Democrats to End Union Standoff  —  Playing a game of political chicken, Democratic senators who fled Wisconsin to stymie restrictions on public-employee unions said Sunday they planned to come back from exile soon, betting that even though their return will allow the bill to pass …

Number of healthcare reform law waivers climbs above 1,000  —  The number of temporary healthcare reform waivers granted by the Obama administration to organizations climbed to more than 1,000, according to new numbers disclosed by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Fading Power of Beck's Alarms  —  Almost every time I flipped on television last week, there was a deeply angry guy on a running tirade about the conspiracies afoot, the enemies around all corners, and how he alone seemed to understand what was under way.

Giving Life After Death Row  —  EIGHT years ago I was sentenced to death for the murders of my wife and three children.  I am guilty.  I once thought that I could fool others into believing this was not true.  Failing that, I tried to convince myself that it didn't matter.

America's secret plan to arm Libya's rebels  —  Obama asks Saudis to airlift weapons into Benghazi  —  Desperate to avoid US military involvement in Libya in the event of a prolonged struggle between the Gaddafi regime and its opponents, the Americans have asked Saudi Arabia if it can supply weapons to the rebels in Benghazi.

White House lavishes praise on Huntsman's support for Obama  —  The White House is showing no signs of letting up on its campaign for Ambassador Jon Huntsman's presidential prospects - if anything, it's in pile-on mode.  —  Chief of Staff Bill Daley on Sunday heaped praise on Huntsman (R) …

White House to Muslims ahead of King hearings: Terror threat ‘real’  —  President Obama's deputy national security adviser told a Muslim audience Sunday that the threat of homegrown terrorism is “real” and that Muslim Americans are part of the solution, not the problem.

Grand dream loses sheen in glare of daylight  —  L.A. community colleges' green energy plan proves wildly impractical.  The blunders cost taxpayers $10 million.  —  These solar panels at Pierce College in Woodland Hills are among the district's green energy projects that were built.

Sen. Alexander on Trump: 'He's famous for being famous,' won't be president  —  Add Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) to the bipartisan list of skeptics who don't think real estate Donald Trump has a chance of winning the 2012 Republican nomination for president, much less the presidency.

Report finds 20% of Californians struggled to feed their families in 2010  —  In poll, 1 in 5 California residents said there were times last year when they couldn't afford enough food.  The state ranks No. 16 for food hardship, with the Fresno and Inland Empire areas particularly hard-hit.

Separation of Jesus and Congress  —  WHAT WOULD Jesus think of Sojourners' new campaign?  —  Sojourners is a liberal Christian group whose mission is “to articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world.”

A Liberal Is a Villager Who's Been Screwed By a Mortgage Servicer  —  Dana “the mark” Milbank of the Washington Post  —  The past week has seen a pronounced evolution in the writing of Dana Milbank.  Earlier in the week he severely criticized the incestuous relationship between the political …

Tennessee Democrats Call Collective Bargaining Repeal ‘Fascism,’ ‘Terrorism’  —  A reader in Tennessee forwards a mass e-mail from Chip Forrester, the chair of that state's Democratic party...  Unsurprisingly, Forrester concludes the best way that Tennessee Democrats worried about the impending shift …

Tina Brown to Reveal Overhaul of Newsweek on ‘This Week’  —  Legendary Editor Unveils Newly Revamped Magazine After Merger with ‘Daily Beast’  —  Tina Brown will be revealing the first look at the newly redesigned Newsweek magazine this morning on 'This Week with Christiane Amanpour.

The Wisconsin union fight isn't about benefits.  It's about labor's influence.  —  Political scientists and explain how weakening unions will gut the middle class  —  The battle between Republicans and labor unions in Ohio, Wisconsin and other states is ostensibly about public workers' pay, benefits and bargaining rights.

Scientist Imam threatened over Darwinist views  —  A prominent British imam has been forced to retract his claims that Islam is compatible with Darwin's theory of evolution after receiving death threats from fundamentalists.  —  Dr Usama Hasan, a physics lecturer at Middlesex University …