White House, Egypt Discuss Plan for Mubarak's Exit  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is discussing with Egyptian officials a proposal for President Hosni Mubarak to resign immediately, turning over power to a transitional government headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman with the support …

Pics of the Day: Homemade Helmets in Egypt...  Pick your favorite. … My personal favorite.

House Democrat files for bankruptcy  —  Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, an eight-term Democrat from Texas, filed for personal bankruptcy in December after a major bank won a $2.6 million arbitration award against him over a loan he made to a family meat company, according to documents filed in federal bankruptcy court.

Gallup Finds U.S. Unemployment Up Slightly in January to 9.8%  —  Underemployment at 18.9%, compared with 19.0% at the end of December  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Unemployment, as measured by Gallup without seasonal adjustment, increased to 9.8% at the end of January — up from 9.6% at the end of December, but down from 10.9% a year ago.

ObamaCare's Repeal Has Begun  —  This week's Senate vote to scrap an IRS reporting requirement is the start of a piece by piece approach.  —  Mark this date: On Feb. 2, 2011, a Democratic Senate killed the first piece of the health-care law it passed less than a year ago.

Why Sarah Palin keeps skipping CPAC  —  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin today turned down an invitation to speak at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference even after being offered the plum keynote speaking spot, the fourth year in a row she's turned down an offer to speak at the event.

Gabrielle Giffords's husband Mark Kelly will command final shuttle flight  —  Mark Kelly, husband of wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, will fly the space shuttle Endeavour's final mission in April, according to a source familiar with the decision.  —  Kelly and NASA are expected to make an announcement at a press conference Friday.

House GOP Calls for Cuts in Security Spending  —  Defense spending is on the budget chopping block, under spending limits set by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisc.  —  House Republicans are proposing to slash $74 billion in discretionary spending this year …

Get Ready for the Muslim Brotherhood  —  WASHINGTON — In 1985, as a teenager in Kenya, I was an adamant member of the Muslim Brotherhood.  Seventeen years later, in 2002, I took part in a political campaign to win votes for the conservative party in the Netherlands.

Obama's Approval Ratings More Polarized in Year 2 Than Year 1  —  Ranks as fourth-most-polarized year for a president since 1953  —  PRINCETON, NJ — President Barack Obama's job approval ratings were even more polarized during his second year in office than during his first …

Abandoning allies and consciences  —  A popular budget cut is an oxymoron.  —  Every government program has its constituencies and supporters.  No reduction in spending, no matter how basic, goes without objection.  But in this time of necessary budgetary soul searching …

TRENDING: White House e-mail blackout  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) -The White House learned an important lesson Thursday: the most powerful place in the world is not immune to some of the technical glitches that drive most Americans crazy.  —  Shortly before 8 a.m. the unclassified e-mail system …

Cops Charge 7-Year-Old for Bringing Toy Gun to Class  —  Kid charged with possession of a fake firearm after shooting Nerf-style gun  —  A 7-year-old child allegedly shot a Nerf-style toy gun in his Hammonton, N.J., school Jan. 18.  No one was hurt, but the pint-size softshooter now faces misdemeanor criminal charges.

Why we fight health reform rollback  —  We're looking out for business owners like Mark Hodesh, who runs a small home and garden shop in Ann Arbor, Mich. The new law gave a tax cut to help them provide insurance for employees.  So Hodesh was able to hire a new employee, expand his business and make 2010 his busiest year ever.

Learning To Walk: Fear, Shame And Your Underwater Mortgage … WASHINGTON — Nearly one in every four homeowners across the country owe more on their home than it's worth.  Once a month, those 10.8 million are faced with a question that cuts to the core of the American Dream and offers …

U.S. Pressure on Mubarak Opens a Rift With Arab Allies  —  WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama's attempt to abruptly push aside Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in favor of a transition government has sparked a rift with key Arab allies Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates …

Ex-U.S. Rep. Foley returns to GOP scene, four years after grounding in scandal  —  Former Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, a pariah with many in the GOP after he abruptly resigned in a 2006 Internet sex scandal, is slowly regaining acceptance with some local Republicans.

Why I Was Dragged Through the Street by an Egyptian Mob  —  As the regime plays up the supposed role of “foreign agendas” behind the protests, Mubarak supporters' attacks become more indiscriminate  —  CAIRO — Egypt's cryptic new vice president, Omar Suleiman, is a man who chooses his words cautiously …

From 1983, Hints of Strong Job Growth in 2011  —  The unemployment rate declined by four-tenths of a percentage point in one month.  There had not been a monthly decline that large in many years, but economists were unimpressed.  After all, the decline was due in no small part …