Obamas' Uninvited Guests Prompt an Inquiry  —  WASHINGTON — The Secret Service is investigating how a couple aspiring to be reality-show celebrities managed to appear at President Obama's first state dinner without being on the guest list, provoking questions about security at the White House.

Lobbyists pushed off advisory panels  —  White House initiative to limit influence could affect thousands  —  Hundreds, if not thousands, of lobbyists are likely to be ejected from federal advisory panels as part of a little-noticed initiative by the Obama administration to curb K Street's influence …

Taliban Open Up Front in Once-Quiet Afghan North  —  KUNDUZ, Afghanistan — Far from the heartland of the Taliban insurgency in the south, this once peaceful northern province was one place American and Afghan officials thought they did not have to worry about.

Thanksgiving 2009  —  Hope you all have a wonderful holiday.  Keep our troops on the front lines and around the world in your prayers.  —  Video from the DFAC at COB Adder in Iraq:  —  Greetings from soldiers at COB Speicher:  —  Here is President Obama's proclamation.

Taxing the Speculators  —  Should we use taxes to deter financial speculation?  Yes, say top British officials, who oversee the City of London, one of the world's two great banking centers.  Other European governments agree — and they're right.  —  Unfortunately, United States officials …

Terror attack foiled as troops chase away man carrying bomb  —  Article's topics: Terrorism, Eilat, Sinai, Gaza  —  An IDF bomb squad detonated a 15-kilogram explosive seized during a search conducted along the Egyptian border on Thursday.  —  Late Wednesday night …

Climategate: the scandal spreads, the plot thickens, the shame deepens...  Wow!  The scandal just gets juicier and juicier.  Now it seems that the Kiwis may have been at it too - tinkering with raw data to make “Global Warming” look scarier than it really is.  (Hat tip: Watts Up With That; Ian Wishart)

Comment Columnists / Lorrie Goldstein  —  Why ‘climategate’ won't stop greens

War build-up ‘left us scrabbling for smoking gun’, says Meyer  —  • Sir Christopher Meyer says plans to invade Iraq did not give time for weapons inspectors  —  • Meyer: ‘not clear if Blair signed in blood’ for invasion at George Bush's Texas ranch

China's backing on Iran followed dire predictions  —  Before Obama's visit, NSC warned leaders of Mideast turmoil  —  Two weeks before President Obama visited China, two senior White House officials traveled to Beijing on a “special mission” to try to persuade China to pressure Iran to give up its alleged nuclear weapons program.

Emirate has a lot of explaining to do  —  It came in a short statement about the restructuring of Dubai World, one of the emirate's biggest and best-known companies, with the big news buried near the end.  —  But the decision to ask bondholders of the company and its most troubled subsidiary …