House Conservatives Introduce Spending Cuts: $2.5 Trillion Over Ten Years  —  You can stop needling Republicans about what programs they want to cut now.  Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)'s Republican Study Committee is introducing the Spending Reduction Act of 2011, to cut back …

First Lady's anti-obesity campaign could be causing more pedestrian deaths  —  Pedestrian deaths increased sharply during the first half of 2010, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).  The reason may be First Lady Michelle Obama and her “Let's Move” campaign.

Social conservatives launch Iowa series, without Romney for now [UPDATED]  —  The Family Leader, Bob Vander Plaats' Iowa conservative group, announces a speaking series:  —  The series line-up begins with former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty on Monday, February 7.

Greg Mankiw's thinking cap  —  There's an interesting mixture of callousness and accidental truth lurking within Greg Mankiw's satirical proposal to reduce the budget deficit: … Like health-care reform, Greg Mankiw's plan really would reduce the budget deficit.  That's been contested, so I'm glad to see Mankiw admit it.

Rick Santorum Responds to Brody File on Comment About President Obama's Race and Abortion  —  EXCLUSIVE UPDATE: RICK SANTORUM HAS JUST SENT THE BRODY FILE A STATEMENT ON THE STORY BELOW: … Abortion is a toxic subject.  Race is a toxic subject.  And soon to be GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum …

The 20 Best Nicknames in the Big Mafia Bust  —  ​News came down this morning about the FBI's largest organized crime bust in New York history, in which raids resulted in the arrest of over 100 alleged mobsters from all five crime families including the Gambinos, Genoveses, Luccheses, Bonannos and Colombos.

An update from the Chairman  —  When I joined Google in 2001 I never imagined—even in my wildest dreams—that we would get as far, as fast as we have today.  Search has quite literally changed people's lives—increasing the collective sum of the world's knowledge and revolutionizing advertising in the process.

The Most Emailed ‘New York Times’ Article Ever  —  It's a week before the biggest day of her life, and Anna Williams is multitasking.  While waiting to hear back from the Ivy League colleges she's hoping to attend, the seventeen-year-old senior at one of Manhattan's most exclusive private schools …

How Should Dems Manage the Healthcare Repeal Circus?  —  It's a slow day, so let's do some political strategizing.  Here's what the LA Times has to say about yesterday's vote in the House to repeal healthcare reform: … Here's my take: Democrats are nuts to take this attitude.

Ted K's son may be eyeing Lieberman's seat in Conn.  —  The late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's son, Ted Jr., is among the names being floated as potential candidates for Connecticut U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman's seat in 2012.  —  Kennedy, the middle child of the late senator and his former wife …

Police Seize ‘Large Amount’ Of Weapons From Blogger Who Praised Gifffords Shooting: ‘1 Down And 534 To Go’  —  Police in Arlington, MA this week seized a “large amount” of weapons and ammunition from local businessman Travis Corcoran after he wrote a blog post threatening U.S. lawmakers …

A Racy Show With Teenagers Steps Back From a Boundary  —  MTV executives have a new hit drama on their hands, featuring the sexual and drug-fueled exploits of misfit teenagers.  They also have something else — a fear that coming episodes of the show may break the law.

Exclusive: Over a million immigrants land U.S. jobs in 2008-10  —  (Reuters) - Over the past two years, as U.S. unemployment remained near double-digit levels and the economy shed jobs in the wake of the financial crisis, over a million foreign-born arrivals to America found work, many illegally.

SPOTTED: Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan Waiting for Jury Duty  —  ABC News' Devin Dwyer reports: If you thought Supreme Court justices are exempt from jury duty in their local courts, think again.  —  Justice Elena Kagan was spotted among a crowd of prospective jurors huddled in a waiting lounge this morning at D.C. Superior Court.

Fox News Poll: Most Say Prayer Helped Save Congresswoman Giffords  —  Nearly 8 in 10 American voters say they believe prayers helped Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords survive the Tucson shooting, according to a Fox News poll (Reuters).  —  Nearly 8 in 10 American voters say they believe prayers helped Arizona …

Petraeus Team: Taliban Made Us Wipe Village Out  —  Expect more Afghan villages to be destroyed by American rockets and bombs — if, that is, the Taliban “saturate” them with homemade explosives and kick out the villagers.  But the U.S.-led coalition isn't going to destroy populated areas …

House Dems vow to improve messaging  —  CAMBRIDGE, Md. - House Democrats kicked off their annual retreat here with a vow to improve the flawed messaging that contributed to the loss of their majority last fall.  —  The down-sized Democratic Caucus is meeting for three days …

LIEBERMAN GETS FOREIGN POLICY AND FEMINISM WRONG AT THE SAME TIME.... Gail Collins noted this morning the Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) has “reached a point in his public career when every single thing he does, including talking about his grandparents, is irritating.”

Walmart joins FLOTUS health push  —  In an unusual endorsement, Michelle Obama appeared with Walmart executives at a community center on Thursday as the discount giant announced long-term plans to encourage healthy eating, including cutting prices of fresh fruits and vegetables and working …

If Obama wants to be bold, he should be bold  —  Peter Baker has a lot of juicy tidbits about the frequent infighting and petty spats that split the White House economic team over the past two years, but the individual who comes off worst in the article is not Larry Summers or Christina Romer or Peter Orszag or Rahm Emanuel.