Egypt Leaves the Internet  —  Confirming what a few have reported this evening: in an action unprecedented in Internet history, the Egyptian government appears to have ordered service providers to shut down all international connections to the Internet.  Critical European-Asian fiber-optic …

Wonkbook: Filibuster reform dead  —  So why did Senate Democrats agree, in principle, that simple majorities can't change the Senate's rules, and even exceedingly modest changes to the filibuster are out-of-bounds?  Easy: They're a simple majority now, but someday soon, they'll be a simple minority.

Furor at Washington U. nixes Bristol Palin appearance  —  Anger over a decision to pay Bristol Palin several thousand dollars in student fees to talk to Washington University students about abstinence led to a decision Thursday night to nix Palin's appearance on a panel here next month.

U.S. Economy Grew at 3.2% Rate in the 4th Quarter  —  The United States economy sped up its growth rate in the fourth quarter, chiefly on the backs of revitalized consumers and a narrowed trade deficit.  —  Gross domestic product, a broad measure of all the goods and services produced by the economy …

Supreme Court: Emanuel on Chicago mayor ballot  —  UPDATED at 7:15 p.m. by Liam Ford, Jeff Coen and David Heinzmann with more detail from Supreme Court opinion; election authority comment; ruling a topic in tonight's mayoral debate.  —  The Illinois Supreme Court ruled today that Rahm Emanuel …

Johanns bill to repeal healthcare law's 1099 provision reaches 60 co-sponsors  —  A bipartisan bill in the Senate that would repeal the unpopular 1099 provision in the healthcare law garnered 60 co-sponsors on Thursday, giving the legislation its best chance at passage so far.

PROPAGANDA: Reagan And Obama On The Cover Of TIME  —  TIME Magazine's new February 2011 issue has a cover that features Ronald Reagan with his arm around a jovial Barack Obama.  You can see the image below.  This is propaganda.  Plain and simple.  —  Anyone who knows anything …

HOUSE GOP WEIGHS MEDICARE PRIVATIZATION.... To help finance the Affordable Care Act and ensure health care reform didn't add to the deficit, Democrats committed to $500 billion in cost savings from Medicare.  Republicans, who've always been hostile to the system of socialized medicine, feigned outrage.

Their Own Private Europe  —  President Obama's State of the Union address was a ho-hum affair.  But the official Republican response, from Representative Paul Ryan, was really interesting.  And I don't mean that in a good way.  —  Mr. Ryan made highly dubious assertions about employment, health care and more.

Rand Paul: End foreign aid, including Israel  —  WASHINGTON (JTA) — U.S. Sen. Rand Paul wants to end all foreign assistance, including aid to Israel.  —  Paul, a Republican newly elected in Kentucky, was on CNN Wednesday outlining where he would cut the $500 billion in government spending …

Top Dem: We will ‘hang’ Republicans  —  Amidst a national dialogue about softening political rhetoric, members of an Obama-affiliated organization are threatening to hang Granite State Republicans in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, according to a news story in the Citizen of Laconia.

Himalayan glaciers not melting because of climate change, report finds  —  Himalayan glaciers are actually advancing rather than retreating, claims the first major study since a controversial UN report said they would be melted within quarter of a century.  —  The key factor affecting …

DAVOS-UPDATE 1-Minor explosion in Davos hotel, nobody hurt  —  Left-wing activists claimed responsibility for a minor explosion on Thursday at a hotel in Davos, close to where top executives and world leaders were meeting, but nobody was hurt.  —  Devin Wenig, CEO of Thomson Reuters' Markets division …

Hawaii: Bill Would Open Obama Birth Record  —  The state would charge $100 for a copy of President Obama's birth records under a bill introduced in the Legislature by five Democrats.  It would change a privacy law barring the release of birth records unless the person seeking them has a tangible interest.

Seizing a Moment, Al Jazeera Galvanizes Arab Frustration  —  The protests rocking the Arab world this week have one thread uniting them: Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based satellite channel whose aggressive coverage has helped propel insurgent emotions from one capital to the next.