UN to appoint Earth contact for aliens  —  THE United Nations was set today to appoint an obscure Malaysian astrophysicist to act as EarthÂ's first contact for any aliens that may come visiting.  —  Mazlan Othman, the head of the UN's little-known Office for Outer Space Affairs (Unoosa) …

Citizens' Group Helps Uncover Alleged Rampant Voter Fraud in Houston  —  Voter selects candidate for U.S president in voting booth, Nov. 4, 2008.  —  When Catherine Engelbrecht and her friends sat down and started talking politics several years ago, they soon agreed that talking wasn't enough.

Democrats Unleash Ads Focusing on Rivals' Pasts  —  WASHINGTON — Democratic candidates across the country are opening a fierce offensive of negative advertisements against Republicans, using lawsuits, tax filings, reports from the Better Business Bureau and even divorce proceedings to try …

CNN Poll: Nearly three-fourths say recession not over  —  Washington (CNN) - Economic experts may believe the recession is over, but try telling that to the public.  —  Seventy-four percent of Americans believe the economy is still in a recession, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll.

Boehner's Top Aide Is Little Known  —  WASHINGTON — Representative John A. Boehner and Barry Jackson cut an odd figure.  —  Mr. Jackson, the chief of staff to Mr. Boehner, the House Republican leader from Ohio, is shaggy-haired and dough-faced, pale to Mr. Boehner's preternatural tan.

They're gay, conservative and proud  —  NEW YORK — Even among the gays, the right is on the rise.  —  The broad surge in the conservative grassroots made it as far as PayPal founder Peter Thiel's grand apartment overlooking New York's Union Square Tuesday night, where about 150 backers …

Boehner: Tax cuts punt 'most irresponsible thing I've seen' in D.C.  —  House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) called Congress' inability to act on the Bush-era tax cuts before leaving for the campaign recess the “most irresponsible thing I've seen since I've been in Washington, D.C.”

Invasion of stink bugs has homeowners, farmers seeking relief  —  Shaped like shields and armed with an odor, dime-size brown bugs are crawling into area homes over windowsills, through door crevices and between attic vents in such numbers that homeowners talk about drowning them in jars of soapy water …

What the Rich Don't Need  —  WANT to give affluent households a present worth $700 billion over the next decade?  In a period of high unemployment and fiscal austerity, this idea may seem laughable.  Amazingly, though, it is getting traction in Washington.

New Proof Wall Street Knew Its Mortgage Securities Were Subpar: Clayton Execs Testify  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  During a little-noticed hearing this week in Sacramento, Calif., a firm hired by Wall Street to analyze mortgages given to borrowers with poor credit, which were then packaged …

Brown leads Whitman 49%-44% in poll  —  Boxer leads Fiorina 51%-43% in Senate race, survey finds.  Both Republicans are hampered by voters' negative impressions of them, poll says.  —  Democrat Jerry Brown has moved into a narrow lead over Republican Meg Whitman in their fractious contest for governor …

Obama, Empathy and the Midterms  —  MY homework for an hourlong interview with President Obama last week began with reviews of his earlier speeches and interviews, and conversations with economists and political operatives.  It ended around a dinner table.  —  That's where, over salad and swordfish …

Rove Returns, With Team, Planning G.O.P. Push  —  WASHINGTON — In 2004, the Republican master strategist Karl Rove led weekly sessions at his Washington residence where, over big plates of his butter-smothered “eggies” and bacon slabs, he planned the re-election of President George W. Bush …