Maurice Clemmons, man wanted for questioning, has troubling criminal history  —  Maurice Clemmons, the 37-year-old Tacoma man being sought for questioning in the killing this morning of four Lakewood police officers, has a long criminal record punctuated by violence, erratic behavior and concerns about his mental health.

Obama's Speech on Afghanistan to Envision Exit  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to lay out a timeframe for ultimately winding down the American involvement in the war in Afghanistan when he announces his decision this week to send more forces, senior administration officials said Sunday.

Senate Debate on Health Bill Set to Begin Monday  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate is set to begin debate on its health-overhaul bill Monday, with Democrats and Republicans planning to offer amendments on divisive subjects such as abortion and taxes that could hamper passage of the bill.

The Jobs Imperative  —  If you're looking for a job right now, your prospects are terrible.  There are six times as many Americans seeking work as there are job openings, and the average duration of unemployment — the time the average job-seeker has spent looking for work — is more than six months, the highest level since the 1930s.

Done at Last: Ten Final Thoughts on Palin and “Going Rogue”  —  This was a bad and unhelpful book.  —  It was not bad because it was simple.  Goldwater (or his ghost) used fewer pages in Conscience of a Conservative and said more.  It was not bad because it was autobiographical.

7 stories Obama doesn't want told  —  Presidential politics is about storytelling.  Presented with a vivid storyline, voters naturally tend to fit every new event or piece of information into a picture that is already neatly framed in their minds.  —  No one understands this better …

Today's GOP is both united and divided  —  Opposition to Obama is strong, but Republicans are split on GOP's direction and leaders  —  The Republican rank and file is largely in sync with GOP lawmakers in their staunch opposition to efforts by President Obama and Democrats …

In Elections, Honduras Defeats Chávez  —  The tiny country beats back the colonial aspirations of its neighbors.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Unless something monumental happens in the Western Hemisphere in the next 31 days, the big regional story for 2009 will be how tiny Honduras managed …

Americans Still Leaning Against Healthcare Legislation  —  Majority disapprove of Obama's handling of the issue  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans currently tilt against Congress' passing healthcare legislation, with 49% saying they would advise their member to vote against a bill …

Break chains of mortgage morality, lawyer says  —  (11-29) 04:00 PST WASHINGTON —  Go ahead.  Break the chains.  Stop paying on your mortgage if you owe more than the house is worth.  And most important: Don't feel guilty about it.  Don't think you're doing something morally wrong.

The face of rotted Washington  —  Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh — who was one of the most vocal cheerleaders for the invasion of Iraq, talks excitedly about punishing, and even bombing, Iran, and is now demanding full-scale escalation in Afghanistan — was on Fox News yesterday and highlighted …

Swiss Ban Building of Minarets on Mosques  —  GENEVA — In a vote that displayed a widespread anxiety about Islam and undermined the country's reputation for religious tolerance, the Swiss on Sunday overwhelmingly imposed a national ban on the construction of minarets, the prayer towers of mosques …

Ahmadinejad vows dramatic expansion of Iran's nuclear program  —  10 uranium-enrichment sites announced after international rebuke  —  TEHRAN — Iran's government will build 10 new sites to enrich uranium, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday, a dramatic expansion of the country's nuclear program …

The intrinsic unimportance of Dubai World and the important wider message it conveys  —  Dubai is not systemically significant.  If its troubles open our eyes to the likely imminence of the start of the final leg of the journey from household default through bank default to sovereign default …