Lawmakers look dumb for reviving Obama hoax  —  In the Handy Guide for Newspaper Opinion Columnists, this is called shooting fish in a barrel.  Or hitting a slow-pitched softball.  —  Four Tennessee state representatives, all Republicans, have signed up to be plaintiffs in a lawsuit …

Obama Will Not Name ‘Car Czar’  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will not name a “car czar” to help oversee the auto industry's restructuring and will instead create an inter-agency task force to deal with the issue, according to senior administration officials.

Decade at Bernie's  —  By now everyone knows the sad tale of Bernard Madoff's duped investors.  They looked at their statements and thought they were rich.  But then, one day, they discovered to their horror that their supposed wealth was a figment of someone else's imagination.

C-SPAN ranks presidents: Abe still on top, new shocker at the bottom  —  On this sacred United States holiday devoted to honoring the birthdays of the two most important presidents in the nation's history by selling bed linens and used automobiles at discount prices, we're publishing …

Former Gitmo Guard Tells All  —  Army Private Brandon Neely served as a prison guard at Guantánamo in the first years the facility was in operation.  With the Bush Administration, and thus the threat of retaliation against him, now gone, Neely decided to step forward and tell his story.

What does Slim want?  —  Carlos Slim, who pumped $250 million into the NY Times last month, is profiled today in the paper as a Mexican telecom billionaire with a “complex relationship to the news media.”  —  That's because despite several media investments, Slim “sometimes gives the impression …

Islamic law to be imposed in parts of Pakistan  —  PESHAWAR, Pakistan - The government agreed to impose Islamic law and suspend a military offensive across much of northwest Pakistan on Monday in concessions aimed at pacifying the Taliban insurgency spreading from the border region to the country's interior.

Sam Donaldson, Moving Out of Shouting Distance  —  Forceful Newsman to Retire After Four Decades at ABC  —  Whatever else he accomplished in his 41 years at ABC News, Sam Donaldson knows he'll be remembered mainly for his bellowing voice.  —  “I guess it'll be on my tombstone: ‘He yelled at Ronald Reagan,’ ” Donaldson says.

The First Three Weeks  —  IF PRESIDENT Obama and his advisers had a magic wand rather than a balky, and balkanized, Congress, the dire recession would still be daunting.  But the presidency does not come with a magic wand; nor, we have learned, is Mr. Obama, however talented, a wizard.

A guide to the 100 best blogs - part I  —  The online world of the bloggers and how you can connect, communicate, publish your thoughts or diaries and ‘spy’ on the famous  —  Blogs — an ugly word, but now unavoidable — were born with the internet.  As soon as people started to use …

Saudi Arabia appoints first female minister  —  An expert on girls' education became Saudi Arabia's first woman minister on Saturday as part of a wide-ranging cabinet reshuffle by King Abdullah that swept aside several bastions of ultra-conservatism.  —  Nora bint Abdullah al-Fayez …

Somali radicals ‘importing terror to UK’ say intelligence analysts  —  Dozens of Islamic extremists have returned to Britain from terror training camps in Somalia, the British security services believe.  —  Intelligence analysts are worried that they may attempt to launch attacks in this country …

Chicago Tribune's Jill Zuckman to join Obama administration, working for Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood  —  Jill Zuckman, a Chicago Tribune Washington correspondent and frequent guest on political talk shows such as MSNBC's “Hardball” and Fox Broadcasting's “Fox News Sunday,” …

Failure to save East Europe will lead to worldwide meltdown  —  The unfolding debt drama in Russia, Ukraine, and the EU states of Eastern Europe has reached acute danger point.  —  If mishandled by the world policy establishment, this debacle is big enough to shatter the fragile banking systems …

Chavez calls Venezuela vote mandate for socialism  —  CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez says a referendum victory that removed limits on his re-election is a mandate to intensify his socialist agenda for decades to come.  Opponents warn of an impending dictatorship.