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 …

Conservative bloggers agree: Haley Barbour is toast  —  I noted here yesterday that the real problem with Haley Barbour's comments about the Citizens Councils is that they show an unwillingness to avoid urinating on the third rail of race.  Today several conservative bloggers came …

FCC approves Net neutrality rules  —  The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules that will govern how Internet providers treat Web traffic and services, a move that sets the stage for a heated political battle on Capitol Hill come January.  —  Led by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski …

A SENATOR SCORNED.... Quick quiz — only one Republican senator has sided with Democrats on DADT repeal, the tax deal, New START cloture, and the DREAM Act in the lame-duck session.  Who was it?  —  The obvious guesses would likely be Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Susan Collins (R-Maine), or Scott Brown (R-Mass.).

Census Data Show 308 Million People and a Regional Shift  —  WASHINGTON — The Census Bureau rearranged the country's political map on Tuesday, giving more Congressional seats to the South and the West, and taking away from the Northeast and the Midwest, in largely anticipated changes …

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.

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 …

Reapportionment costs Obama 6, leaves path  —  Tom Bonier, one of the Democratic Party's leading redistricting wizards, e-mails:  —  With seats shifting mostly from the Northeast and Midwest into the South and West, if you apply the new apportionment to the 2008 results, Obama loses 6 electoral votes.

HHS reg: Magic number is 10 percent  —  Health insurers will be required to justify double-digit premium increases under a proposed health reform rule the Obama administration released Tuesday.  —  Beginning in 2011, Health and Human Services will require insurers to publicly disclose any rate increases higher than 10 percent.

Thanks for the Tax Cut!  —  THERE is a God!  It passed!  The Bush tax cuts have been extended two years for the upper bracketeers, of which I am a proud member, thank you very much.  I'm the last person in the world I'd want to be beside, but I am beside myself!  This is a life changer, I tell you.

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.

In New Maps, ‘An Embarrassment of Riches’ for GOP  —  Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, is an example of how too much success in redistricting can backfire.  —  On paper, Tuesday's announcement of congressional reapportionment numbers by the U.S. Census Bureau should be an early Christmas present for Republicans.

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 …

Afghan sex practices concern U.S., British forces  —  A document released by WikiLeaks described efforts by high-ranking Afghan officials to quash reports of police officers and other Afghans arrested for “purchasing a service from a child.”  —  The leaked diplomatic cable quoted former Minister …

The RNC food fight everyone saw coming  —  Jonathan Martin wrote months ago that Republican leaders feared that dumping Michael Steele would lead to a racially charged food fight, and, well, here we go, as former Steele aide and current rival Gentry Collins looks to shake up the race and pick …

Actor Injured in Fall During ‘Spider-Man’ Performance  —  An actor playing Spider-Man was injured during a performance of the Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” on Monday night.  Above, an image from a video taken by a New York Times reader.  —  Updated

U.S. buffets and salad bars ‘threatened with poison attacks’ by Al Qaeda group behind ‘ink cartridge’ bomb plot  —  Al Qaeda terrorists planned to poison food at multiple US hotels and restaurants over a single weekend, it has been revealed this morning.  —  The ‘credible’ plot involved slipping …