Hudson River hero is ex-Air Force fighter pilot  —  NEW YORK (AP) — The pilot who guided a crippled US Airways jetliner safely into the Hudson River — saving all 155 people aboard — became an instant hero Thursday, with accolades from the mayor and governor and a fan club online.

President Bush Makes Farewell Address to the Nation  —  THE PRESIDENT: Fellow citizens: For eight years, it has been my honor to serve as your President.  The first decade of this new century has been a period of consequence — a time set apart.  Tonight, with a thankful heart …

Forgive and Forget?  —  Last Sunday President-elect Barack Obama was asked whether he would seek an investigation of possible crimes by the Bush administration.  “I don't believe that anybody is above the law,” he responded, but “we need to look forward as opposed to looking backwards.”

Suspend Your Disbelief  —  How to enjoy an inauguration fully.  —  Washington  —  Flying in, we take the route over the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson, the Tidal Basin: the signs and symbols of the great republic.  And you've seen it all a thousand times but you can't stop looking, and you can't help it, your eyes well.

Bank of America to Receive Additional $20 Billion  —  Kenneth D. Lewis gambled on bold acquisitions to build Bank of America into the nation's largest bank.  —  But the need for fresh government support to grapple with the newly revealed losses at Merrill Lynch, the brokerage firm he snapped …

AP's final dig at President Bush  —  President Bush delivered his farewell address this evening.  He leaves a mixed legacy.  I give him credit where it is due and blame where it is due.  But one thing is unadulterated: The pure contempt of the man from the MSM.

Did Obama Skip Bush's Speech?  —  As his predecessor, President Bush, said his final goodbyes to America on national television, President-elect Barack Obama and his wife Michelle dined at the DC restaurant, Equinox Thursday night.  —  CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic, who waited outside the restaurant …

Star Tribune files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy  —  Facing sharp revenue declines, Minnesota's largest newspaper seeks to cut labor costs and restructure its debt.  —  The Star Tribune, saddled with high debt and a sharp decline in print advertising, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition Thursday night.

Beam me up: Scientists left baffled as mysterious columns of coloured light appear in the night skies  —  These stunning images show mysterious columns of light streaming into the sky above the town of Sigulda in Latvia at the end of last month.  —  Taken by designer Aigar Truhins …

Obama Pledges Reform of Social Security, Medicare Programs  —  President-Elect Says He'll Reshape Social Security, Medicare Programs  —  President-elect Barack Obama pledged yesterday to shape a new Social Security and Medicare “bargain” with the American people, saying …

The Spending Plan is Out  —  I just got a copy of the $825 billion spending plan outlined by the Democratic-controlled House Appropriations Committee.  —  It is frightening.  —  Take a looksee here if you don't believe me.  —  The highlights of this bill, allegedly crafted to save us …

HEY BABY.  I'VE BEEN THINKING THAT WE SHOULD BE EXCLUSIVE.  —  Over at Grist, Tom Laskawy examines Michael Pollan's proposal to make the House Agricultural Committee “exclusive.”  As Laskawy says, this looks like a better idea than it is.  An “exclusive” committee is a committee considered …

The real reason Bill Clinton pardoned Marc Rich  —  Eric Holder is sworn in at his confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill.  —  From beginning to end, the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Eric Holder's nomination as attorney general observed …

As atheists roll out London ads, believers unruffled  —  Billboard campaign promotes atheist beliefs on buses.  —  PARIS - It's the first mass marketing of atheism in Britain - and many in the community of faith say that's just fine.  —  On Jan. 6 some 800 British red “bendy” buses carried the sign: “There is probably no God.

War on Drugs: The Collateral Damage  —  Prohibition militarizes police, enriches our enemies, undermines our laws, and condemns our sick to suffering. … At around 6pm on January 27 of last year, 80-year-old Isaac Singletary spotted a couple of drug dealers attempting to do business on his front lawn.