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 …

STATEMENT BY U.S. SENATOR BYRON DORGAN  —  “Representing North Dakota in the U.S. Congress for nearly 30 years has been one of the great privileges of my life.  —  “The work I have been able to do to expand our economy, create new opportunities in energy and water development …

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 …

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.

Airline security idiocy of the day: Milblogger Michael Yon handcuffed, Joan Rivers blocked  —  Milblogger/independent war correspondent extraordinaire Michael Yon reports that he was stopped at Sea-Tac airport and handcuffed by TSA agents: … I've met Michael and have blogged …

The GOP's Tea Party Challenge  —  Blogs and Stories  —  Jim DeMint is just the latest conservative flirting with the far right's growing insurgency.  Mark McKinnon on who's who in the bid to lead the movement—and what Republicans can do to capitalize on it.  —  Tea is the new Kool-Aid for Republicans.

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

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:

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 …

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 …

Joan Rivers deemed a danger to national security, bumped off Costa Rica flight back to U.S.  —  The New York Daily News reports that comedian Joan Rivers was among the many travelers to get snared in the heightened-security frenzy that overtook airports after the December 25th failed terrorist attack.

Harold Ford Jr. Weighs a Challenge to Gillibrand  —  Harold Ford Jr., the former congressman from Tennessee, is weighing a bid to unseat Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand.

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 …

Toyota, Ford Show Year-End Sales Gain  —  The auto industry closed one of its worst years in history on a positive note, with U.S. sales rising about 15% in December and many executives predicting a gradual recovery in 2010.  —  Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co …