Mystery Missile Launch Seen off Calif. Coast  —  Military Mum on Nature of “Big Missile” Rising Out of Pacific - a Possible Show of U.S. Military Might  —  (CBS) A mysterious missile launch off the southern California coast was caught by CBS affiliate KCBS's cameras Monday night …

The Myth of Record-High Gold  —  2:14 p.m. |  Updated with more detail  —  “Gold sets record high amid economic fears,” The Associated Press recently wrote.  “Gold surges to record high,” CNN said.  Gold closed Monday “at a record $1,402.80 per troy ounce,” the front page of The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

Bush: “I probably won't even vote for McCain”  —  George W. Bush's bombastic return to the world stage has reminded me of my favourite Bush anecdote, which for various reasons we couldn't publish at the time.  Some of the witnesses still dine out on it.  —  The venue was the Oval Office.

For Indonesia and Obama, 4th Time's the Charm  —  JAKARTA, Indonesia — It is the presidential homecoming that wasn't meant to be.  —  Enlarge This Image  —  President Obama during a news conference with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia on Tuesday in Jakarta.

Ted Rall Book Excerpt: Let's Kill Some Christians and Tea Partiers  —  Ted Rall has a new book out titled The Anti-American Manifesto.  In it he makes an explicit call for a violent socialist revolution from within.  In case you think this is all a big joke, here's an excerpt from the book:

Alvin Greene mulls presidential bid  —  'Maybe.  I'll have to see,' Alvin Greene said about running for president.  —  Alvin Greene might run for president.  —  Greene, the unlikely Democratic Senate nominee in South Carolina who lost overwhelmingly to Republican Sen. Jim DeMint last week …

Absentee ballot count gets under way  —  From Sean Cockerham at the Alaska Division of Elections office in Anchorage-  —  We've got our first numbers, showing Joe Miller making small gains on Lisa Murkowski.  But they are from only three Anchorage districts, including ones where the military vote is heavy.

LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH, THE FAMOUS, AND THE NEW JERSEY GOVERNORS.... New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), a media darling and favorite of many Republican activists, has a penchant for complaining about wasteful government spending and public employees who abuse the system and fail to respect the taxpayers footing the bills.

Presidential Power Rankings  —  The Hotline assesses which potential White House contenders are most likely to win the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.  —  Welcome to The Hotline's inaugural edition of Presidential Power Rankings.  —  Who is best positioned to win the 2012 Republican presidential nomination?

Clyburn knocks Hoyer's tactics as Dems' leadership race intensifies  —  The leadership race between Reps. James Clyburn and Steny Hoyer took a sharp turn Tuesday when Clyburn criticized his opponent's tactics and said they were making other Democrats uncomfortable.

Rand Paul and Earmarks  —  In my Weekend Interview with Rand Paul last Saturday, the new Senator-elect from Kentucky appeared to soften his fervent opposition during the campaign to earmarks and pork-barrel spending.  I reported the shift, while noting his continued distaste for earmarks …

No Charges in Destruction of C.I.A. Interrogation Tapes  —  WASHINGTON — A federal prosecutor will not bring criminal charges against any of the Central Intelligence Agency officers involved in destroying videotapes depicting the brutal interrogation of Al Qaeda detainees, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.

Progressives don't really get progress, but the American people do  —  Progressives claim to have a monopoly on progress - designed by intellectuals who ‘know better’ and brought about by a big, beneficent government.  But Americans voted in last week's elections that this brand …

Cantor, Republicans signal Obama tax proposal is dead in the water  —  The Obama administration's hopes of reaching a tax deal with Republicans that would decouple rates on the rich from the middle class appear dead.  —  House GOP Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) threw cold water on the proposed plan …

On Xmas shopping spree at crafts village, Michelle runs out of cash  —  Indrani Basu, TNN, Nov 9, 2010, 12.32am IST  —  NEW DELHI: While her husband talked trade, Michelle Obama did what most women love to do — shop.  The First Lady, who has quite a reputation as a fashionista and is known …

Schools Chancellor Klein to Join News Corp.  —  New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein is resigning to join News Corp., ending an eight-year reign at the helm of the nation's largest school system.  —  In his place, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to announce Cathie Black, chairwoman of Hearst Magazines.

Cigna CEO: Don't repeal U.S. health law  —  (Reuters) - Repealing the new U.S. healthcare law would be a waste of time, but there is room to improve it, the chief executive of health insurer Cigna Corp (CI.N) said on Tuesday.  —  “I don't think it's in our society's best interest to expend energy …