Paul leads in Iowa  —  Newt Gingrich's campaign is rapidly imploding, and Ron Paul has now taken the lead in Iowa.  He's at 23% to 20% for Mitt Romney, 14% for Gingrich, 10% each for Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Perry, 4% for Jon Huntsman, and 2% for Gary Johnson.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il, 69, Has Died  —  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Kim Jong Il, North Korea's mercurial and enigmatic leader, has died.  He was 69.  —  Kim's death was announced Monday by state television from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

Capitalism and the Right to Rise  —  In freedom lies the risk of failure.  But in statism lies the certainty of stagnation.  —  Congressman Paul Ryan recently coined a smart phrase to describe the core concept of economic freedom: “The right to rise.”  —  Think about it.

Dems, White House blame Tea Party, say GOP shifted on tax cut  —  The White House and Senate Democrats are going into overdrive to blame the possible death of a payroll tax cut on House Republicans and the Tea Party.  —  The messaging effort comes ahead of a Monday night vote in the House …

California politician advocates assassination of Obama and family  —  Like this?  Subscribe to get instant updates.  —  Facebook faux pas: California libertarian and Tea Party darling Jules Manson is caught calling for the assassination of President Barack Obama and his children.

14-Year-Old Challenges Perry's Anti-Gay Views  —  A 14-year-old bisexual high school student challenged Rick Perry on his support for reinstating Don't Ask, Don't Tell during an event in Decorah, Iowa, asking the Texas governor why he is “so opposed to gays serving openly in the military …

Retirement Deal Keeps Bain Money Flowing to Romney  —  Almost 13 years ago, Mitt Romney left Bain Capital, the successful private equity firm he had helped start, and moved to Utah to rescue the Salt Lake City Olympic Games and begin a second career in public life.

Will China Break?  —  Consider the following picture: Recent growth has relied on a huge construction boom fueled by surging real estate prices, and exhibiting all the classic signs of a bubble.  There was rapid growth in credit — with much of that growth taking place not through traditional banking …

Exclusive: Secret U.S., Taliban talks reach turning point  —  (Reuters) - After 10 months of secret dialogue with Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents, senior U.S. officials say the talks have reached a critical juncture and they will soon know whether a breakthrough is possible …

TRENDING: Bachmann pauses in Iowa tour to talk ‘myth’ of Kinsey Report  —  Clarion, Iowa (CNN) - Republican presidential contender Michele Bachmann continued her super-charged bus tour across Iowa Sunday, attending several more events to shake hands and sign autographs.

Occupy the Progressive Movement  —  It was during the fifth or sixth major argument within the netroots in 2011 about the Obama Administration that the first protestors attempted to Occupy Wall Street in mid-September.  Within days the talk of primary challenges, donor strikes …

Texas Cities Won the Recession, and They're Winning the Recovery  —  Lone Star metros have dominated every phase of the Great Recession, but there's trouble on the horizon for some of Texas' strongest cities  —  Welcome to the third phase of the Great Recession.