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Obama Defers to Bush, for Now, on Gaza Crisis — WASHINGTON — When President-elect Barack Obama went to Israel in July — to the very town, in fact, whose repeated shelling culminated in this weekend's new fighting in Gaza — he all but endorsed the punishing Israeli attacks now unfolding.
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Israeli Aircraft Continue Raids on Gaza; Arab Anger Rises — The Israeli army said some areas around Gaza had been declared a “closed military zone,” a move which some analysts depicted as a potential precursor to a ground offensive. Above, tanks near the Gaza border. More Photos >

Barak to MKs: This is all-out war against Hamas and its kind — Facing catcalls from Arab lawmakers, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told a stormy Knesset session on Monday that the operation in Gaza will be “widened and deepened as is necessary.” — “We have an all-out war against Hamas and its kind …

Six months of secret planning - then Israel moves against Hamas
Discussion:
Washington Post, Haaretz, The Washington Note, Taylor Marsh, Jerusalem Post, Hot Air, The Democratic Daily, Harry's Place and normblog

IAF uses new US-supplied smart bomb
Discussion:
Haaretz, english.pnn.ps, The Muqata, Firedoglake, Guardian, Israpundit, Mere Rhetoric and Commentary

RNC members call unprecedented special meeting — For the first time in party history, members of the Republican National Committee have called their own unscheduled meeting without the aid of the Washington-based party apparatus. — Organized by North Dakota Republican Party chairman Gary Emineth …
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My Response to the Mean-Spirited “Barack the Magic Negro” — The sending of a Christmas greeting by Chip Saltsman to the members of the Republican National Committee that includes a recording of the so-called parody, “Barack the Magic Negro” is not only offensive, it is shocking and saddening in the extreme.
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, Hot Air, Political Punch, The Strata-Sphere, Jezebel, JammieWearingFool and TMZ.com


As if Things Weren't Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S. — In Moscow, Igor Panarin's Forecasts Are All the Rage; America ‘Disintegrates’ in 2010 — MOSCOW — For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart in 2010.
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TV News Winds Down Operations on Iraq War — Quietly, as the United States presidential election and its aftermath have dominated the news, America's three broadcast network news divisions have stopped sending full-time correspondents to Iraq. — “The war has gone on longer than a lot …
Discussion:
The Impolitic, NewsBusters.org, Gawker, BLACKFIVE, The Raw Story, American Power, Hot Air, D-Day, Newshoggers.com, Think Progress and Michael Calderone's Blogs
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Study: ‘Virginity pledges’ are ineffective — Youths who promise abstinence are also less likely to use protection — Teenagers who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are just as likely to have premarital sex as those who do not promise abstinence and are significantly less likely …


Under Bush, OSHA Mired in Inaction — In early 2001, an epidemiologist at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sought to publish a special bulletin warning dental technicians that they could be exposed to dangerous beryllium alloys while grinding fillings.


Veterans of '90s Bailout Hope for Profit in New One — WASHINGTON — A tight-knit group of former senior government officials who were central players in the savings and loan bailout of the 1990s are seeking to capitalize on the latest economic meltdown, enjoying a surge in new business …
Discussion:
The New Republic, Fact-esque, theheretik.us, TPMMuckraker, Marginal Revolution, Prairie Weather and TPMCafe


The Weekend That Wall Street Died — Ties That Long United Strongest Firms Unraveled as Lehman Sank Toward Failure — With his investment bank facing a near-certain failure, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.'s chief executive officer, Richard Fuld Jr., placed yet another phone call to the man he thought could save him.


Emanuel to resign House seat Friday — Rep. Rahm Emanuel will resign his House seat Friday. — Emanuel, set to serve as chief of staff to President-elect Barack Obama, sent a letter to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Monday indicating that he planned to step down at the end of the week.

Kulongoski to pursue mileage tax — A year ago, the Oregon Department of Transportation announced it had demonstrated that a new way to pay for roads — via a mileage tax and satellite technology — could work. — Now Gov. Ted Kulongoski says he'd like the legislature to take the next step.
Discussion:
Eschaton


CAROLINE'S CRIB — SEN. HOPEFUL'S $50M SPREAD — Forget Chappaqua. — This amazing Martha's Vineyard spread will be the next home-away-from-the-Beltway for New York's junior senator if Caroline Kennedy is tapped to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton. — The 366-acre estate …


An NPR Reporter Becomes the News — In September, Ketzel Levine, a senior correspondent for National Public Radio, came up with an idea for a series about how Americans were handling economic pressure. Called “American Moxie: How We Get By,” it began in early December.

Fifty Herbert Hoovers — No modern American president would repeat the fiscal mistake of 1932, in which the federal government tried to balance its budget in the face of a severe recession. The Obama administration will put deficit concerns on hold while it fights the economic crisis.