Al Qaeda bungles arms experiment  —  Biological or chemical weapons  —  An al Qaeda affiliate in Algeria closed a base earlier this month after an experiment with unconventional weapons went awry, a senior U.S. intelligence official said Monday.  —  The official, who spoke on the condition …

On Moving Day for 2 First Families, a Bit of Magic by 93 Pairs of Hands  —  WASHINGTON — The peaceful transfer of power that will take place at the Capitol on Inauguration Day is, to many, a miracle of American democracy.  But down at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, another sort of miracle will occur: Moving Day.

I Pledge to Ridicule Celebrities Who Refuse to Recognize We Are At War With People Who Want to Kill Them, Too  —  Many of the celebrities that were central to demonizing and making life impossible for President Bush for eight loathsome years NOW want to help with the heavy lifting of bringing America …

Gordon Brown brings Britain to the edge of bankruptcy  —  Iain Martin says the Prime Minister hasn't ‘saved the world’ and now faces disgrace in the history books  —  They don't know what they're doing, do they?  With every step taken by the Government as it tries frantically to prop …

BDS rages in DuPont Circle  —  This morning, in DuPont Circle, eight blocks from the White House, Bush Derangement Syndrome raged among the old coots of VFP, VVAW, IVAW, Code Pink, World Can't Wait and who knows who else was there.  Their main attraction was throwing shoes at this thirty-foot blow …

D.C. tattoo parlors offer lasting inaugural memories  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sometimes, a T-shirt just doesn't cut it.  —  For those who want a more permanent way to showcase their support for Barack Obama, Washington's tattoo parlors are ready to help.  —  “There's nothing more memorable …

Early Risers Try to Get a Jumpstart on Celebration  —  They woke up early.  They stayed up late.  They arrived in cars and charter buses from Ohio and Tennessee and the Carolinas.  —  And as dawn broke they began packing the Mall and jammed a Metro rail and bus system straining to provide access …

Why I'm not sorry that George W. Bush beat Al Gore and John Kerry.  —  Yes, yes, I was on the downtown streets of Washington bright and early, mingling with the bright-eyed and the wide-eyed.  Yes, by all means I was there on the Mall Sunday afternoon, feeling no more moist than the next person …

Pray Obama fails  —  Many American Christians believe, as an article of faith, that we are to pray for the success of our leaders.  —  It has become a sort of conventional wisdom among soft-minded believers.  The biblical proof-text for this misguided way of thinking is Romans 13:1-4:

Cheney Pulls Muscle and Is in Wheelchair  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Dick Cheney pulled a muscle in his back on Monday while moving boxes and will be in a wheelchair for Tuesday's inauguration ceremony.  —  The White House press secretary, Dana Perino, said Mr. Cheney was helping …

Inauguration Day  —  THE DAWN of a new presidency is always a time of awe and anxiety.  The awe comes in bearing witness to the peaceful transfer of power as a new chapter of national history unfolds.  The anxiety speaks to an untested new leader and the challenges he will face.

Fiat Nears Stake in Chrysler That Could Lead to Takeover  —  By STACY MEICHTRY in Rome and JOHN STOLL in Detroit  —  In an attempt to revive two of the world's storied auto makers, Italy's Fiat SpA and Chrysler LLC are poised to announce a partnership as soon as today in which Fiat …

Bush's Real Sin Was Winning in Iraq  —  In a few hours, George W. Bush will walk out of the Oval Office for the last time as president.  As he leaves, he carries with him the near-universal opprobrium of the permanent class that inhabits our nation's capital.

Tax dollars fund Bush transition  —  President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are each worth millions, but taxpayers will pay as much as $2.2 million to them to move out of their temporary Washington lodgings and help them begin their post-administration lives.

Mayor admits '05 relationship with teen  —  After many denials, Adams confesses to relationship with man, 18, in '05  —  PORTLAND, Ore. - More than a year after denying it, the newly elected mayor of Portland has admitted having a sexual relationship with a male teenager in 2005.

Obama's Inaugural Address: Great Expectations  —  President-Elect Has Set the Bar High for His Inauguration Day Speech  —  For any incoming president, an inaugural address is a real challenge.  For Barack Obama, it may be a stiffer challenge than for most of his predecessors.

PRESIDENT BUSH: AN ASSESSMENT  —  President Bush leaves office mostly unloved, with some poll respondents saying that they consider him one of our worst presidents ever.  This in itself is odd.  Generally, our worst Presidents have been one-termers, for obvious reasons: James Buchanan …