Suicide bomber who killed himself in Stockholm terrorist blasts studied at British university  —  A suicide bomber who died in a terrorist bomb attack which rocked Stockholm city centre, is believed to be a graduate from a British university.  —  A Facebook page thought to belong …

What Progressives Don't Understand About Obama  —  NOT all of my white teachers viewed me as a discipline problem.  To the annoyance of my fellow students, one teacher selected me regularly to lead assembly programs.  A high school teacher insisted that I learn about the theater.

As the Ground Shifts, Biden Plays a Bigger Role  —  WASHINGTON — It was the end of a long and testy gripe session with House Democrats on Wednesday, and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had had enough.  —  For two hours, Mr. Biden had been going back and forth with furious members …

Orwellian Centrism  —  I don't usually bother looking at the Washington Post.  But I'm inside the Beltway right now, so I spared a peek — and for my sins ended up reading Dana Milbank, who praises Obama for punching the hippies.  —  So far, so usual.  But then I read this:

Michael Steele to reveal decision Monday  —  Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele plans to announce his reelection plans on Monday evening, and key supporters expect him to drop out of the hotly contested race, top Republicans tell POLITICO.

Reality Check  —  The failed attempt by the U.S. to bribe Israel with a $3 billion security assistance package, diplomatic cover and advanced F-35 fighter aircraft — if Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu would simply agree to a 90-day settlements freeze to resume talks with the Palestinians — has been enormously clarifying.

Gay Bashing at the Smithsonian  —  EACH Aug. 4, my wife Alex and I visit a church to light candles for two people we loved who both died tragically on that day two years apart — my mother, killed at 64 in a car crash, and Alex's closest friend from graduate school, killed by AIDS at half that age.

Whitman: Palin quitting governor's job shows ‘attitude’ against constituents  —  Former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (R) said Sunday that Sarah Palin can't win a nationwide run for the White House, and pointed to the fact that the former Alaska governor left mid-term as an impediment to her support.

Nadler: Obama gave in to ‘a bunch of gangsters’ in tax deal with GOP  —  Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) called Republicans “a bunch of gangsters” who blackmailed Democrats to ensure that the nation's wealthiest retain their tax cuts.  —  Nadler, appearing Sunday morning on CBS' “Face the Nation …

West Village YMCA axes Santa Claus for Frosty  —  Tweet  —  He's a lost Claus.  —  A politically correct West Village YMCA has fired Ol' St. Nick in favor of Frosty.  —  Kids who once thrilled at sitting on Santa's lap at the 14th Street McBurney YMCA's wildly popular annual holiday luncheon …

A Secretive Banking Elite Rules Trading in Derivatives  —  On the third Wednesday of every month, the nine members of an elite Wall Street society gather in Midtown Manhattan.  —  The men share a common goal: to protect the interests of big banks in the vast market for derivatives …

Prisoners Strike in Georgia  —  In a protest apparently assembled largely through a network of banned cellphones, inmates across at least six prisons in Georgia have been on strike since Thursday, calling for better conditions and compensation, several inmates and an outside advocate said.