Obama's Plan to Close Prison at Guantánamo May Take Year  —  President-elect Barack Obama plans to issue an executive order on his first full day in office directing the closing of the Guantánamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, people briefed by Obama transition officials said Monday.

AP: Clinton acted on concerns of husband's donors  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State appointee Hillary Rodham Clinton intervened at least six times in government issues directly affecting companies and others that later contributed to her husband's foundation, an Associated Press review of her official correspondence found.

Obama Seeks Second Half of Bailout Funds  —  Request for Funds Meets Skepticism On Capitol Hill  —  President-elect Barack Obama yesterday launched an aggressive campaign to persuade a deeply skeptical Congress to permit him to spend another $350 billion to stabilize the still-fragile U.S. financial system …

Where Some See Mistakes, He Sees Disappointments  —  “This is the ultimate exit interview,” President Bush told the White House press corps yesterday as he faced it for a final time in the briefing room.  —  And the interviewee had come with well-rehearsed lines for any question his interviewers could devise.

Weighing Reach of Law in Appeals for Clemency  —  WASHINGTON — In an unusually testy argument, the Supreme Court on Monday tried to make sense of a federal law that provides lawyers to poor inmates on state death rows when their cases move to federal court.

Obama Shelves Jobs-Credit Proposal  —  Democrats Said $3,000 Tax Incentive Could Be Abused by Businesses  —  Bowing to widespread Democratic skepticism, President-elect Barack Obama will drop his bid to include a business tax break he once touted in the economic stimulus bill now taking shape on Capitol Hill, aides said last night.

Michael Moore Lawsuit  —  Due to many meetings and holiday travel, I am still working on pieces about the incredible U.S. soldiers who took me on some dangerous missions in December.  Also, my trip with Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, harvested important information.

Olmert Says He Made Rice Change Vote  —  WASHINGTON — In an unusually public rebuke, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel said Monday that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had been forced to abstain from a United Nations resolution on Gaza that she helped draft, after Mr. Olmert placed a phone call to President Bush.

Go East, young man?  Californians look for the exit  —  LOS ANGELES - Mike Reilly spent his lifetime chasing the California dream.  This year he's going to look for it in Colorado.  —  With a house purchase near Denver in the works, the 38-year-old engineering contractor plans to move …

O TO ARRIVE IN A ‘LINCOLN’  —  INAUGURAL THEMES WILL HARKEN BACK TO GREAT EMANCIPATOR  —  They're going to party like it's 1861!  —  In what will be a Lincoln-themed inauguration from top to bottom, Obama won't only follow in the footsteps of the former president - he'll also eat like him, it was announced yesterday.

Student auctions off virginity for offers of more than £2.5 million  —  A student who is auctioning her virginity to pay for a masters degree in Family and Marriage therapy has seen bidding hit £2.5million ($3.7m).  —  Natalie Dylan, 22, claims her offer of a one-night stand …

Hamas raids aid trucks, sells supplies  —  Hamas on Monday raided some 100 aid trucks that Israel had allowed into Gaza, stole their contents and sold them to the highest bidders.  —  The IDF said that since terminal activity is coordinated with UNRWA and the Red Cross …

Meghan McCain Sits Down With MMC To Talk Blogs, Bikers, Politics & Why She Only Takes Off Her High Heels To Swim  —  Meghan McCain is an American blogger and daughter of the 2008 Republican nominee for President, John McCain.  —  Most recently, Ms. McCain spent almost two years …

Replacing Voinovich: Contenders are already edging toward running in 2010  —  George Voinovich's decision to retire from the U.S. Senate injected courage Monday into politicians interested in his seat and ignited a lively race with national implications that could last nearly two years.

Top Officer Urges Limit on Mission of Military  —  WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday that senior officers must work to prevent the militarization of American foreign policy, and he urged generals and admirals to tell civilian leaders when they believed …

Gulf Oil States Seeking a Lead in Clean Energy  —  ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — With one of the highest per capita carbon footprints in the world, these oil-rich emirates would seem an unlikely place for a green revolution.  —  Gasoline sells for 45 cents a gallon.

Stimulus slots more cash for schools  —  Federal aid for education could grow as much as $140 billion under a two-year economic stimulus bill now taking shape in Congress, where Democrats are proposing a new block grant for states and a $15 billion expansion of annual Pell grants to low-income college students.