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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

One president, please, with a side of Rice  —  ANALYSIS/OPINION:  —  Republican diners haven't yet picked their entree, but they've narrowed it down to the steak or the fish.  Still, just as interesting as their main course will be their side selection: Will they go for a drab salad, or something more exciting?

Senators block Oklahoma City federal prosecutor from judge post  —  WASHINGTON — Faced with unrelenting — and mostly unexplained — opposition from Oklahoma's senators, the U.S. Senate on Saturday sent back to the White House the nomination of Arvo Mikkanen to be a federal judge in Tulsa.

Newt and the Revenge of the Base  —  WASHINGTON — It is one of the true delights of a bizarrely entertaining Republican presidential contest to watch the apoplectic fear and loathing of so many GOP establishmentarians toward Newt Gingrich.  They treat him as an alien body whose approach to politics they have always rejected.

Report: Hezbollah in dire financial straits  —  French daily Le Figaro says Lebanese terror group hit hard by civil uprising in Syria, sanctions against Iran  —  Ynet  —  While Nasrallah appeared to be in high spirits recently during a rare public  —  According to the article …