Did Reid roll Pelosi?  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid played a little high-stakes chicken with each other at the tail end of Wednesday's shotgun stimulus talks.  —  It's not clear who won - or who blinked.  —  According to a half dozen Congressional aides and members …

An Open Letter to the Government of the UK  —  On Tuesday, February 10, 2009, Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders, leader of the Partij voor de Vrijheid (Party for Freedom), received a letter written on behalf of British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.  It informed Mr. Wilders that on traveling …

Stimulus Support Edges Higher, Now 59%  —  Support up mainly among Democrats; flat among independents  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Public support for an $800 billion economic stimulus package has increased to 59% in a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted Tuesday night, up from 52% in Gallup polling a week ago, as well as in late January.

Remember This Catchphrase: “Maybe Too Little, Always Too Late”  —  Now that the stimulus package is about to become law (likely signed by Barack Obama on President's Day next Monday no less!), here's something to keep in mind.  And on file.  —  And if this chart is correct …

Meltdown 101: Highlights of economic stimulus plan  —  WASHINGTON - Now that there's a tentative agreement on the economic stimulus plan that President Barack Obama and other supporters hope will provide a considerable jolt to the economy, how long will it take to get infrastructure and other projects moving?

Panel Calls U.S. Drug War a Failure  —  MEXICO CITY — As drug violence spirals out of control in Mexico, a commission led by three former Latin American heads of state blasted the U.S.-led drug war as a failure that is pushing Latin American societies to the breaking point.

China to stick with US bonds  —  China will continue to buy US Treasury bonds even though it knows the dollar will depreciate because such investments remain its “only option” in a perilous world, a senior Chinese banking regulator said on Wednesday.  —  China has used the dollars …

69 computers missing from nuclear weapons lab  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - The Los Alamos nuclear weapons laboratory in New Mexico is missing 69 computers, including at least a dozen that were stolen last year, a lab spokesman said.

Bank Test May Expand U.S. Regulators' Role  —  Nearly 100 federal banking regulators descended on Citigroup in New York on Wednesday morning.  Dozens more fanned out through Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and other big banks across the nation.  —  It was just another workday.

Panic in Kabul  —  Is Islamabad next?  —  By Shuja Nawaz  —  The coordinated attacks by the Taliban in Kabul on the eve of U.S. Amb.  Richard Holbrooke's arrival were no coincidence.  Apart from ratcheting up fear among the citizens of Kabul, these attacks may well reflect a sense of desperation on the part of the Taliban.

Female FBI officer ‘tortured Mumbai terror attacks suspect with sex’  —  A female FBI officer tortured a suspect in the Mumbai terrorist attacks by performing a sex act on him during interrogation, it has been claimed.  —  Fahim Ansari is accused of helping to plan the attacks in which 173 people were killed in November.

Obama's Battle on Stimulus Shows Threats to His Agenda  —  WASHINGTON — It is a quick, sweet victory for the new president, and potentially a historic one.  The question now is whether the $789 billion economic stimulus plan agreed to by Congressional leaders on Wednesday is the opening act …

All stimulus politics is local  —  President Barack Obama insists there's no pork in the massive economic stimulus bill, but just the same, the White House is stepping up its efforts to make sure you know what highway projects the legislation will deliver near you.

Murtha May Be In Hot Water  —  This week might bring another ethical embarrassment to the Democrats, who have been stung in recent weeks by revelations of misconduct by some of President Obama's nominees for key positions.  The FBI is investigating Representative John P. Murtha's relationship …

AP Duped By Atlantic Swimmer Hoax  —  It's a good thing they have those layers of editors and fact checkers in order to prevent embarrassing episodes like this. … Typical journalistic laziness that's been on display far too long.  —  Finally they ran a correction.

The Real Stimulus Burden  —  We'll be paying for this in many ways, for many years.  —  In 2003, amid debate about the Bush tax cuts and a budget deficit of merely $400 billion, Maine Senator Olympia Snowe demanded that any tax cuts be capped at $350 billion.

Prosecutor to Interview Key Witnesses About U.S. Attorney Firings  —  A federal prosecutor investigating the dismissal of nine U.S. attorneys during the Bush administration has issued a subpoena to former senator Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.) and is preparing to interview key witnesses, lawyers following the case say.

Key GOP Senator in Stimulus Deal Is Known for Centrist Approach  —  Six years ago, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was working to broker a deal with a Democratic colleague that would steer $20 billion in relief to struggling state governments when she was abruptly called into the office of House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R).

Angry survivors blame council ‘green’ policy  —  ANGRY residents last night accused local authorities of contributing to the bushfire toll by failing to let residents chop down trees and clear up bushland that posed a fire risk.  —  During question time at a packed community meeting …

Obama's Press List  —  Membership shall have its privileges.  —  About half-way through President Obama's press conference Monday night, he had an unscripted question of his own.  “All, Chuck Todd,” the President said, referring to NBC's White House correspondent.  “Where's Chuck?”

Senate Committee Approves Solis as Labor Secretary  —  One week after postponing a confirmation vote on Hilda Soli as secretary of labor, the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee today approved on a voice vote President's Obama's choice to lead the Labor Department and sent …