Senate on the Verge of Approving Stimulus Bill  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate was on the verge of giving final approval on Friday evening to an economic stimulus package of some $787 billion, readying it for the signature of President Obama, who has said he is eager to sign it in an attempt …

Prominent Orchard Park man charged with beheading his wife  —  Orchard Park police are investigating a particularly gruesome killing, the beheading of a woman, after her husband — an influential member of the local Muslim community — reported her death to police Thursday.

Specter: Republicans Support Stimulus, Don't Want ‘Fingerprints’ On It  —  Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), who broke with his party to support President Obama's stimulus package last week, said before the final vote Friday that more of his colleagues would have joined were they not afraid of the political consequences.

In New Opinion, Minnesota Election Court Seriously Damages Coleman's Chances  —  The Minnesota election court has just handed down a very important ruling that will determine the entire course of the rest of this trial — and it's very bad news for Norm Coleman, cutting off multiple avenues …

Addicted to fake outrage  —  I'm not sure if it's because we're strung out on “Lost” episodes, or if it's because we're still suffering from a post-9/11 stress disorder that makes us crave “breaking news” alerts, or if it's because the economy has turned us into distraction junkies.

THE WHITE HOUSE BUBBLE  —  From NBC's Chuck Todd  —  Obviously, I'm one of the newbies here in the White House press corps, so maybe I'm unfamiliar with the ways of how this place works.  I have to say, nothing is more frustrating than covering an actual event here at the White House …

Borders Bookstore in Dallas Praises Saint Obama  —  A reader sent me this picture taken at a Borders Bookstore in Dallas.  He says the picture was taken in the Kids section.  I guess Borders understands that it's never too early to indoctrinate the younguns.  —  Welcome to the Obamanation.

Authoritarianism Just Around the Corner  —  It's possible you've also already been following the debate prompted by Damon Linker's attack on Andrew Bacevich's vision of conservatism; if not, go here and here and here; here for Linker's response to his critics; and here and here for more.

Afghan President Karzai hopes Obama will “settle down,” show “better judgment”  —  President Barack Obama is moving up in the world in terms of picking fights.  Or walking into them.  —  First came a disagreement over the impact of the administration's economic stimulus package in East Peoria …

Dems target right-wing talk radio  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — More and More Democrats in Congress are calling for action that Republicans warn could muzzle right-wing talk radio.  —  Representative Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat from New York is the latest to say he wants to bring back the …

Judd Gregg & his Abramoff Problem  —  We were lucky.  —  A few weeks ago on a Friday, Todd Boulanger pleaded guilty for his role in the ongoing Abramoff corruption scandal.  He was a key member of Team Abramoff and before that he worked for former NH Senator Bob Smith (one of Jack's go-to Senators).

Virginia GOP Chair goes all Cro-Magnon on Darwin, on his birthday  —  Yesterday was the birthday of Lincoln and Darwin, and Virginia GOP chairman Jeff Frederick couldn't pass up the opportunity to go all Cro-Magnon on the father of modern biology.  —  Frederick obviously put a lot of thought …

White House books Brown's flight to D.C.  —  Sarah Abruzzese reports:  —  A government plane will ferry Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) back to Washington from his mother's wake in Ohio in time to vote tonight, courtesy of the White House.  —  Brown won't even be leaving until viewing hours end …

Specter Vote For Stimulus Hurts Him Back Home  —  Senator Arlen Specter is one of only three Republicans to support the economic stimulus bill in Congress, and the latest Rasmussen Reports survey in Pennsylvania shows that his position is costing him support back home.

Henrietta Hughes says she's not milking the system  —  SOUTHWEST FLORIDA - A woman making national headlines after a tearful moment with President Obama has a new home.  —  Thursday morning, Chene Thompson handed Henrietta Hughes the keys to her home in Hendry County.

Bipartisanship Isn't So Easy, Obama Discovers  —  WASHINGTON — On the day before the big vote, President Obama took a freshman Republican member of Congress aboard Air Force One to visit Illinois.  Before an audience in Representative Aaron Schock's district, Mr. Obama praised him as …

Justice Dept. Investigating Campaign Donations From Lobbying Firm  —  Marvin Hoffman is listed in campaign finance records as one of the many lobbyists with the powerful PMA Group donating money to lawmakers.  But Hoffman is actually a soon-to-retire information technology manager in Marina Del Rey …

Bush Aide: Leahy Truth Commission Is ‘Terribly Dangerous’ Idea, Possibly ‘Deadly’  —  Last night on The O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly showed a clip of a Fox News producer ambushing Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to accuse him of political hypocrisy for urging an investigation into Bush crimes after he had opposed the Clinton impeachment.

APNewsBreak: Blackwater dumps tarnished brand name  —  RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Blackwater Worldwide is abandoning its tarnished brand name as it tries to shake a reputation battered by oft-criticized work in Iraq, renaming its family of two dozen businesses under the name Xe.

The Stimulus Plan: A Detailed List of Spending  —  Congress released its compromise of the economic stimulus plan at 11 p.m. Thursday.  Debate began in the House at 9 a.m., with voting set for 1 p.m. Want to know what's in it?  You could read the 1,071-page gorilla they've posted.

RNC Chair Steele on his own party: ‘No reason, none, to trust our words or our actions at this point.’  —  On Glenn Beck's Fox News show this evening, Beck told RNC Chairman Michael Steele that conservatives are “pissed” at Republicans because they don't “expect socialism” from them.

Tax Cuts Won't Work  —  Yesterday's fixes can't help this economy … The congressional debate over the stimulus package may be over, but the larger debate isn't.  Many critics of the bill, which contains a mix of tax cuts and government spending, believe that the government spending part just won't work.

If The Right Were Intellectually Honest ...  This Manzi post would be their argument going forward.  Here's why they are not being intellectually honest, and Manzi's post includes the relevant facts.  The GOP has passed what amounts to a spending and tax-cutting and borrowing stimulus package …

Friday Senate Line: Gregg Adds to GOP Pain  —  The withdrawal of Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) as President Obama's commerce secretary nominee on Thursday was initially greeted with relief by Senate Republicans who believed that the incumbent might now stay on and seek reelection in 2010.