Michigan GOP race tightens  —  The Republican race for President in Michigan has tightened considerably over the last week, with what was a 15 point lead for Rick Santorum down to 4.  He leads with 37% to 33% for Mitt Romney, 15% for Ron Paul, and 10% for Newt Gingrich.

Jeremy Lin headline slur was ‘honest mistake,’ fired ESPN editor Anthony Federico claims  —  EXCLUSIVE: ‘This had nothing to do with me being cute or punny’  —  Jeremy Lin looks on during Knicks' victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.  —  The ESPN editor fired Sunday for using …

Pain Without Gain  —  Last week the European Commission confirmed what everyone suspected: the economies it surveys are shrinking, not growing.  It's not an official recession yet, but the only real question is how deep the downturn will be.  —  And this downturn is hitting nations that have never recovered from the last recession.

Pakistan Can't Seem to Figure Out Why Bin Laden Was Hiding There  —  The Pakistani commission appointed to investigate just how Osama bin Laden came to be living in Abbottabad, in a large house adjacent to Pakistan's military academy (a house built by an architect regularly employed …

H'wood snubs Muslim Stone  —  Sean Stone, son of controversial director Oliver Stone, converted to Islam in Iran last week and says he's already experiencing a Hollywood backlash.  —  The ceremony was held in Isfahan, where he is researching a documentary.  He now goes by the name of Sean Christopher Ali Stone.

Rising gas prices and the 2012 election … PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO  —  On another front in campaign 2012 : Rising gasoline prices are getting the attention of both the White House and its Republican challengers.  Gasoline is now the costliest it's ever been this time of year — an average $3.56 per gallon, up 40 cents in a year.

Poll finds most Virginians oppose changes in abortion, gun laws  —  Virginia voters, by wide margins, want to retain the state's landmark one-handgun-a-month law and oppose mandating that a woman receive an ultrasound before having an abortion, according to a new poll.

Iran Raid Seen as a Huge Task for Israeli Jets  —  WASHINGTON — Should Israel decide to launch a strike on Iran, its pilots would have to fly more than 1,000 miles across unfriendly airspace, refuel in the air en route, fight off Iran's air defenses, attack multiple underground sites simultaneously — and use at least 100 planes.

Americans Still Rate Iran Top U.S. Enemy  —  China is second on the “greatest enemy” list  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans most frequently mention Iran when asked to name the country they consider to be the United States' greatest enemy, and the 32% who do so is up from 25% in 2011.

Jobless disability claims soar to record $200B as of January  —  Standing too many months on the unemployment line is driving Americans crazy — literally — and it's costing taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars.  —  With their unemployment-insurance checks running out …

Notes on an Unfinished Letter of Apology (Or, Does Ed Morrissey Torture Cats?) … When the draft of the e-mail passed the 3,000-word mark, and was still clearly not half-finished, I gave it up.  What had begun as a mea culpa had metamorphosed into a treatise explaining the entire history …

Plouffe, Obama Aide, Lends Firm Hand to Campaign  —  WASHINGTON — David Plouffe is not a hugger, crier or someone who gets all gaga every time he walks into his West Wing office, just a few feet from that of the president.  He disdains doomsayers as “bed-wetters,” press hordes as “jackals” …

Tim Pawlenty pays down 2012 race debt  —  Former Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty has nearly paid off his outstanding campaign debt, new federal filings today indicate.  —  Just $44,670 in debt remained for Pawlenty's campaign through Jan. 31, down from almost $103,000 at the end …