White House reboots on economic advice  —  Signaling a shift to a new phase of the administration's response to the nation's economic woes, President Barack Obama will sign an executive order Friday establishing a new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness that will be lead by General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt.

Glenn Beck in June 2010: 'You're Gonna Have to Shoot Them in the Head'  —  But, of course, “both sides do it!”...  sigh...  [via Stephen Webster at RAW STORY]...  The video above was from June 10, 2010.  —  “You need to go back to June —  June of this year, 2010,” …

A Path Is Sought for States to Escape Their Debt Burdens  —  Policy makers are working behind the scenes to come up with a way to let states declare bankruptcy and get out from under crushing debts, including the pensions they have promised to retired public workers.

Are We In Bill Clinton's Third Term?  —  Jacob Lew was tapped by Barack Obama last July to lead the Office of Management & Budget.  Most recently, William Daley accepted a request to serve as BHO's chief of staff.  —  Both Lew and Daley also had prominent positions within the Clinton administration …

Everything starts with repeal  —  Suppose someone - say, the president of United States - proposed the following: We are drowning in debt.  More than $14 trillion right now.  I've got a great idea for deficit reduction.  It will yield a savings of $230 billion over the next 10 years …

Giuliani ‘absolutely’ open to 2012 presidential run  —  Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) said he is “absolutely” open to a run for president in 2012.  —  Giuliani, the mayor of New York during the 9/11 terrorist attacks who ran for president in 2008, hinted more strongly …

Republican Presidential Contenders for 2012  —  ABC News' Early Look at Top GOP Presidential Hopefuls and Their Chances of Winning Nomination  —  Roughly one year before the Iowa caucuses, a diverse and ambitious group of Republicans has begun jockeying for the party's presidential nomination …

Poll Finds Wariness About Cutting Entitlements  —  As President Obama and Congress brace to battle over how to reduce chronic annual budget deficits, Americans overwhelmingly say that in general they prefer cutting government spending to paying higher taxes, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Woman who fell into fountain faces theft charges, has criminal record  —  The Reading woman who became an Internet sensation by falling into a fountain while sending a text on her cell phone was in Berks County Court on Thursday for a status hearing on theft-by-deception and related charges.

Just as things were looking up, Obama's annual job approval average puts him near the postwar bottom  —  As if the poll showing improved approval of Congress under partial Republican leadership wasn't discouraging enough, now comes a new survey showing President Obama's second-year job approval near …

Poll: Emanuel closing in on majority vote  —  Front-runner has 44%; Braun next with 21%  —  Rahm Emanuel is closing in on the majority he needs to end the mayor's race next month and avoid a one-on-one runoff, a new Tribune/WGN poll shows.  —  The former White House chief of staff had the support of 44 percent of those surveyed.

Sen. Murkowski questions approach to health repeal  —  Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Thursday cast doubt on the manner in which Republicans have attempted to repeal the healthcare law.  —  Murkowski (Alaska) said that she would vote to repeal the law if a vote was held in the Senate …

Outspoken Tucson sheriff faces recall bid  —  Tea party group wants Dupnik out  —  Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik has never lost an election, but that was before his remarks assigning blame for the deadly Tucson, Ariz., shooting to political “vitriol” and calling Arizona “a mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”

Rep. Broun: Mixed Seating At SOTU Is “A Trap” To “Silence Republicans” When “Barack Obama Spews Out All His Venom”  —  1 hour and 16 minutes ago — Matt Finkelstein  —  The tragic shootings in Tucson prompted calls for civility from politicians on both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Mark Udall's …

Next up for Obama: Marriage equality for gay Americans  —  Less than a month after President Obama repealed “don't ask, don't tell,” his Justice Department filed its latest brief defending the so-called Defense of Marriage Act - the law that makes gay Americans second-class citizens …

Dems Growing Convinced That GOP Will Try To Force Shutdown Over Health Care Funds … WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats expressed a rare touch of nonchalance Wednesday as House Republicans voted to repeal last year's health care overhaul, since the repeal has little chance of passing the Senate.

Eight Somali pirates killed as South Korea rescues freighter crew  —  Navy commandos storm ship hijacked in Arabian Sea, and officials say all 21 crewmembers safe after operation  —  South Korean navy commandos today rescued the crew of a freighter hijacked in the Arabian Sea last week …

China Goes to Nixon  —  With Hu Jintao, China's president, currently visiting the United States, stories about growing Chinese economic might are everywhere.  And those stories are entirely true: although China is still a poor country, it's growing fast, and given its sheer size it's …

Is Republican billionaire Meg Whitman planning a political comeback?  —  California Republican Meg Whitman's failed $150 million-plus drive to become California governor is barely in the rear view mirror — but her appearance in San Francisco today, the first public gig since the 2010 election …

FBI Questioned Gulet Mohamed Without Counsel at DC Airport (With Video)  —  UPDATE: Gulet Mohamed was released over two hours after he was detained at Dulles airport by government agents.  He left Dulles for his home in Alexandria, Virginia, without saying much about the questioning (at his lawyer's suggestion).

Giffords heads to Houston hospital  —  Tucson, Arizona (CNN) — Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on Friday left the Tucson, Arizona, hospital where she has been treated since a January 9 gunshot wound, traveling under police escort down streets lined with well-wishers.