John Bolton jokes about nuking Chicago, entire CPAC audience erupts in laughter.  —  This morning, former U.N. ambassador John Bolton spoke to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).  He tried to up the fear quotient in the room by raising the prospect of an Iranian-sent nuclear attack on an American city.

Pelosi butts heads with Obama  —  Nancy Pelosi repeatedly stood to applaud Barack Obama when he addressed a joint session of Congress Tuesday night.  But in the days since, the speaker of the House has been standing up for herself —distancing herself from the president on Iraq …

Government could own up to 36 pct. of Citigroup  —  NEW YORK - The U.S. government will exchange up to $25 billion in emergency bailout money it provided Citigroup Inc. for as much as a 36 percent equity stake in the struggling bank.  —  The deal announced Friday — the third attempt …

A Bold Plan Sweeps Away Reagan Ideas  —  The budget that President Obama proposed on Thursday is nothing less than an attempt to end a three-decade era of economic policy dominated by the ideas of Ronald Reagan and his supporters.  —  The Obama budget — a bold, even radical departure from recent history …

Jewish Leaders Blast Clinton Over Israel Criticism  —  Zuckerman, Lawmakers, Local Jews Say Secretary Of State Not The Hillary Clinton They Used To Know  —  Hillary Pressuring Israel To Speed Up Aid To Gaza  —  NEW YORK (CBS) ― In a swift about face from her views as New York's senator …

Iraq Withdrawal Plan Gains G.O.P. Support  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama won crucial backing on Thursday for his Iraq military withdrawal plan from leading Congressional Republicans, including Senator John McCain, the party's presidential nominee, who spent much of last year debating the war with Mr. Obama.

59% Still Believe Government Is the Problem  —  In early October, as the meltdown of the financial industry gained momentum following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 59% of U.S. voters agreed with Ronald Reagan that …

San Francisco welcomes William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn  —  Former Weather Underground leaders William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn made an appearance at San Francisco's Modern Times Bookstore on February 21 to promote their new book Race Course Against White Supremacy.

Steep GDP Revision Puts Economic Loss at 6.2%  —  The U.S. economy contracted more sharply than initially estimated in the fourth quarter, government data showed on Friday, as exports plunged and consumers cut spending by the most in over 28 years amid a severe recession.

Insight: Time to expose those CDOs  —  Just how much should a debt vehicle backed by subprime mortgage bonds be worth these days?  Two years ago, most banks and insurance companies assumed the answer was close to 100 per cent of face value - or more.  —  Since then, however, that “price” …

Senate Panel to Examine CIA Detainee Handling  —  The Senate intelligence committee is planning an unprecedented review of the CIA's handling of captured terrorist suspects, drawing back the curtain for the first time on the agency's use of waterboarding and other interrogation tactics inside …

National Security Structure Is Set  —  President Obama's first presidential directive, outlining the organization of his national security structure, adds the attorney general, the secretaries of energy and homeland security, and the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to the formal National Security Council.

U.S. Will Give Qaeda Suspect a Civilian Trial  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department, in an abrupt change in policy from the Bush administration, is preparing to bring terrorism-related charges against a man identified as an operative of Al Qaeda who has been held in a military brig …

We're on the brink of disaster  —  Violent protests and riots are breaking out everywhere as economies collapse and governments fail.  War is bound to follow.  —  Editor's note: This article has also appeared on TomDispatch.com.  —  A destroyed street market burns in the aftermath of riots …

$25 Billion to Promote Electric Cars Is Untouched  —  WASHINGTON — The future of the American auto industry is getting off to a slow start.  —  The Energy Department has $25 billion to make loans to hasten the arrival of the next generation of automotive technology — electric-powered cars.

Firms defraud government but get new US contracts  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - Companies that defrauded the United States and jeopardized American lives received new government work despite rulings designed to stop them from receiving federal contracts, government investigators report.