The Deal  —  So the tax deal is out.  Obama extracted some concessions, with the big surprise being a payroll tax cut.  How much better do these concessions make the thing?  —  Well, for starters we have the two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts.  As I pointed out yesterday …

British Court Denies Bail to Assange in Sex Inquiry  —  LONDON — Julian Assange, the founder of the beleaguered WikiLeaks anti-secrecy group, was denied bail by a London court on Tuesday and said that he would resist extradition to Sweden where he faces questioning in connection with alleged sex offenses.

Elizabeth Edwards gravely ill with cancer  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Elizabeth Edwards over the past six years has seen her husband's presidential ambitions thwarted, retreated from public life as their marriage disintegrated over his affair, then emerged to advocate for changes …

New Start: Ratify, With Caveats  —  The treaty helpfully reinstates on-site verification of Russian nuclear forces, but senators should make it clear to Moscow that they don't see it as limiting U.S. missile defenses.  —  When U.S. President Bush and Russian President Putin signed the Moscow Treaty in 2002 …

Christie's bully act getting old  —  Two years ago, when Chris Christie announced he was running for governor, he dismissed questions about his days as the Godzilla freeholder — when he breathed fire on almost every issue, insulted Morris County colleagues and needlessly stomped on countless toes.

U.S. Unloads Citi Stake for a $12 Billion Profit  —  The U.S. Treasury sold the last of its Citigroup Inc. common shares in a $10.5 billion offering that capped the government's biggest bank bailout of the financial-market meltdown.  —  The stock sale, which was finalized Monday evening …

Taibbi On The Prospect.  —  Matt Taibbi explains Matt Bai by...taking a shot at The Prospect? … Yeah, in Taibbi's world, the best way to get your hand on some of that Bob Rubin $$$ is to get a job at a magazine founded by someone who has basically declared himself to be a mortal enemy of Bob Rubin.

Panel finds Justice reluctant to take cases of white victims  —  The Justice Department stonewalled efforts by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to investigate the dismissal of a civil complaint against the New Black Panther Party, leaving open the question of whether the department is willing …

Blighted Title: Banks Selling Homes They Don't Own  —  The tax cut issue is crucial from the standpoint of politics, but in the real world, the biggest threat to the economy remains the lawlessness of the American real estate industry, and how this has dealt a body blow to the most important market for economic renewal in the country.