Biden Outlines Plans to Do More With Less Power  —  WASHINGTON — He was in the Senate for 36 years and visited the White House under seven presidents.  But Joseph R. Biden Jr. has never seen the inside of the vice president's office in the West Wing.  “I never thought a lot about the vice presidency …

GOP senators target two Obama nominees  —  Partisan lines have formed around President-elect Obama's two most embattled Cabinet picks, with Eric Holder and Tim Geithner facing increasing criticism from Republicans.  —  Democrats, who have not shied away from attacking Obama's economic team …

Democrats Finishing Up Stimulus Proposal  —  President-Elect Is Expected to Tout Plan Tomorrow  —  Congressional Democrats are putting the final touches on an economic stimulus package worth almost $850 billion, hoping to have the details ready in time for President-elect Barack Obama …

War on Hamas Saps Palestinian Leaders  —  JERUSALEM — Israel hoped that the war in Gaza would not only cripple Hamas, but eventually strengthen its secular rival, the Palestinian Authority, and even allow it to claw its way back into Gaza.  —  But with each day, the authority, its leader …

‘War on terror’ was a mistake, says Miliband  —  The foreign secretary, David Miliband, today argues that the use of the “war on terror” as a western rallying cry since the September 11 attacks has been a mistake that may have caused “more harm than good”.  —  In an article in today's Guardian …

The Minnesota Recount Was Unconstitutional  —  There's still plenty of time for the state to get it right.  —  You would think people would learn.  The recount in the contest between Norm Coleman and Al Franken for a seat in the U.S. Senate isn't just embarrassing.  It is unconstitutional.

Inaugural Freak Show  —  Blogs and Stories  —  You'll never believe how a Christian right congressman and two anti-abortion protestors have prepared the Capitol for the Obama's inauguration.  —  On January 7, second-term Republican Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia and two friends prayed over a door.

Israel Strikes U.N. Complex in Gaza Strip  —  GAZA — Amid reports that a United Nations building had been hit, Israeli forces shelled areas deep inside Gaza City and edged forward toward the city center Thursday, sending thousands of panicked residents fleeing from their homes, witnesses said.

New official portrait released  —  Today we are releasing the new official portrait for President Barack Obama.  —  It was taken by Pete Souza, the newly-announced official White House photographer.  —  It is the first time that an official presidential portrait was taken with a digital camera.

AP Slammed Bush's ‘Extravagant’ Inaugural in '05, But Now It's Spend, Baby, Spend  —  Four years ago, the Associated Press and others in the press suggested it was in poor taste for Republicans to spend $40 million on President Bush's inauguration.  AP writer Will Lester calculated the impact …

Inauguration havens for D.C. homeless  —  Population within inauguration security zone encouraged to stay in shelters  —  WASHINGTON - From the steam grates of Pennsylvania Avenue to the porticoes of the city's grand buildings, homeless Washingtonians who live inside the nation's tightest security zone …

Where Is Oil Going Next?  —  HOUSTON — From the Indian Ocean to the South Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico, giant supertankers brimming with oil are resting at anchor or slowly tracing racetrack patterns through the sea, heading nowhere.  —  The ships are marking time, serving as floating oil-storage tanks.

U.N. Agency That Runs School Hit in Gaza Employed Hamas and Islamic Jihad Members  —  The United Nations agency that administers a school in Gaza where dozens of civilians were killed by Israeli mortar fire last week has admitted to employing terrorists to work at its Palestinian schools in the past …

Obama to End Military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama will allow gays to serve openly in the military by overturning the controversial “don't ask, don't tell” policy that marred President Clinton's first days in office, according to incoming White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

Gannett to Furlough Workers for Week  —  The Gannett Company, the nation's largest newspaper publisher, said on Wednesday that it would force thousands of its employees to take a week off without pay in an effort to avoid layoffs.  —  Gannett, which owns 85 daily newspapers across …

Key step to Chavez term law vote  —  Venezuela's national assembly has approved a constitutional amendment to remove limits on how many times President Hugo Chavez can serve.  —  The amendment, which applies to all elected officials, must be approved by a referendum within 30 days, a vote correspondents say is set to be close.

Shaky economy means ‘bye-bye baby’ for some  —  Birth rate expected to drop in U.S. as more couples delay family plans  —  Forget about cutting back on cable and pricey cappuccinos.  For some couples, a shaky economy means putting plans to grow or start a family on hold.

The Audacity of Hoops … The path is a familiar one: Ancestry in Kansas; influences from Africa; a kind of apotheosis in Michael Jordan's Chicago; eventual acclamation by the world.  And while, no, basketball itself won't be sworn in next Tuesday as the 44th president of the U.S. …

Poll: Broad Backing for Obama, Stimulus  —  WASHINGTON — Americans support the economic-stimulus plan being pushed by President-elect Barack Obama but worry the government will spend too much money and widen the budget deficit, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found.