Justice Dept.'s second in command is stepping aside  —  Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden, the Justice Department's second in command, is stepping aside to return to private law practice in Washington after less than a year of service, according to two sources familiar with the move.

Bill Ayers dumps Obama  —  To hear the right-wing crowd, you would think Bill Ayers and President Barack Obama were joined at the hip.  —  Who could forget Sarah Palin's charge that Obama was “palin' around with terrorists”?  —  Well, goodbye to all that.

Black Caucus Seeks to Ease Radio's Woes  —  WASHINGTON — The radio business has nothing to do with the plan to overhaul the nation's system for regulating banks and other financial institutions.  —  Except, it turns out, in Congress.  —  One of most intriguing mysteries here in recent weeks …

Comcast Gets NBC From G.E. in Deal That Reshapes TV  —  After nearly nine months of negotiations, Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, finally reached an agreement on Thursday to acquire NBC Universal from the General Electric Company.  —  The deal valued NBC Universal at about $30 billion.

A Wartime President  —  Obama's commitment in Afghanistan means losing old friends and winning uncomfortable new ones.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  When it comes to President Barack Obama's long-awaited decision to send more troops to Afghanistan, there are three main points to consider …

Job proposals from Democrats could add $300 billion in new federal spending  —  The cost of a new jobs bill Democrats hope to move early next year runs to nearly $300 billion when major proposals under serious consideration are added up.  —  Lawmakers are calling for extending aid to the unemployed …

Mall of America officials backtrack on banning non-English speaking reporters from Palin's book event.  —  On Dec. 7, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin will be at the Mall of America to sign copies of her new book.  In advance of her visit, mall officials sent out a message to reporters: If you don't speak English, stay away.

Researcher: NASA hiding climate data  —  The fight over global warming science is about to cross the Atlantic with a U.S. researcher poised to sue NASA, demanding release of the same kind of climate data that has landed a leading British center in hot water over charges it skewed its data.

Boxer: Hackers should face criminal probe over ‘Climategate’  —  Leaked e-mails allegedly undermining climate change science should be treated as a criminal matter, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Wednesday afternoon.  —  Boxer, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee …

Q & A: Mike Huckabee  —  Mike Huckabee wants pastors to be more graphic about Christmas.  The former Southern Baptist pastor says that the church has sanitized the holiday and should tell it like it happened.  The former governor of Arkansas recently finished his 64-city book tour for his book …

Rep. Hoyer: 2010 Isn't 1994  —  House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D., Md.) told a small gathering of reporters this morning that Democrats know 2010 will be a tough election year.  But unlike 1994 when they were swept out of power for the first time in 40 years, they're ready this time, he said.

It's Just a Texas-Governor Thing  —  “Now I think you're on to a better subject,” declared Gov. Rick Perry aboard a private plane as the topic turned to Texas.  With relish, the longest-serving governor in the state's history recounted its uninhabitable past.

Emissions Cuts Would Cost India Dearly  —  The poor can't afford a big tax on energy usage, or a return to the License Raj of times past.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  In the pre-iTunes, pre-MTV age, there was usually a multiyear lag before hit songs in the West reached India.

Washington Times cuts in staff, coverage cue new era  —  The Washington Times, which gained a strong foothold in a politically obsessed city as a conservative alternative to much of the mainstream media, is about to become a drastically smaller newspaper.  —  Nearly three decades …

All men watch porn, scientists find  —  Scientists at the University of Montreal launched a search for men who had never looked at pornography - but couldn't find any.  —  Researchers were conducting a study comparing the views of men in their 20s who had never been exposed to pornography with regular users.

Albany Delivers Staggering, Bitter Defeat  —  State Senate rejects marriage equality 38-24, with no support from Republicans  —  Since May, Senator Thomas K. Duane, a Chelsea Democrat and the chamber's only out gay member, has said he had the votes to pass the marriage equality bill he sponsors.

Republicans Pay Tribute at ‘Tea Party’ Movie Premiere  —  Presenters at the premiere of “Tea Party: The Documentary Film” Wednesday in Washington (Photo: David Weigel)  —  Getting into Wednesday's Washington, D.C., premiere of “Tea Party: The Documentary Film” meant walking through a steady rain …

Homeland Security chief warns of threat from al-Qaeda sympathizers in U.S.  —  Al-Qaeda followers are inside the United States and would like to attack targets here and in other countries, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday night.  —  The secretary's comments …