Darrell Issa reveals list of investigations  —  Rep. Darrell Issa is aiming to launch investigations on everything from WikiLeaks to Fannie Mae to corruption in Afghanistan in the first few months of what promises to be a high-profile chairmanship of the top oversight committee in Congress.

Austerity is first order for Boehner's installation as House speaker  —  Nancy Pelosi brought camera crews and dignitaries into her childhood Baltimore neighborhood where a street was being renamed in her honor, while John Boehner is bringing his 11 siblings from working-class Ohio to Washington for a private reunion.

Cops: Former Bush Aide Murdered, Found in Landfill  —  A man who fought to get the Vietnam Veterans Memorial built and served in two Bush administrations was murdered, Delaware police say.  —  John P. Wheeler III, 66, was found dead in a Delaware landfill, and his death has been ruled a homicide by Newark, Del., police.

Majority of RNC against Michael Steele  —  Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele faces an all-but-impossible path to reelection this month, as a majority of the RNC's 168 members indicate that they will not support the controversial chairman for another term.

Lindsey Graham Joins the Loonies  —  The U.S. appears to be the only country in the developed world that forbids its government from accumulating debt without authorizing legislation.  And that's led to some scary moments, including one that the economist Henry Aaron shared with me recently.

The Unborn Paradox  —  The American entertainment industry has never been comfortable with the act of abortion.  Film or television characters might consider the procedure, but even on the most libertine programs (a “Mad Men,” a “Sex and the City"), they're more likely to have a change of heart than actually go through with it.

Chewing Gum for Terrorists  —  DID former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Tom Ridge, a former homeland security secretary, and Frances Townsend, a former national security adviser, all commit a federal crime last month in Paris when they spoke in support …

He Entered Congress Swinging, and Exits That Way  —  ORLANDO, Fla. — He has zero faith in the incoming speaker of the House, John A. Boehner, whom he calls a “tool of special interest.”  —  He derides the Tea Party's successes as “bought and paid for by the enormously rich and the selfish.”

A Gay Tempest in the Tea Party  —  What's Your Reaction:  —  Is the Tea Party-era GOP having its first big family feud?  The movement's disciples and many of the leaders they empowered will gather in February at the annual Reagan-worshiping Conservative Political Action Conference.

How O'Donnell Brought Down the Delaware GOP  —  The FBI is investigating whether Christine O'Donnell misused campaign funds during her Senate run.  While we wait to find out whether she's guilty on that count, we already know that she is guilty in another way: for destroying and cannibalizing the Republican Party in Delaware.

European nations begin seizing private pensions  —  Hungary, Poland, and three other nations take over citizens' pension money to make up government budget shortfalls.  —  People's retirement savings are a convenient source of revenue for governments that don't want to reduce spending or make privatizations.

Mossad behind Egypt church blast  —  The explosion at a church in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, which left 21 people killed and another 80 Muslims and Christians wounded, raises one question: Who was behind the blast?  —  Although, at first glance, the finger is pointed at extremist Wahabi …

The Febraury 2011 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll  —  Americans are numerically at a loss after a trillion.  To balance the budget, most of them would choose to tax the rich.  And as far as memories go, they'd prefer to keep them.  (All of them.)  —  Numbers games this month: What comes after a trillion?

Conservative Seeks Balance on His Way to Senate  —  ZIONSVILLE, Pa. — Patrick J. Toomey was elected to the Senate in November as part of the Republican revolution, with a big assist from Tea Party activists, an endorsement from Sarah Palin and the expectation that he would join …

Deep Hole Economics  —  If there's one piece of economic wisdom I hope people will grasp this year, it's this: Even though we may finally have stopped digging, we're still near the bottom of a very deep hole.  —  Why do I need to point this out?  Because I've noticed many people overreacting to recent good economic news.

President's Re-Election Transition Begins With OFA Layoffs  —  The Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America has started laying off staff in multiple states as the first phase of a restructuring before the official kickoff of President Barack Obama's re-election bid.

Schwarzenegger commutes prison sentence of Fabian Nuñez's son [Updated]  —  In his final night before leaving office, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger commuted the prison sentence of the son of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez who had pleaded guilty to taking part in the slaying of a college student.

Apple iPhone alarm woes continue across the globe  —  (Reuters) - Some iPhone users across the globe complained of malfunctioning alarms on the first working day of 2011, even after Apple reassured users that its phones' built-in clocks will work from Monday.

Eco-bulb cost to treble: Makers cash in as the ban on old-style bulbs kicks in  —  The price of energy-saving light bulbs will treble as the final supplies of traditional bulbs dry up, industry experts have warned.  —  The Government has ordered energy companies to scrap the subsidies …

Educational programme brings foreigners to North Korea  —  The programme brings students from the US, UK, Canada and other nations into North Korea  —  Amid the ongoing tensions between North Korea and the international community, a educational scheme created by two young men from the US …