Poll Finds Disapproval of Bush Unwavering  —  President Bush prepares to leave office with no evidence that public opinion toward him is softening during his final days in power, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.  —  When asked about Mr. Bush's performance over the last eight years …

Calif. tax refunds to be delayed starting Feb. 1  —  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California's controller says he will begin a 30-day delay on tax refunds and other payments starting Feb. 1 because the state is running out of money.  —  Controller John Chiang said Friday he must delay $3.7 billion …

Circuit City to Shut Down  —  Circuit City Stores, a bellwether American retailer, said Friday that it would go out of business, stripping the nation of its second-largest consumer electronics chain.  —  The company, which filed for bankruptcy protection in November but had hoped to emerge …

Justices to Hear 2 Cases Brought Against Schools  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide two cases pitting parents against public schools.  —  One concerns a 13-year-old honor student who was subjected to a strip search by school officials in Arizona looking for prescription-strength ibuprofen.

Fox reporter: Bush ‘inherited the 9/11 attacks.’  —  Today, President Bush left for Camp David for what is expected to be his last departure from the White House via Marine One.  During Fox News's coverage of the event, hosts Martha MacCallum and Wendell Goler tried to rewrite history for Bush:

The Bush Record  —  Thinking back to George W. Bush's farewell address it's striking that the best thing the man can say about his record in office is that only once during his term in office were 3,000 people killed by foreign terrorists.  And it's really striking that other people …

‘Drug-crazed idiot’ Boy George jailed for 15 months for chaining male escort to wall and beating him … Boy George was jailed for 15 months yesterday for falsely imprisoning a male escort.  —  The former Culture Club singer - real name George O'Dowd - shackled Audun Carlsen to a wall …

£200bn to save banks from bad debt  —  The taxpayer will be forced to underwrite up to £200 billion of bad banking debt under a government plan to take control of assets belonging to Britain's major high street lenders, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Arabs lost 2.5 trillion dollars from credit crunch: Kuwait … Arab investors have lost 2.5 trillion dollars from the credit crunch, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Sabah, whose country hosts an Arab economic summit next week, said on Friday.  —  “The Arab world has lost 2.5 trillion dollars …

January 10, 2009: The Intifada is globalized as the Gaza War becomes a world war  —  On January 10, the war between Israel and Hamas became a global conflict.  No longer confined to the Gaza Strip, the fighting spread to cities around the world: what were billed as “anti-war” …

Senators urge Obama to buy F-22s  —  Senators are pressing President-elect Obama to allow the Air Force to continue buying F-22 Raptor fighter jets.  —  Deciding whether to buy more F-22s after the final aircraft on order is delivered at the end of 2011 is one of the first strategic …

Provocation of The Day: Coleman Could Still Win  —  In some ways, Al Franken's 225 vote lead the Minnesota Senate race is an illusory number.  That's his margin after the state canvassing board completed its recount.  Why isn't he in the Senate?  —  Thank Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Profiles in Courage: Obama's Freshman Democratic Senators  —  Of seven newly minted freshman Democratic senators, six voted for releasing the second half of the $700 billion TARP funds in what is being considered Obama's first major test of strength on the Hill.

Iraqi guards said to throw party for shoe-thrower  —  BAGHDAD - The Iraqi journalist jailed since throwing his shoes at President George W. Bush got a visit from his brother Friday and a birthday party from his guards as he turned 30.  —  Muntadhar al-Zeidi, who has gained cult status …

Secret List of U.S. Military Bases to Replace Gitmo  —  Pendleton, Leavenworth, Miramar Included as Possible New Home for 250 Detainees  —  The U.S. military has prepared a list of U.S. military bases that could be used to house as many as 250 detainees currently being held at the U.S. Naval base …

Freeh: Holder was ‘used’ in Rich pardon  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former FBI Director Louis Freeh said Friday that Attorney General-designate Eric Holder allowed himself “to be used” by the Clinton White House in the pardon process for then-fugitive financier Marc Rich in January 2001.