Obama's Order Is Likely to Tighten Auto Standards  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama will direct federal regulators on Monday to move swiftly on an application by California and 13 other states to set strict automobile emission and fuel efficiency standards, two administration officials said Sunday.

Republicans Are Resistant to Obama's Stimulus Plan  —  Republicans plan to test President Obama's commitment to bipartisanship as his $825 billion stimulus package heads to the floor of the House of Representatives this week, with the House Republican leader saying Sunday morning …

KENNEDYS LIVID AS GOV ASKED CAROLINE TO ‘LIE’  —  An “apoplectic” Kennedy family is seething over the rough treatment that heiress apparent Caroline got from Gov. Paterson's office and is spoiling for revenge, several sources close to the clan have told The Post.

Pelosi Shrugs off Alcatraz as Possible Terror Detention Facility  —  Republicans opposing an Obama administration order to close Guantanamo Bay prison facility within a year suggest sending terror detainees to House Speaker Pelosi's district.  —  FOXNews.com

Blagojevich in NBC interview compares himself to Gandhi, King and Mandela  —  Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy  —  Impeached Gov. Blagojevich, on the first leg of his media blitz timed to the start of his impeachment trial, in an NBC interview broadcast …

This Is Not a Test  —  Stop me if you've heard this one before.  “Guy walks into a bar ...” No, not that one — this one: “This is the most critical year ever for Palestinian-Israeli diplomacy.  It is five minutes to midnight.  If we don't get diplomacy back on track soon, it will be the end of the two-state solution.”

Swedish Police Chief Allows Antisemitic Stonethrowing Mob To Attack Demonstrators  —  Update:  —  The Twingly-service, that lists blogs that link to an article in a newspaper, at first showed my blog posts about the demo.  Now, all Twingly-links to the newspaper Sydsvenskan have been removed.

Economy in free fall in fourth quarter  —  Worst quarter since early 1980s, and more to come  —  WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The U.S. economy contracted violently in the fourth quarter, with gross domestic product falling at its fastest pace in more than 25 years, economists said ahead …

Nationalization Gets a New, Serious Look  —  WASHINGTON — Only five days into the Obama presidency, members of the new administration and Democratic leaders in Congress are already dancing around one of the most politically delicate questions about the financial bailout …

Drug Lawyer Turns Informant, Stings Clients  —  Share This: Digg!  —  This is an amazing story.  Frank Pignatelli was a criminal defense attorney representing drug defendants in Akron Ohio.  He got busted for helping his clients buy stash houses and faced a criminal indictment.

‘Campaign architect’ Karl Rove speaks to students about Gitmo, presidential legacy  —  To read more stories from this writer, click their name.  —  Karl Rove, one-time deputy chief of staff to former President George W. Bush, spoke to a jam-packed Storer Auditorium at the University of Miami Thursday afternoon.

Hamas tried to hijack ambulances during Gaza war  —  In ruins... a masked Hamas militant walks through the devastated area of east Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip.  —  Jason Koutsoukis in Gaza City  —  PALESTINIAN civilians living in Gaza during the three-week war with Israel have spoken …

PELOSI SAYS BIRTH CONTROL WILL HELP ECONOMY  —  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi boldly defended a move to add birth control funding to the new economic “stimulus” package, claiming “contraception will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.”

Deep in Debt, and Now Deep in Worry  —  NOT long ago, a woman in California called me for advice.  She is divorced, with two children, and has a series of interlocking financial problems.  —  She lives in a lovely home in a stylish inland enclave.  It has an interest-only mortgage …