Obama: On the way to a failed presidency?  —  Ronald Reagan famously quipped that the Democratic Party left him before he left the party.  Like many progressive supporters of Barack Obama, I'm beginning to have the same feeling about this president.  —  Consider what we've seen since …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Top Test Scores From Shanghai Stun Educators  —  With China's debut in international standardized testing, students in Shanghai have surprised experts by outscoring their counterparts in dozens of other countries, in reading as well as in math and science, according to the results of a respected exam.

Tax and Unemployment Agreement Leads to Jobs Growth  —  Agreement Will Create or Save 2.2 Million Jobs Despite Wasteful Tax Policies  —  A job seeker fills out an application while attending a job fair in Livonia, MI.  The Obama administration clearly had its eye on job creation …

California's Parent Revolution  —  ‘Triggering’ school reform in Compton.  —  It could be a shot heard 'round the education world: This morning in Compton, California, more than 260 parents will pull the first ever “parent trigger” in a bid to transform a failing public school.

Social Science Palooza  —  Every day, hundreds of thousands of scholars study human behavior.  Every day, a few of their studies are bundled and distributed via e-mail by Kevin Lewis, who covers the social sciences for The Boston Globe and National Affairs.

Bloomberg cheers D.C. for ‘coming together and doing something’  —  New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who has made criticism of Washington partisanship a calling card, praises the tax deal:  —  I was very pleased to see the president and the Congress come together.