Economy Shed 598,000 Jobs in January  —  WASHINGTON — The United States lost almost 600,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent, its highest level in more than 16 years, the Labor Department said Friday.  —  It was the biggest monthly job loss since the economy tipped …

The Fierce Urgency of Pork  —  “A failure to act, and act now, will turn crisis into a catastrophe.”  —  Catastrophe, mind you.  So much for the president who in his inaugural address two weeks earlier declared “we have chosen hope over fear.”  Until, that is, you need fear to pass a bill.

Japan's Big-Works Stimulus Is Lesson  —  HAMADA, Japan — The Hamada Marine Bridge soars majestically over this small fishing harbor, so much larger than the squid boats anchored below that it seems out of place.  —  And it is not just the bridge.  Two decades of generous public works spending …

Bush Jacketless In Oval Office: Photo Uncovered After Bush Chief Of Staff Slams Obama's Informal Appearance (SLIDESHOW)  —  One day after President Bush's former Chief of Staff Andrew Card blasted President Obama for breaking the Bush dress code, which reportedly required that a jacket be worn …

Dramatic tapes of Hilda Solis-White House emergency radio chatter  —  In an amazing news coincidence, on the very same day as the US Air Flight 1549 emergency radio tapes were released, The Ticket has exclusively obtained the tapes of recent emergency radio conversations between ground traffic controllers …

GOP Opposes Pay Limits On Bailed-Out Bankers  —  Wall Street bankers, with their $18 billion in bonuses, private jets and gaudy conferences, are causing headaches for the GOP.  —  President Obama has proposed capping compensation for executives at banks that take taxpayer bailout money at $500,000.

Mitt Romney: The GOP's Top MBA  —  It's been a year since Mitt Romney dropped out of the Republican presidential race, but he remains an influential conservative voice— particularly on economic issues.  The former Massachusetts governor and star business consultant earned ovations …

Bracing Ourselves  —  America prepares for the worst, and Republicans suddenly seem serious.  —  All week the word I kept thinking of was “braced.”  America is braced, like people who are going fast and see a crash ahead.  They know huge and historic challenges are here.

Tax Court Takes Swipe at Daschle-Geithner-Killefer-Solis in Making Koko Taylor Sing the Tax Blues  —  I previously blogged the sad case of Grammy-winning blues singer Koko Taylor, who is 80 years old and in poor health: … The Tax Court yesterday held that the IRS did not abuse its discretion …

Mass Layoffs Hit RNC  —  Newly-elected RNC Chairman Michael Steele cleans house.  (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)  —  One week after Michael Steele won a hotly contested race to be the chairman of the Republican National Committee, he has cleaned house and laid off almost the entire RNC staff.

REPORT: GOP Lawmakers Outnumber Dem Lawmakers By Almost 2 To 1 In Cable News Stimulus Debate Again  —  Last week, ThinkProgress released a report showing that, in the debate over the House economic recovery bill on the five cable news networks, Republican members of Congress outnumbered …

Harkin, Grijalva push Dean for HHS  —  Two prominent Democrats are urging President Obama to nominate former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D) as secretary of Health and Human Services.  —  Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over HHS and sits on the Health …

As Layoffs Surge, Women May Pass Men in Job Force  —  With the recession on the brink of becoming the longest in the postwar era, a milestone may be at hand: Women are poised to surpass men on the nation's payrolls, taking the majority for the first time in American history.

Obey on Stimulus Waste: ‘So What?’  —  How money is spent should be far from the biggest concern about the stimulus package, its chief author, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wisc.) said Friday.  —  “So what?”  Obey asked in response to a question on NPR's “Morning Edition” …

AQ Khan freed by Pakistan high court  —  Abdul Qadeer Khan, Pakistan's best known nuclear scientist, was freed after five years of effective house arrest for his alleged role in sharing nuclear know-how and technology with Iran, Libya and North Korea.  —  Mr Khan, a metallurgical engineer …

Latest Cuts To The Stim Package: Head Start, Child Nutrition, Food Stamps Public Transit  —  I've just obtained an internal Senate committee memo detailing the latest cuts being eyed by the gang of Senators being led by Dem Ben Nelson and GOPer Susan Collins.  Here is what's being eyed in the bill right now:

The Gang System  —  Barack Obama is a potentially transformational figure.  In political style and intellectual outlook, he is unlike anything that has come before.  On matters of policy substance, however, he's been pretty conventional.  The policies he offered during the campaign matched those of just about every other Democrat.

Museum stays mum on honoring Cheney … Published reports that former Vice President Dick Cheney will be the guest of honor at the Manchester-based American Museum of Fly Fishing's annual dinner at the New York Angler's Club on March 5 has the organization re-examining that decision.

Limbaugh Well-Liked by Many, but Not All, Republicans  —  Strong majority of Democrats have negative opinions of the conservative talk-show host  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh is viewed favorably by 60% of Republicans nationwide, while 23% have an unfavorable opinion of him.

The Bredesen Experience  —  The White House and Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee are in serious discussions about the Health and Human Services Secretary position; Bredesen is being vetted for the job.  Some activists and health care experts are very anxious because they know that Bredesen …

Despite Obama's promises, rival views are scrubbed from White House  —  Only weeks ago, the political world was buzzing about a “team of rivals.”  America was told that finally, after years of yes-men running the government, we were getting a president who would follow President Abraham Lincoln's lead …

Obama's Preemptive Strike  —  President Obama's desire to talk — and talk, and talk — to the American public could cost broadcast networks millions, and millions, and millions of prime-time TV dollars.  —  Broadcasters are bracing themselves for the likelihood of three prime-time interruptions …

UN halts Gaza aid over ‘thefts’  —  The UN aid agency in Gaza says it has suspended all aid shipments, accusing the Hamas government of seizing hundreds of tonnes of food supplies.  —  Ten truckloads of flour and rice were taken from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, the UN's Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) said.

‘WHAT DO YOU THINK A STIMULUS IS?’....  I'm starting to get the impression that President Obama has just about seen enough.  He's talked, listened, cajoled, back-slapped, and engaged in hours of discussions with confused conservatives who don't seem to know what they're talking about.

Closing argument: Obama changes tone  —  With his economic stimulus bill facing a rockier path than he'd hope, a different Barack Obama emerged Thursday.  —  Gone was the conciliatory rhetoric and gentle wooing of the GOP.  —  Instead appeared a president sounding like the candidate …

Please Raise My Taxes  —  I'M the chief executive of a publicly traded company and, like my peers, I'm very highly paid.  The difference between salaries like mine and those of average Americans creates a lot of tension, and I'd like to offer a suggestion.  President Obama should celebrate our success …

Val Kilmer ponders running for governor  —  Democrat actor known for roles as ‘Batman’ and ‘Iceman’ eyes 2010 race  —  SANTA FE, N.M. - Holy hornet's nest, Batman!  The New Mexico governor's mansion?  —  Fresh from the inauguration, actor Val Kilmer is pondering running for governor in 2010 …