FBI thwarts terrorist bombing attempt at Portland holiday tree lighting, authorities say  —  The FBI thwarted an attempted terrorist bombing in Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square before the city's annual tree-lighting Friday night, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Oregon.

Charles Krauthammer Rips Liberal Media for Being Obsessed with Sarah Palin  —  Charles Krauthammer on Friday tore into the liberal media for being obsessed with former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.  —  After Krauthammer scolded the “editorial judgment” of the producers of PBS's “Inside Washington” …

Scowcroft on START: ‘Partisan’ GOP Doesn't Want To Give Obama ‘A Foreign Policy Victory’  —  Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) has been the leading Senate Republican urging the upper chamber of Congress to ratify the New START arms control treaty with Russia.  However, the Republican obstructionism …

NPR: Obama's Fat Lip Gives Him “Street Cred,” Scar Will Help Him Stare Down Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong Il...  Oh yeah, instead of staring down a sissy, now they'll be staring down a sissy with a scar...  That Fat Lip Might Give Obama Some Street Cred- NPR

Mystery Surrounds Cyber Missile That Crippled Iran's Nuclear Weapons Ambitions  —  An aerial view of Iran's nuclear facility in Natanz.  —  In the 20th century, this would have been a job for James Bond.  —  The mission: Infiltrate the highly advanced, securely guarded enemy headquarters …

Africa Needs Aid, Not Flawed Theories  —  The science writer Matt Ridley made his reputation with books like “The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature” and “Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters.”  His latest book, “The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves” is much broader, as its title suggests.

Demonstrators in Ireland Protest Austerity Plan  —  DUBLIN — After a week that brought Ireland a pledge of an $114 billion international rescue package and the toughest austerity program of any country in Europe, thousands of demonstrators took to Dublin's streets on Saturday to protest wide cuts …

Man arrested for packing gun at Boynton Beach Walmart  —  A customer expecting to see great deals waved down authorities after she saw something else: a man packing a gun while waiting in line at a Black Friday sale.  —  Police arrested Christopher D. Scott, 49, just after midnight Friday …

Willie Nelson Freed After Drug Arrest  —  SIERRA BLANCA, Texas (AP) — A U.S. Border Patrol spokesman says country singer Willie Nelson was charged with marijuana possession after 6 ounces was found aboard his tour bus in Texas.  —  Patrol spokesman Bill Brooks says the bus pulled into the Sierra Blanca …

Mr. Mubarak vs. Mr. Obama  —  EGYPT'S PARLIAMENTARY election is on Sunday, but already the principal result is known: a step away from political liberalization and genuine democracy.  In the weeks before the vote, more than 1,000 political activists have been rounded up by security forces, and many have been abused.