Chris Dodd to step aside  —  Embattled Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd (D) has scheduled a press conference at his home in Connecticut Wednesday at which he is expected to announce he will not seek re-election, according to sources familiar with his plans.  —  Dodd's retirement comes after months …

Ritter Dropping Out in Colorado  —  A source tells Political Wire that Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) is ending his re-election campaign.  A fundraiser scheduled for tonight was canceled and all campaign staff was sent home in the middle of the day.  —  The decision does not appear …

Pressure on Barack Obama to reveal what Britain said about Detroit bomber  —  Barack Obama is under pressure to disclose what information MI5 passed to the American authorities about the Detroit bomber after Downing Street disclosed that a file had been “shared” with the CIA in 2008.

OH SNAP!  Pelosi On Obama: ‘There Were A Number Of Things He Was For On The Campaign Trail’  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi had little to say this afternoon at a press conference following a meeting between House leaders and health care principals.  She and other members acknowledged that a number …

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Military Blogger Michael Yon Detained, Handcuffed by TSA in Seattle Airport  —  Award winning war correspondent Michael Yon was detained and handcuffed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Yesterday by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel.

Sen. Christopher Dodd Will Not Seek Reelection  —  Connecticut Senator Dodd Bows Out Of Race  —  Democratic U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, a 30-year incumbent who has been struggling in public opinion polls for more than a year, plans to announce today he will not seek reelection.

Palin: It's War, not a Crime Spree  —  A strong statement from the People's Governor:

Deregulation Now  —  A New Year's resolution for failing state governments.  —  As we enter a new decade, the political mood of the country can be captured in one word: glum.  In particular, there is widespread recognition at the state level that conditions have reached near crisis proportions.

The Case Against Allowing C-SPAN Cameras Into Health Reform Negotiations  —  C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb is challenging Democrats to keep their campaign promise and “open all important negotiations, including any conference committee meetings, to electronic media.”

Iran Shielding Its Nuclear Efforts in Maze of Tunnels  —  Last September, when Iran's uranium enrichment plant buried inside a mountain near the holy city of Qum was revealed, the episode cast light on a wider pattern: Over the past decade, Iran has quietly hidden an increasingly large part …

Lawyer Says Third White House ‘Crasher’ Was Invited  —  WASHINGTON — The mystery man starring in a new movie in town — State Dinner Crashers: The Sequel — has come forward.  —  Carlos Allen, a 39-year-old entrepreneur whose Web site identifies him as the chief executive of Hush Galleria …

Why Didn't He Just Blow Himself Up In The Toilet?  —  A reader asks a very interesting question about the undie-bomber - why did he get back into his seat to detonate a bomb that had a ramshackle detonator and where he could be overcome by fellow travelers?  Read the whole email:

U.S. Saw a Path to Qaeda Chiefs Before Bombing  —  WASHINGTON — Before detonating a suicide bomb in Afghanistan last week, a Jordanian militant was considered by American spy agencies to be the most promising informant in years about the whereabouts of Al Qaeda's top leaders …

For Cape Cod Wind Farm, New Hurdle Is Spiritual  —  BOSTON — In a new setback for a controversial wind farm proposed off Cape Cod, the National Park Service announced Monday that Nantucket Sound was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, guaranteeing further delays for the project.

Cut This Story!  —  ONE REASON SEEKERS of news are abandoning print newspapers for the Internet has nothing directly to do with technology.  It's that newspaper articles are too long.  On the Internet, news articles get to the point.  Newspaper writing, by contrast, is encrusted with conventions …

Granite Status: Newt set for NH return; Kuster raises big bucks  —  GINGRICH IN NH.  With his profile and penchant for controversy as high as ever, Newt Gingrich will return to New Hampshire for the first time in nearly three years at the end of the month.  —  The Granite Status has learned …

CHART OF THE DAY: How The Government Payroll Replaced Goods-Producing Jobs  —  In the just-so story of the evolution of our economy, our old manufacturing based economy has been replaced by an innovative knowledge economy.  That's not quite true.  —  In fact, the decline of the jobs …

France to introduce new law banning ‘psychological violence’ in marriages  —  France will become the first country in the world to ban ‘psychological violence’ within marriage later this year.  —  The new law, which would also apply to co-habiting couples, would see people getting criminal records …

Paul takes aim at Cheney  —  (CNN) - Dick Cheney is taking criticism from at least one member of his own party over the former vice president's recent and persistent criticisms of the Obama administration's handling of national security issues.  —  Ron Paul, the Texas congressman …