Media Creates New Palin Scandal!  Sarah Accused of Bringing Hairdresser on Haiti Trip  —  Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin traveled to Haiti this weekend as a guest of the Rev. Franklin Graham and Samaritan's Purse to spotlight the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the earthquake and cholera-stricken Caribbean (half an) island nation.

In Tax Benefits to the Middle, Political Lift for Obama  —  WASHINGTON — With the Senate poised to hold a key vote on Monday on the tax cut deal between President Obama and Republicans, the political jousting has focused on what the agreement does for the wealthy by extending all of the Bush-era tax rates …

Block Those Metaphors  —  Like it or not — and I don't — the Obama-McConnell tax-cut deal, with its mixture of very bad stuff and sort-of-kind-of good stuff, is likely to pass Congress.  Then what?  —  The deal will, without question, give the economy a short-term boost.

Norm Coleman may enter RNC race  —  Norm Coleman — former U.S. senator from Minnesota, and now chairman of American Action Network and Forum, a key outside GOP group - is likely to enter the race for Republican National Committee chairman now that Michael Steele is expected to announce he will not seek reelection.

John Boehner: Obama disrespectful to me  —  John Boehner thinks President Barack Obama is “engaging” and “smart” — but the speaker-elect is also still smarting over the president's claim that he took taxpayers hostage to secure a tax break for the rich.  —  In an interview with Leslie Stahl of …

FAQ: Compromised Commenting Accounts on Gawker Media  —  This weekend we discovered that Gawker Media's servers were compromised, resulting in a security breach at Lifehacker, Gizmodo, Gawker, Jezebel, io9, Jalopnik, Kotaku, Deadspin, and Fleshbot.  If you're a commenter on any of our sites, you probably have several questions.

Government Unions vs. Taxpayers  —  The moral case for unions—protecting working families from exploitation—does not apply to public employment.  —  When Americans think of organized labor, they might think of images like I saw growing up in a blue-collar meatpacking town: hard hats, work boots, tough conditions and gritty jobs.

Rep. Ron Paul, G.O.P. Loner, Comes In From Cold  —  WASHINGTON — As virtually all of Washington was declaring WikiLeaks's disclosures of secret diplomatic cables an act of treason, Representative Ron Paul was applauding the organization for exposing the United States' “delusional foreign policy.”

North Korea campaigned for Eric Clapton performance, cable reveals  —  (CNN) — One of the diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks reveals that North Korean officials suggested the U.S. government make arrangements for rock icon Eric Clapton to perform in Pyongyang as a way of building “good will” between the countries.

Federal Judge to Rule on Health Law's Constitutionality  —  A Virginia federal judge is expected to rule Monday on whether the Obama administration's health law violates the Constitution, opening a new stage in the administration's defense of its biggest legislative achievement.

As Mexico drug violence runs rampant, U.S. guns tied to crime south of border  —  No other state has produced more guns seized by police in the brutal Mexican drug wars than Texas.  In the Lone Star State, no other city has more guns linked to Mexican crime scenes than Houston.

Breyer: Founding Fathers Would Have Allowed Restrictions on Guns  —  If you look at the values and the historical record, you will see that the Founding Fathers never intended guns to go unregulated, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer contended Sunday.  —  Appearing on “Fox News Sunday …

Economists Predict Growth in 2011  —  Economists have grown more optimistic about the outlook for U.S. growth next year, predicting the expansion will accelerate as 2011 progresses, according to the latest Wall Street Journal forecasting survey.  —  The 55 respondents, not all of whom answer …

Web Focus Helps Revitalize Atlantic  —  WASHINGTON — How did a 153-year-old magazine — one that first published the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and gave voice to the abolitionist and transcendentalist movements — reinvent itself for the 21st century?  —  By pretending it was a Silicon Valley start …

Sweden suicide bomber: Taimur Abdulwahab al-Abdaly was living in Britain  —  An Islamic suicide bomber who attacked Christmas shoppers in Sweden at the weekend is a British university graduate and was living in this country until two weeks ago.  —  The suicide bomb in Stockholm is thought …

The Interview: Transcript of Mike Huckabee's Conversation With NJ  —  A knee injury is keeping him from running marathons now, but the former GOP presidential candidate says he might have another race in his future.  —  Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says he hasn't made up his mind about making another run for president.