Could She Reach the Top in 2012?  You Betcha  —  “THE perception I had, anyway, was that we were on top of the world,” Sarah Palin said at the climax of last Sunday's premiere of her new television series, “Sarah Palin's Alaska.”  At that point our fearless heroine had just completed a perilous rock climb …

TSA pat-down leaves traveler covered in urine  —  ‘I was absolutely humiliated,’ said bladder cancer survivor  —  Below:  —  A retired special education teacher on his way to a wedding in Orlando, Fla., said he was left humiliated, crying and covered with his own urine after an enhanced pat …

North Koreans Unveil Vast New Plant for Nuclear Use  —  WASHINGTON — North Korea showed a visiting American nuclear scientist earlier this month a vast new facility it secretly and rapidly built to enrich uranium, confronting the Obama administration with the prospect that the country …

Ireland Will Pursue Aid From Europe, Minister Says  —  DUBLIN — Ireland has formally applied for a bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, Brian Lenihan, the country's finance minister, said Sunday.  —  Speaking on Ireland's RTE radio, Mr. Lenihan said the application …

Why are the Marines the military's biggest backers of 'don't ask, don't tell'?  —  After 17 years, “don't ask, don't tell” may finally be on its way out.  Even if the Senate resists the latest efforts to end the policy, it appears that most members of the military - from the chairman …

Obama's Democrats in disarray over expiring tax cuts  —  (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's fellow Democrats in the U.S. Congress, many upset with him for election losses, are in disarray over what to do about tax cuts for millions of Americans that are set to expire on December 31.

Political divide between coasts and Midwest deepening, midterm election analysis shows  —  Results from November's midterm elections have exposed a deepening political divide between cities on the coasts and the less-dense areas in the middle of the country.

Consumer Risks Feared as Health Law Spurs Mergers  —  WASHINGTON — When Congress passed the health care law, it envisioned doctors and hospitals joining forces, coordinating care and holding down costs, with the prospect of earning government bonuses for controlling costs.

Obama's Foreign Policy Triumph: Missile Defense!  —  For those who remember the “Star Wars” hysteria of the 1980s, when it was an article of faith among liberals that missile defense was 1) impossible and 2) a mortal threat to world peace, it is remarkable to see President Obama …

Mark Shields: I've Never Heard a Democratic Leader Accuse Bush of Lying Us Into War  —  Syndicated columnist and PBS regular Mark Shields on Friday actually said on national television that he has never heard a Democratic leader or presidential candidate accuse former President George W. Bush of lying America into the Iraq War.