GOP senators concede arms treaty will secure enough votes to pass  —  Republican senators say privately they expect the Senate to ratify the New START treaty this week, which would hand President Obama his third major victory of the lame-duck session.  —  GOP senators — including those who plan …

F.C.C. Is Set to Regulate Net Access  —  The Federal Communications Commission appears poised to pass a controversial set of rules that broadly create two classes of Internet access, one for fixed-line providers and the other for the wireless Net.  —  The proposed rules of the online road …

That snow is what global warming looks like  —  Unusually cold winters may make you think scientists have got it all wrong.  But the data reveal a chilling truth  —  There were two silent calls, followed by a message left on my voicemail.  She had a soft, gentle voice and a mid-Wales accent.

Haley Barbour's Account Of Civil Rights Era In Mississippi Assailed By NAACP, Historians  —  What's Your Reaction: … WASHINGTON — Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) has set off a firestorm of controversy over his comments on the civil rights era in his hometown of Yazoo City …

Christie frees man in gun case  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gave the Aitken family all they wanted for Christmas Monday.  —  Christie signed a letter ordering Brian Aitken, a New Jersey man sentenced to seven years in jail for having weapons he legally purchased in Colorado …

Attorney General's Blunt Warning on Terror Attacks  —  AG Eric Holder Says ‘Terrorists Only Have to Be Successful Once’  —  Attorney General Eric Holder has an urgent message for Americans: While he is confident that the United States will continue to thwart attacks, “the terrorists only have to be successful once.”

Harry Potter actress was beaten and branded a prostitute by her brother after dating man ‘who was not a Muslim’  —  A Harry Potter actress fled her home after her father and brother threatened to kill her for going out with a Hindu man, a court heard yesterday.

U.S. Military Seeks to Expand Raids in Pakistan  —  WASHINGTON — Senior American military commanders in Afghanistan are pushing for an expanded campaign of Special Operations ground raids across the border into Pakistan's tribal areas, a risky strategy reflecting the growing frustration …

Janet Napolitano: We're Working “24/7, 364″ To Keep The American People Safe  —  Ya gotta wonder which day America's anti-terror forces are kicking their feet up with a book and maybe a nap, instead of, you know, “keeping the American people safe?”  —  On ABC's World News tonight …

Coburn may block 9/11 bill  —  New York Democrats hoping for quick action on a bill to give health care compensation to Ground Zero workers are about to run into Tom Coburn.  —  The Oklahoma Republican and physician — known in the Senate as “Dr. No” for his penchant in blocking bills …

Manchin stands by skirting votes  —  Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) stands by his decision to miss voting on the repeal of “don't ask, don't tell” and the immigration reform bill, the DREAM Act - two major Democratic-backed pieces of legislation.  —  This weekend the West Virginia Democrat's office released …

On Palin's Reading List, C.S. Lewis  —  He wasn't a children's writer, as the governor's critics proclaim—not by a long shot.  —  Since Katie Couric first asked the question a couple of years back, journalists continue to pepper Sarah Palin with that classic ice-breaker: “So, what are you reading?”

RNC chair candidate proposes ballot measures  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A candidate to lead the Republican National Committee warned Monday that the GOP will hand a second term to Democratic President Barack Obama if the party doesn't elect a chairman who can harness voters' frustrations …

Dems prepare defense of healthcare law in face of repeal threats  —  Democrats are preparing a spirited defense of the healthcare law in the face of Republican efforts to dismantle it.  —  Statements from lawmakers, advocates and the administration reveal a multi-pronged strategy …

Justice Dept. Is Criticized as Corruption Cases Close  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has shut down a wave of high-profile investigations of members of Congress over the past few months, drawing criticism that the government's premier anticorruption agency has lost its nerve …

Debt crisis threatens 100 US cities  —  Overdrawn American cities could face financial collapse in 2011, defaulting on hundreds of billions of dollars of borrowings and derailing the US economic recovery.  Nor are European cities safe - Florence, Barcelona, Madrid, Venice: all are in trouble

Funding Deal Snags Health Law  —  WASHINGTON—A Senate deal to fund the federal government until early March doesn't include money to enact the health-care overhaul or stepped up regulation of Wall Street, boosting Republican efforts to curb key elements of President Barack Obama's domestic agenda.