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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

Christie to outline ‘big things’ in Washington speech  —  Washington (CNN) - No matter many times he denies having his sights on the White House in 2012, presidential buzz seems to follow New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wherever he goes.  —  His latest foray onto the national stage comes Wednesday …

Ted Kennedy Jr. rules out 2012 Senate run  —  At an event marking the 50th anniversary of his uncle's inauguration as president, Ted Kennedy Jr. ruled out his own run for office next year.  —  Kennedy was mulling a bid for the seat of retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) …

Boehner the budget hawk shifts his course  —  “So be it.”  —  That was House Speaker John Boehner's cold answer when asked Tuesday about job losses that would come from his new Republican majority's plans to cut tens of billions of dollars in government spending this year.

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.

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 …

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 …

Scott sending high-speed rail money back to Washington?  —  TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott just announced he's taking a pass on $2.4 billion in federal stimulus money President Obama's administration had earmarked for a high-speed train connecting Orlando and Tampa.

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.

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 …