Twin defeats spark Democratic fears  —  HOWARD BEACH, N.Y. — The Democratic Party's rare loss of a congressional seat in its urban heartland Tuesday, accompanied by a blowout defeat in a Nevada special election, marked the latest in a string of demoralizing setbacks that threatened to deepen …

Obama Approval Plummets on Jobs Plan: Poll  —  A majority of Americans don't believe President Barack Obama's $447 billion jobs plan will help lower the unemployment rate, skepticism he must overcome as he presses Congress for action and positions himself for re- election.

White House pressed on $500 million loan to solar company now under investigation  —  The Obama White House tried to rush federal reviewers for a decision on a nearly half-billion-dollar loan to the solar-panel manufacturer Solyndra so Vice President Biden could announce the approval …

WORLD EXCLUSIVE!  SARAH PALIN BOMBSHELL BOOK SHOCKING CLAIMS!  —  In a bombshell NATIONAL ENQUIRER world exclusive, the new issue of The ENQUIRER hitting newsstands today breaks major news on SARAH PALIN and her husband TODD, according to a new book.  —  Publishing sources familiar …

Ron Paul's Campaign Manager Died of Pneumonia, Penniless and Uninsured  —  At CNN's Tea Party-indulging debate on Monday, Ron Paul, a medical doctor, faced a pointed line of questioning from Wolf Blitzer regarding the case of an uninsured young man who suddenly found himself in dire need of intensive health care.

Revenge of the Jews?  —  I've never been to a Republican victory party (or any event in Howard Beach!) where black velvet yarmulkes were as plentiful as they were at Bob Turner's event last night, and there are few elections in which the Jewish politics I've always covered with interest are going to get spun quite this hard.

Al Gore calls out Colbert's ‘character’  —  He talked about global warming, his television projects and the days when Rick Perry was a Democrat, but the highlight of Al Gore's appearance on Tuesday night's “Colbert Report” was his giggle fit.  —  After the former VP talked about his new Current TV show …

Huntsman staffer says she is ‘sick and sad’ for the Republican Party after watching presidential debates  —  The behavior by some members of the audience at the most recent Republican presidential debates has at least one campaign staffer concerned about the future of the GOP.

With Record Number Of Americans Falling Into Poverty, Rand Paul Says The Poor Are Getting Rich  —  Census data revealed today that a record 46.2 million Americans were living in poverty in 2010.  But in an aptly-timed hearing entitled “Is Poverty A Death Sentence,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) …

Underwear bomber shouts 'Osama's alive' as he enters court during jury selection  —  The 24-year-old Nigerian student who is accused of trying to blow up a Detroit-bound jetliner on Christmas Day 2009 showed up for jury selection today in a foul mood.  —  “Osama's alive,” Umar Farouk …

Iran: U.S. hikers' release not “imminent” … The release of two American hikers held in the Islamic Republic for two years — which seemed imminent on Tuesday - has been cast into doubt just 24 hours later.  —  Iran's Justice Ministry has denied, via the nation's state television network …

U.S. Scrambles to Avert Palestinian Vote at U.N.  —  WASHINGTON — The United States faced increasing pressure on Tuesday as the Palestinian quest for statehood gained support from Turkey and other countries, even as the Obama administration sought an 11th-hour compromise that would avoid a confrontation at the United Nations next week.

Downloads Are Slowest in Idaho, Study Finds  —  POTLATCH, Idaho — Barry Ramsay, who owns a small manufacturing company here between two mountains, remembers the day his Internet connection crashed for several hours.  Work crews had to ride up in snowmobiles to discover the problem.

Testimony: Cain campaign concealed gay aide's role  —  IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Facing concerns from supporters in Iowa, Herman Cain's presidential campaign tried to conceal the role of a top adviser who had been ousted as leader of a gay pride group in Wisconsin amid a financial scandal, a former staffer has alleged in legal testimony.

Perry courts religious voters, calls for defense of ‘Christian values’  —  LYNCHBURG, Va. — Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry used his speech to a packed audience at the conservative evangelical Liberty University to discuss his own faith - and to call for more Christian influence on America.