Dominique Strauss-Kahn faces further claim of sexual assault  —  Socialist party official says her daughter was left traumatised after alleged attack by Strauss-Kahn in 2002  —  By this time next year, Dominique Strauss-Kahn might well have been president of France.

Gay CNN Anchor Sees Risk in Book  —  Don Lemon, the weekend prime-time anchor for CNN, was on the air on Sunday night this month when the news broke that President Obama would address the nation at the unusual hour of 10:30 p.m.  —  By the time the news network was confirming the reports …

Israeli Troops Fire as Marchers Breach Borders  —  JERUSALEM — Israel's borders erupted in deadly clashes on Sunday as thousands of Palestinians — marching from Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank — confronted Israeli troops to mark the anniversary of Israel's creation.

How Drudge Has Stayed on Top  —  For most big news Web sites, about 60 percent of the traffic is homegrown, people who come directly to the site by dint of a bookmark or typing in www.latimes.com or www.huffingtonpost.com.  The other critical 40 percent comes by referrals …

Gingrich Blasts House GOP's Medicare Plan  —  Presidential Candidate Calls It ‘Right-Wing Social Engineering,’ Agrees With Obama About Need for Insurance Mandate  —  White House hopeful Newt Gingrich called the House Republican plan for Medicare “right-wing social engineering,” …

Iowa gov says on your marks ...  Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will call on the Republican presidential candidates to pick up the pace of their campaigns in the first-in-the-nation caucus state, using his weekly news conference on Monday to fire a starter's pistol on the 2012 race.

As Debt Limit Reached, Agreement Still Far Off  —  The U.S. government is expected to hit the $14.294 trillion debt ceiling Monday, setting in motion an uncertain, 11-week political scramble to avoid a default.  —  The Treasury Department plans to announce Monday it will stop issuing …

A Verdict on Obama's “Stimulus” Plan  —  Economists Timothy Conley and Bill Dupor have studied the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the purported stimulus bill) with great rigor.  Earlier this week, they reported their findings in a paper titled “The American Recovery …

President Obama polls well despite jobs fears  —  Despite widespread disapproval of Barack Obama's handling of the economy, more than half of Americans approve of the president and are open to reelecting him.  —  The economy and government spending stand as the dominant issues on the minds …

Nursing Homes Seek Exemptions From Health Law  —  WASHINGTON — It is an oddity of American health care: Many nursing homes and home care agencies do not provide health insurance to their workers, or they pay wages so low that employees cannot afford the coverage that is offered.  —  The numbers are stark.

Gates: Obama made a ‘gutsy’ call  —  President Barack Obama made a “very gutsy call” to send Navy SEALs into Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden, outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in an interview broadcast Sunday.  —  “I worked for a lot of these guys.

A Sports Executive Leaves the Safety of His Shadow Life  —  Last month, in a Midtown office adorned with sports memorabilia, two longtime friends met for a private talk.  David Stern, the commissioner of the National Basketball Association, sipped his morning coffee, expecting to be asked for career advice.

The budget debate we all deserve  —  Despite Washington coming to grips with the fact that the debt threat is real, policymakers still are not having the debate Americans deserve.  —  The talk is too often restricted to “shared sacrifice.”  This sets up a debate where we are really just arguing …