CBS News' Lara Logan Assaulted During Egypt Protests  —  CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Separated From Her Crew And Brutally Assaulted on Day Mubarak Stepped Down  —  On Friday February 11, the day Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak stepped down, CBS correspondent Lara Logan was covering …

From Prison, Madoff Says Banks ‘Had to Know’ of Fraud  —  BUTNER, N.C. — Bernard L. Madoff said he never thought the collapse of his Ponzi scheme would cause the sort of destruction that has befallen his family.  —  In his first interview for publication since his arrest in December 2008 …

Ryan's claims of trillions in new spending in the 2012 federal budget  —  “What we have is $1.6 trillion in new tax increases, $8.7 trillion in new spending.  He's going to be adding $13 trillion to the debt over the course of his budget.”  —  It's budget season in Washington again …

Santorum Talks About Longtime Google Problem  —  Rick Santorum has a Google problem.  —  The former Pennsylvania Senator might be well-known on Capitol Hill, but his name more regularly produces blank stares in places like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, if recent polling is any guide.

Newt Gingrich's financial empire shows his fundraising prowess  —  Dallas businesswoman Dawn Rizos received the unexpected invitation by fax: Come to a “private dinner” with Newt Gingrich in Washington, where you will be named an “entrepreneur of the year.”  —  The catch: Rizos had to pay …

NOT ALL ENTITLEMENTS ARE CREATED EQUAL.... When policymakers talk about “entitlement reform,” they're generally referring to several massive programs: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.  When the discussion shifts to long-term fiscal challenges, all three tend to be lumped together.

Thune in 2012?  —  As he settles into a high-backed chair in his private Senate office, John Thune tells me that if he jumps into the 2012 presidential race, he will be in it to win it — no test-run for 2016, no show-horse spectacle.  “The reason you do it is that you really believe that the future is now,” he says.

Obama to GOP: I'll veto your budget if you try to cut ... defense  —  In fairness, Gates did say yesterday that the Pentagon can't do its job this year with cuts of more than $9 billion.  The GOP wants to cut $15 billion, but to soften that, the plan is to attach a full military appropriations bill …

Libya: Protests ‘rock city of Benghazi’  —  BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo talks about the protests in Libya as amateur video is released of clashes in Benghazi  —  Hundreds of people have clashed with police and pro-government supporters in the Libyan city of Benghazi, reports say.

With GOP rifts on cuts, McConnell faces test to unite colleagues  —  Rifts have already begun to emerge in the Senate Republican Conference over a House GOP proposal to cut $61 billion from the federal budget.  —  Conservative and even some mainstream members are calling for Senate Republicans …

Liberal Egyptian leader Ayman Nour: “In practice, the Camp David accords have come to an end”  —  My sense from Twitter is that most people think the political story of the day in Egypt is the Muslim Brotherhood forming its own party.  Not so.  That was a fait accompli the moment …

Democracy isn't enough  —  Though one hates to nitpick, it seems that Middle East coverage on cable TV has been only almost perfect.  You see, for some reason, a number of anchors and talking heads have made a careless habit of using the words “democracy” and “freedom” as if they were interchangeable ideas.

Poll: Most Oppose Cutting Funding for Health Care Reforms  —  CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.  —  A majority of the public disapproves of the Republican idea to cut off funding for health care reform …

Major Hasan, ‘Star Officer’  —  Every branch of the military issued a final report on the Fort Hood massacre.  Not a single one mentioned radical Islam.  —  In a month of momentous change, it was easy to overlook the significance of another revolutionary event.

Egypt Leaders Found ‘Off’ Switch for Internet  —  Epitaphs for the Mubarak government all note that the mobilizing power of the Internet was one of the Egyptian opposition's most potent weapons.  But quickly lost in the swirl of revolution was the government's ferocious counterattack …

Feingold forms PAC to boost liberal candidates, fight corporate influence  —  Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) on Wednesday announced the formation of a new liberal political group meant to boost progressive candidates and combat corporate influence in politics.

Ted Kennedy Jr. Rules Out Senate Run  —  Kennedy Wants More Time With Family  —  BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Ted Kennedy Jr. told Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Karen Lee that he will not run for the U.S. Senate in 2012.  —  He revealed his decision Tuesday at the JKF Legacy Dinner commemorating …