Democrats' defection from Pelosi is historic  —  How divided are Democrats' right now?  —  With 19 Democrats withholding support from Nancy Pelosi for House speaker on Wednesday, it represented the largest defection from a party's speaker nominee in nearly a century.

Retracted autism study an ‘elaborate fraud,’ British journal finds  —  Editor's note: Watch Anderson Cooper's interview with the author of the discredited study, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, on “AC360°” at 10 p.m. ET tonight.  —  (CNN) — A now-retracted British study that linked autism …

CBO's Preliminary Analysis of H.R. 2, the Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act  —  The House of Representatives is planning to consider a bill (H.R. 2) to repeal the major health care legislation enacted last March—that is, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) …

GOP bends its own new House rules  —  Just hours after taking control of the House, Republicans passed a sweeping set of rules promising transparency and reform.  —  But the new majority is already showing these promises aren't exactly set in stone.  —  After calling for bills to go through …

No Pity for Robert Gibbs and His ‘Modest’ Salary  —  Perhaps it was the long flight back from Hawaii.  But President Obama's first full day back on the job suggested a slight case of tone deafness.  —  In bidding a sort-of farewell to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, he noted the …

The Man Who Spilled the Secrets  —  The collaboration between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the Web's notorious information anarchist, and some of the world's most respected news organizations began at The Guardian, a nearly 200-year-old British paper.  What followed was a clash of civilizations …

Bill Daley Chief Of Staff Announcement Reportedly Coming Soon  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … Read More: Bill Daley, Bill Daley Announcement, Bill Daley Chief Of Staff, White House.  White House Chief Of Staff, William Daley, William Daley Announcement, William Daley Chief Of Staff, William Daley White House.

Exclusive: Volcker to step down from White House panel  —  (Reuters) - Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker plans to leave his role as head of a panel of experts advising President Barack Obama on the economy, sources familiar with the decision said on Wednesday.

McCain says he'll make 'Don't ask' repeal work  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Thursday he would work to help implement the repeal of the military's “Don't ask, don't tell” policy, despite his opposition to that legislation.  —  McCain signaled he had made peace with the lame-duck bill …

Why Progressives Find It Difficult to Take the “Fiscal Responsibility” Movement Seriously  —  Portrait of the Deficit Hawk as a Liberal Democrat from Massachusetts  —  Yesterday was the presentation of the “Fiscy Awards,” which go to politicians that the fiscal responsibility movement likes:

Journal's Paper on ESP Expected to Prompt Outrage  —  One of psychology's most respected journals has agreed to publish a paper presenting what its author describes as strong evidence for extrasensory perception, the ability to sense future events.  —  The decision may delight believers …

Elizabeth Edwards' will leaves everything to her children  —  (CNN) — Elizabeth Edwards left everything to her children, with no mention of her estranged husband, John Edwards, in her will.  —  “All of my furniture, furnishings, household goods, jewelry, china, silverware and personal effects …

U.S. teenager tortured in Kuwait and barred re-entry into the U.S.  —  Gulet Mohamed is an 18-year-old American citizen whose family is Somalian.  His parents moved with him to the U.S. when he was 2 or 3 years old, and he has lived in the U.S. ever since.  In March, 2009, he went to study Arabic …

Steve King unveils birthright bill  —  Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) isn't wasting any time with his immigration agenda, dropping a bill on the first day of Congress that goes after birthright citizenship.  —  King's measure would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act, ending automatic citizenship for anyone born in the country.

Original U.S. Constitution will not be read in entirety on House floor  —  If you plan to follow along with your own copy during Thursday's House floor reading of the U.S. Constitution, you might notice that some members reading aloud are skipping parts of the original document.

President Obama's motorcade: A seatbelt-free zone?  —  Does President Obama wear a seatbelt in his presidential limo?  He is supposed to, but there are indications that he doesn't.  —  After then-New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) was seriously injured in a car accident in 2007 …

Republicans to Spend $1.1 Million Reciting Constitution on House Floor  —  As we reported this morning, House Republicans will kick-start the 112th Congress tomorrow with a spirited recitation of the Constitution, a document whose recent relevance is due largely to the ideological and sartorial interests of the Tea Party.