Waterboarding Used 266 Times on 2 Suspects  —  C.I.A. interrogators used waterboarding, the near-drowning technique that top Obama administration officials have described as illegal torture, 266 times on two key prisoners from Al Qaeda, far more than had been previously reported.

Axelrod suggests ‘Tea Party’ movement is ‘unhealthy’  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - Senior White House adviser David Axelrod on Sunday suggested the “Tea Party” movement is an “unhealthy” reaction to the tough economic climate facing the country.  —  Axelrod was asked on CBS's “Face the Nation” …

Obama Administration: No Prosecution of Officials for Bush-Era Torture Policy  —  White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said during our exclusive interview Sunday on “This Week” that President Barack Obama will not pursue the prosecution of Bush-era officials who devised torture policy against detainees …

Must Read  —  This story is so radioactive it's hard to know which of fifty different directions to go with it.  In brief, Jeff Stein at CQ has a much, much more detailed account of that story, first reported in 2006, of Rep. Jane Harman getting caught on a wiretapped phone call allegedly discussing …

U.S. May Convert Banks' Bailouts to Equity Share  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama's top economic advisers have determined that they can shore up the nation's banking system without having to ask Congress for more money any time soon, according to administration officials.

Not-So-Secret Holiday Hints at Change for Marijuana Advocates  —  SAN FRANCISCO — On Monday, somewhere in New York City, 420 people will gather for High Times magazine's annual beauty pageant, a secretly located and sold-out event that its sponsor says will “turn the Big Apple into the Baked Apple …

US to put conditions on Tarp repayment  —  Strong banks will be allowed to repay bail-out funds they received from the US government but only if such a move passes a test to determine whether it is in the national economic interest, a senior administration official has told the Financial Times.

Janeane Garofalo on Dissent - Then And Now  —  Here is a compilation video from 2 different occasions when Janeane Garofalo was on Countdown with Keith Olbercrackhead.  Also, for other responses to Garofalo recent comments, go to Hotair.com.  —  Enjoy.  —  Update: I listened …

Why We Should Get Rid of West Point  —  Want to trim the federal budget and improve the military at the same time?  Shut down West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy, and use some of the savings to expand ROTC scholarships.  —  After covering the U.S. military for nearly two decades …

Bailout overseer draws fire from right  —  Elizabeth Warren, the Harvard law professor charged by Congress with overseeing trillions in financial rescue funds, has a surprising secret weapon: Dr. Phil.  —  The outspoken consumer advocate has appeared on Phil McGraw's show twice to talk …

Let them eat ... debt repayments?  —  In the days before the French Revolution, the people of France were living in dire conditions while their leaders lived comfortably, oblivious to the effect their actions had on the people they governed.  When informed that her people were starving …

Father tries to cash in on daughter's fame  —  THE poverty-stricken father of Slumdog Millionaire child star Rubina Ali plans to become a millionaire himself-by SELLING his nine-year-old daughter.  —  In a bid to escape India's real-life slums, Rafiq Qureshi put angel-faced darling …

Antarctic ice is growing, not melting away  —  Cool down ... ice is expanding in much of the Antarctic, experts say / Reuters  —  ICE is expanding in much of Antarctica, contrary to the widespread public belief that global warming is melting the continental ice cap.

Italian scientist, turning 100, still works  —  ROME - Rita Levi Montalcini, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, said Saturday that even though she is about to turn 100, her mind is sharper than it was she when she was 20.  —  Levi Montalcini, who also serves as a senator for life in Italy …