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.

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.

John P Wheeler III  —  I was stunned to learn tonight that my long-time friend Jack Wheeler has been murdered in Delaware.  He was last seen getting off an Amtrak train from Washington at the Wilmington, DE, station this past Tuesday night; then, as a gruesome and cryptic local story recounts …

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.

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 …

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.

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.”

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 …

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.

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.

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?

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 …

Is Charlie Crist a potential VP Pick...for Obama?  —  In spite of assertions made to the contrary by Vice President Joe Biden, speculation continues to swirl around the possibility that President Obama will replace Biden on the 2012 Presidential ticket for someone with less of a propensity …

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.

Reform and the Filibuster  —  The new Senate will face one of its most momentous decisions in its opening hours on Wednesday: a vote on whether to change its rules to prohibit the widespread abuse of the filibuster.  Americans are fed up with Washington gridlock.  The Senate should seize the opportunity.

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.

Garbage pile saves Vangelis (Angelo) Kapatos, 26, who tried to commit suicide in midtown  —  A suicidal man plummeted nine stories and survived in midtown Sunday when he landed on a mountain of trash that had piled up since last week's blizzard, officials said.