rex Tillerson said that a tax was a “more direct …

Mere Presidents  —  American leaders are mortal, not magical.  —  He didn't seem distracted, like he was thinking about lunch, and he didn't seem to be deflecting responsibility, but taking it.  This was a relief, and rather unusual in a Washington politician, or pretty much any politician.

No way forward while the Hamas hydra lives  —  For Islamists in Gaza, Palestine is part of a global religious struggle not a battle to create an independent state  —  The conflict in Gaza has been triggered by Israel's belief that the status quo has become intolerable and should be overturned.

Group That Funded Rep. Ellison's Pilgrimage to Mecca Called a Front for Extremism  —  Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison took a trip to Mecca in December that was funded by a group terrorism experts say is tied to the Muslim Brotherhood, an international Islamist movement.  —  FOXNews.com

Geithner Preparing Overhaul Of Bailout  —  Obama Team Broadens Scope to Secure Final $350 Billion for Rescue  —  Confronted with intense skepticism on Capitol Hill over the $700 billion financial rescue program, Treasury Secretary nominee Timothy F. Geithner and President-elect Barack Obama's economic team …

Former FEMA director among evacuated  —  Michael D. Brown, former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was among those forced to flee his home by the Olde Stage Road Fire.  —  Brown's home north of Boulder was spared, but he and his wife, Tamarra, spent Wednesday night at a friend's rental apartment in nearby Longmont.

UN backs ceasefire call for Gaza  —  Diplomats cast their vote on the resolution  —  The UN Security Council has passed a resolution urging an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, with the US alone abstaining.  —  The UK-drafted resolution also calls for a full Israeli withdrawal …

Sheriff Accused of Stealing Jail Food Allowance  —  DECATUR, Ala. — The prisoners in the Morgan County jail here were always hungry.  The sheriff, meanwhile, was getting a little richer.  Alabama law allowed it: the chief lawman could go light on prisoners' meals and pocket the leftover change.

On Proportionality  —  How much is too much in war?  —  Let's talk about proportionality—or, more important, about its negative form.  “Disproportionate” is the favorite critical term in current discussions of the morality of war.  But most of the people who use it don't know what it means …

Report of possible P-I sale surprises papers' leaders  —  The future of one of Seattle's two daily newspapers was called into question Thursday by a TV station report, though top leaders at both papers appeared surprised by the report.  —  KING 5 reported at about 5 p.m. that …