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.

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 …

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 …

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.

Jay Carney named White House press secretary  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden's communications director, Jay Carney, was named the new White House press secretary Thursday as part of a series of other big staff moves announced by new Chief of Staff Bill Daley.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Santorum announces Iowa hires  —  Washington (CNN) - Call it another signal from Rick Santorum that he's getting ready to officially run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.  —  The former senator from Pennsylvania announced Friday that two experienced Republican strategists in Iowa …