All the President's Captors  —  THOSE desperate to decipher the baffling Obama presidency could do worse than consult an article titled “Understanding Stockholm Syndrome” in the online archive of The F.B.I. Law Enforcement Bulletin.  It explains that hostage takers are most successful …

WikiLeaks Ready to Release Giant ‘Insurance’ File if Shut Down  —  Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, has circulated across the internet an encrypted “poison pill” cache of uncensored documents suspected to include files on BP and Guantanamo Bay.  —  One of the files identified this weekend …

McConnell says deal likely over tax cuts and jobless benefits  —  Washington (CNN) - The top Republican in the U.S. Senate said Sunday that a deal is likely on extending Bush-era tax cuts for everyone, along with unemployment benefits that have expired.  —  However, Senate Minority Leader …

Terrorism and Fear  —  Apparently the National Park Service is trying to think of ways to bring a higher level of security to the Washington Monument in order to protect it against terrorist attacks.  But Bruce Schneier has a different idea.  He thinks we should just shut it down:

Expressing gratitude  —  This is Israel's hour of need and nations across the world did not disappoint.  —  Talkbacks (9)  — Facebook  — Twitter  —  Over these last few painful, shocking days, there has been a shining light through the dark, ashfilled skies elicited by the rampant fires …

Mounting State Debts Stoke Fears of a Looming Crisis  —  The State of Illinois is still paying off billions in bills that it got from schools and social service providers last year.  Arizona recently stopped paying for certain organ transplants for people in its Medicaid program.

Tension grows between Calif. Muslims, FBI after informant infiltrates mosque  —  IRVINE, CALIF. - Before the sun rose, the informant donned a white Islamic robe.  A tiny camera was sewn into a button, and a microphone was buried in a device attached to his keys.

Mr. LePage goes to Washington  —  Governor tones it down a bit, but vows to be aggressive advocate for Maine  —  WASHINGTON — Maine Gov.-elect Paul LePage says it will be a smooth transition from his campaign, where his rhetoric was often confrontational toward the federal government …

Dem: We could have let economy fall and been in majority for 40 years  —  Retiring Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.) said that Democrats wisely passed the 2008 financial rescue bill, but it cost them politically.  —  Addressing the economic collapse of 2008 and the subsequent passage …

Not Crass, Class  —  Karl Smith sort of takes issue with my point about how Social Security is a favorite target of the Beltway crowd, because it's not important to anyone they know.  “I doubt anyone thinks about it in such crass terms,” he writes.  —  Actually, there's more crassness …

State Department To Columbia University Students: DO NOT Discuss WikiLeaks On Facebook, Twitter  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … Talking about WikiLeaks on Facebook or Twitter could endanger your job prospects, a State Department official warned students at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs this week.

What if the Secrets Stayed Secret?  —  I READ the Monday New York Times with what can only be described as a sinking feeling.  —  Here on display, based on yet another WikiLeaks release, was the breathtaking disclosure of American diplomats' highly sensitive internal communications about friends and enemies.

It's the Big Questions That Slow Growth  —  UNCERTAINTY is frequently blamed for the sorry state of the economy — for why businesses are not investing strongly in new equipment or hiring more workers, and for why consumers are not spending freely.  On Wall Street, it's even said that government meddling …