Doctors' Group Opposes Public Insurance Plan  —  WASHINGTON — As the health care debate heats up, the American Medical Association is letting Congress know that it will oppose creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan, which President Obama and many other Democrats see as an essential element …

David Letterman responds to flap over Sarah Palin jokes  —  Taping tonight's episode of The Late Show, David Letterman took a few minutes to respond to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who called him “pathetic” in a radio interview after he made her and her family the butt of a recent Top 10 list.

Grief, Shock After a ‘Gentle Giant’ Loses His Life in the Line of Duty  —  Colleagues called Stephen T. Johns “Big John,” for he was well over 6 feet tall.  But mostly friends recalled the security guard's constant courtesy and friendliness.  —  “A soft-spoken, gentle giant,” said Milton Talley …

Breaking News: Premier's statement on Guantanamo Bay  —  This is the Premier's statement on the four Chinese Muslims allowed to settle in Bermuda from Guantanamo Bay.  —  This year of 2009 marks four hundred years of friendship between the United States and Bermuda.

What If Israel Strikes Iran?  —  The mullahs would retaliate.  But things would be much worse if they had the bomb.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Whatever the outcome of Iran's presidential election tomorrow, negotiations will not soon — if ever — put an end to its nuclear threat.

Dem mutiny on climate bill grows, says Peterson  —  More and more Democrats are ready to vote against Speaker Nancy Pelosi's climate change bill, according to a congressional committee chairman who opposes his leader.  —  The House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) …

Fed Emails Bash BofA Chief in Tussle Over Merrill Deal  —  WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve officials harshly criticized Bank of America Corp. and its chief executive in emails after the bank tried to pull out of its deal to buy Merrill Lynch, according to documents unearthed by congressional investigators.

Confrontation Looming  —  There's been a lot of talk about how Prime Minister Netanyahu will respond to President Obama's insistence on a settlement freeze and whether he'll announce a new position in his upcoming security speech.  This article in today's Ha'aretz says Netanyahu has come up with his answer.

W.H.O. Raises Alert Level as Flu Spreads to 74 Countries  —  GENEVA — The World Health Organization has told its member nations it is declaring a swine flu pandemic — the first global flu epidemic in 41 years, news services reported.  —  The move came after an emergency meeting with flu experts …

Libtalker Roseanne Barr Denounces Obama On Leftist Radio Program  —  NO HOLDS BARR-ED  —  Roseanne: 'Everybody's On The (Obama) Kool-Aid'  —  Now that he's in office, should dedicated Obamists support the president even as key campaign promises are broken and empty rhetoric becomes the order of the day?

Election 2009: Virginia Governor Election  —  Virginia Governor: Deeds (D) 47%, McDonnell (R) 41%  —  Newly chosen Democratic gubernatorial nominee R. Creigh Deeds leads his Republican opponent, former Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, by six points in the first poll of Virginia voters released since Tuesday's Democratic primary.

Videos Shed New Light on Sotomayor's Positions  —  WASHINGTON — Judge Sonia Sotomayor once described herself as “a product of affirmative action” who was admitted to two Ivy League schools despite scoring lower on standardized tests than many classmates, which she attributed to “cultural biases” that are “built into testing.”