RON SILVER DEAD  —  SUCCUMBS TO CANCER AT AGE 62  —  Actor and longtime political activist Ron Silver died Sunday morning, succumbing to a long battle with cancer, friends of the liberal Democrat-turned-GOP stalwart told The Post.  —  “Ron Silver died peacefully in his sleep with his family around …

Greatest threat to Obama spending plan?  Moderate Dems  —  WASHINGTON — Government spending on most domestic programs is growing at its fastest pace in nearly 30 years, and a lot of worried Democrats are seeking ways to rewrite and reduce the size of President Barack Obama's budget proposals.

Bracing for a Bailout Backlash  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is increasingly concerned about a populist backlash against banks and Wall Street, worried that anger at financial institutions could also end up being directed at Congress and the White House and could complicate President Obama's agenda.

A.I.G. Lists the Banks to Which It Paid Rescue Funds  —  Amid rising pressure from Congress and taxpayers, the American International Group on Sunday released the names of dozens of financial institutions that benefited from the Federal Reserve's decision last fall to save the giant insurer from collapse with a huge rescue loan.

A Continent Adrift  —  I'm concerned about Europe.  Actually, I'm concerned about the whole world — there are no safe havens from the global economic storm.  But the situation in Europe worries me even more than the situation in America.  —  Just to be clear, I'm not about to rehash …

My imam father came after me with an axe  —  Hannah Shah had been raped by her father and faced a forced marriage.  She fled, became a Christian and now fears for her life  —  We are all too familiar with the persecution of Christians in countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.

To Urge Passage of Budget, Obama E-Mails His Campaign Army  —  President Obama will kick off an all-out grass-roots effort today urging Congress to pass his $3.55 trillion budget, activating the extensive campaign apparatus he built during his successful 2008 candidacy for the first time since taking office.

Frayed Thread in a Free Society  —  BOSTON — The biggest challenge facing America's struggling newspaper industry may not be the high cost of newsprint or lost ad revenue, but ignorance stoked by drive-by punditry.  —  Yes, Dittoheads, you heard it right.

Red Cross Described ‘Torture’ at CIA Jails  —  Secret Report Implies That U.S. Violated International Law  —  The International Committee of the Red Cross concluded in a secret report that the Bush administration's treatment of al-Qaeda captives “constituted torture,” a finding that strongly implied …

Cheney, Bush Strongly Disagreed on Libby  —  Former vice president Richard B. Cheney said yesterday that he strongly disagreed with President Bush's decision not to pardon I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, saying his former chief of staff had been left “hanging in the wind.”

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Bernanke Sees Recovery Beginning in 2010  —  With those words, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke staked a marker on what he believes will be the end of the malaise that has descended upon the United States economy.  And, he said on a “60 Minutes” interview that ran Sunday evening …

Far right joins Israel coalition  —  Israel's PM-designate has signed his first coalition deal, which could see controversial right-winger Avigdor Lieberman becoming foreign minister.  —  Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud struck the deal with Mr Leiberman's party Yisrael Beiteinu, which has been accused by some critics of anti-Arab racism.

THE CINCINNATI TEA PARTY IS UNDERWAY, and a reader sends this photo via Blackberry.  —  Also, reader Russell Sayre sends this aerial view: “This was taken from the 17th floor of the U.S. Bank Tower above Fountain Square in Cincinnati as the rally began.  I have no idea how many people are there …