Peru cuts ties with Libya and condemns violence  —  President Garcia wants a no-fly zone over Libya  —  Peru says it has suspended diplomatic relations with Libya over the use of force against civilians there.  —  It is the first country to take such a step since the anti-government protests erupted in Libya last week.

Chicago's next mayor: Emanuel  —  Ex-presidential adviser avoids runoff with 55%  —  Rahm Emanuel, a top adviser to two U.S. presidents who returned to Chicago just months ago, swept into the mayor's office Tuesday, inheriting a city reeling from recession and promising to reshape City Hall.

Wonkbook: Will Wisconsin spread?  —  A few days ago, Gov. Scott Walker's effort to end collective bargaining for state employees looked almost certain to spread to other GOP-led states.  And there has been some interest, notably from Ohio's John Kasich and New Jersey's Chris Christie.

Newt Gingrich confronted over affair  —  PHILADELPHIA — Newt Gingrich's speech at the University of Pennsylvania Tuesday night quickly took a turn for the dramatic when the first student to question him brought up his admitted extra-marital affair and accused him of being “hypocritical” for espousing moral values.

Federal Judge In D.C. Upholds Health Care Reform, Says Some Arguments ‘Ignore Reality’  —  A federal judge on Tuesday upheld the health care reform law signed last year by President Barack Obama and found that Congress had the clear authority to regulate health insurance under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution.

Wisconsin's Walker Signs Bill Requiring 2/3 Majority for Tax Increases  —  How Wisconsin becomes California.  (photo: FredR on Flickr)  —  I got a sense from Sen. Chris Larson and some others in Wisconsin that the Governor and his Republican allies had run amok in the Capitol before attention …

Scaling Back State Programs Is Least of Three Fiscal Evils  —  Less objectionable than reducing state worker pay or benefits, increasing taxes  —  PRINCETON, NJ — As Wisconsin and numerous other states struggle to reduce untenable budget deficits, a new USA Today/Gallup poll finds …

WikiLeaks Cables Detail Qaddafi Family's Exploits  —  WASHINGTON — After New Year's Day 2009, Western media reported that Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, a son of the Libyan leader Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, had paid Mariah Carey $1 million to sing just four songs at a bash on the Caribbean island of St. Barts.

The Scrubbing has Begun...  Today the state of Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing, announced that it would begin “looking into accusations that a number of local doctors provided the notes for protesters who missed work during the week...the department will review complaints …

Our World: Obama's devastatingly mixed signals  —  By adopting a policy it openly hated and then condemning its own behavior, the US essentially told Israel, America is not a credible partner.  —  Talkbacks (82)  —  For better or worse, each passing day the Middle East is becoming more unstable.

D.C., Hawaii Still Most Approving of Obama; All States Decline  —  Approval is higher than average in 12 states plus D.C., lower than average in 18 states  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Residents of Hawaii gave native son President Barack Obama the highest average 2010 job approval rating (66%) …

Providence plans to pink slip all teachers  —  PROVIDENCE — The school district plans to send out dismissal notices to every one of its 1,926 teachers, an unprecedented move that has union leaders up in arms.  —  In a letter sent to all teachers Tuesday, Supt.

Why Cuts Don't Bring Prosperity  —  Remember the German economic boom of 2010?  —  Germany's economic growth surged in the middle of last year, causing commentators both there and here to proclaim that American stimulus had failed and German austerity had worked.

Report: Ex-minister says Gadhafi ordered Lockerbie  —  STOCKHOLM — Swedish tabloid Expressen says Libya's ex-justice minister claims Moammar Gadhafi personally ordered the Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people in 1988.  —  Expressen on Wednesday quoted Mustafa Abdel-Jalil as telling …

GAY BLACK TEA PARTYER Attacked By Racist SEIU Activists at Denver Tea Party (Videos)  —  A pro-public union SEIU rally turned ugly today outside the Colorado Capitol in Denver.  —  The Colorado union supporters started out the day chanting, “Tax the rich!”  —  But later the unhinged SEIU thugs accosted a gay black tea partyer.

Mitt Romney's Massachusetts health care law could flatline his 2012 ambitions  —  Mitt Romney doesn't really want to talk about “RomneyCare,” the universal health care plan he signed into law as Massachusetts governor.  —  But the topic is already bubbling up in early primary states …