Hostage, 2 pirates killed in French rescue operation  —  (CNN) — A French hostage and two pirates died Friday in a rescue operation off Somalia, the French president's office in Paris said Friday.  —  Four hostages, including a child, were freed from the hijacked yacht after almost a week of captivity, Nicolas Sarkozy's office said.

China's excess males, sex selective abortion, and one child policy: analysis of data from 2005 national intercensus survey  —  Wei Xing Zhu, professor1, Li Lu, professor and head of department2, Therese Hesketh, senior lecturer3  —  1 College of Law, Political Science and Public Administration …

Volcker Assumes Smaller-Than-Expected Role With Obama  —  WASHINGTON — As an early supporter of Barack Obama, Paul Volcker gave the young presidential candidate gravitas and advice.  He frequently sat by Mr. Obama's side at key economic events, and started carrying a cellphone for the first time …

Democrat in NY-20 now leads by 35  —  Republican Jim Tedisco has cut Democrat Scott Murphy's lead slightly, to 35, in the special election for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D-N.Y.) former House seat, as absentee votes continue to be counted.  —  Murphy took the lead Friday morning after more than 1,400 …

Washington Churches Eye a Prize, the Obamas  —  WASHINGTON — The invitations have come in neatly typed letters, whispered entreaties and please-join-us blogs.  They have come from predominantly white churches and predominantly black churches, venerable churches with distinguished lineages and smaller …

Obama to Appeal Detainee Ruling  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Friday that it would appeal a district court ruling that granted some military prisoners in Afghanistan the right to file lawsuits seeking their release.  The decision signaled that the administration was not backing …

From Pennsylvania Ave. to the Lone Star State  —  After 8 Years in White House, Bushes Easily Adapt to a Simpler Life  —  DALLAS — The new couple at 10141 Daria Place accepted an invitation to a neighborhood dinner party last month.  The guest list totaled eight.  The main dish was chicken potpie.

AARP Responds To Progressive Bloggers' Advertising Complaints  —  There's been a recent debate in the blogosphere about who - or more importantly, who's not - advertising on various political blogs.  AARP is a non-partisan organization that strongly supports all reaches of the online community …

Two killed in Michigan college shooting  —  (CNN) — Two people were shot and killed Friday at a community college in Dearborn, Michigan, in what police believe was a murder-suicide, an official said.  —  A man and woman were found dead in a classroom building on the campus of Henry Ford Community College …

Karen O and the Future of Whiteness  —  Via the Democratic Strategist, I was interested to read Alan Abramowitz's informative article on the demographic shifts undergirding America's political coalitions.  This is a topic also usefully explored by Ruy Teixeira in his recent report on “The New Progressive America”.