The Arizona Republic: Giffords stepping down from Congress Jan. 22, 2012 11:52 AM The Republic | azcentral.com U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords announced on YouTube today that she is stepping down from Congress in a two-minute video where she thanked the community for the support as she recovered from the shooting. Giffords said she plans to focus on her recovery. Giffords’ YouTube Post (makes me want to cry also). GabbyGiffords Tweet Attn media: For full details on Rep. Giffords’ plans to step...

Israeli Ambassador to the USA Dr. Michael Oren (a native of New Jersey) spoke this evening at Cincinnati’s Mayerson JCC. It is still rather icy out and over 700 people came to hear him. These are not his exact words, just my notes on some things he said: Someone asked how we live with uncertainty – we do it every day and have done so since 1948. Keeping in mind what Iran has done without nuclear weapons, can you imagine what Iran will do with them? We want Bashar Assad to go....

Perry to endorse…Newt Gingrich! The New York Times: Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is poised to end his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, according to two Republicans close to Mr. Perry, a decision that comes two days before the South Carolina primary.

To see what the New Hampshire Primary looks like from New Hampshire, visit the website of the Union-Leader.

Another Obama Chief-of-Staff bites the dust….. From a New York Times Breaking News Alert: William M. Daley, Obama’s Chief of Staff, Stepping Down, White House Officials Say William M. Daley, President Obama’s chief of staff, is stepping down, White House officials confirmed Monday. The news was first reported by The Los Angeles Times. Mr. Daley, a former commerce secretary and the son and brother of Chicago mayors, was named to the post by Mr. Obama on Jan. 6, 2011. Jacob J. “Jack”...

A post to We Are For Israel by my friend Rabbi David Jay Kaufman of Des Moines IA: So here we are with the Iowa Republican Caucus tomorrow. Friday night, we hosted Shmuel Rosner, who is in town for the Caucus and spoke about the Arab Spring at my congregation. Yesterday, I was among about forty Jews, hosted by the Chabad rabbi and a Conservative Jewish supporter of Gingrich, who met with Newt for a little over a half an hour. Tonight, I will hear from Mitt Romney at a larger gathering, hosted by...

AP: Penn State fires coach Joe Paterno, president Graham Spanier Penn State trustees fired football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier amid the growing furor over how the school handled sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach. The massive shakeup Wednesday night came hours after Paterno announced that he planned to retire at the end of his 46th season. But the outcry following the arrest of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky on molestation charges proved too much...

The New York Times: Joe Paterno’s tenure as coach of the Penn State football team will soon be over, perhaps within days or weeks, in the wake of a sex-abuse scandal that has implicated university officials, according to two people briefed on conversations among the university’s top officials. The board of trustees has yet to determine the precise timing of Paterno’s exit, but it is clear that the man who has more victories than any other coach at college football’s top level and who made...

ABC’s Good Morning America: U.S. authorities are scrambling to sort through information that the CIA developed in the past 24 hours indicating that at least three individuals entered the U.S. in August by air with the intent to launch a vehicle-borne attack against Washington, D.C. or New York around the anniversary of 9/11, according to intelligence officials. Officials say the alleged terror plot was initiated by new al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s successor, who...

UPDATE: The New York Times: After the shooting the police seized a 32-year-old Norwegian man on the island, according to the police and Justice Minister Knut Storberget. He was later identified as Anders Behring Breivik and was characterized by officials as a right-wing extremist. The man was arrested in connection with both attacks. CNN: [Update: 10:20 p.m. ET, 4:20 a.m. Oslo] At least 80 people are dead as a result of a rampage Friday on Norway’s Utoya Island, police said Saturday. Norwegian...

Breaking News Alert The New York Times Friday, July 15, 2011 — 4:28 PM EDT —– Les Hinton, Publisher of The Wall Street Journal, Says He Is Resigning Les Hinton, the chairman of Dow Jones, announced his resignation on Friday, joining Rebekah Brooks, the embattled chief executive of Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper operations, in the exodus of top officials from Rupert Murdoch’s media empire. Mr. Hinton, a long-time confidant of Mr. Murdoch, ran News International, the British...

The New York Times: The sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn is on the verge of collapse as investigators have uncovered major holes in the credibility of the housekeeper who charged that he attacked her in his Manhattan hotel suite in May, according to two well-placed law enforcement officials. Although forensic tests found unambiguous evidence of a sexual encounter between Mr. Strauss-Kahn, a French politician, and the woman, prosecutors do not believe much of what the accuser has...

Some of you may have noticed that the Taliban has engaged in a terror attack on Kabul, Afghanistan’s Intercontinental Hotel. They just don’t seem interested in cooperating with the Afghan government or any Western entity. This attack may or may not be over. Apparently helicopters just shot terrorists on the hotel roof. Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — Gunmen and suicide bombers attacked Kabul’s Hotel Inter-Continental, where they fought Tuesday with Afghan security forces late...

UPDATE: According to the blog Israel Matzav there has been one death. Carl live-blogged, the newest updates are at the bottom of the post. ================================= MSNBC just reported that a bus blew up in Jerusalem and there are many casualties. This may signal a new reign of terror by Palestinians. A bus explosion in Jerusalem has caused dozens of casualties, police said Wednesday. Scores of ambulances converged on the area near the central bus station and a city conference hall in a Jewish...

Jerusalem Post – Terror attack in Itamar: 5 family members murdered 03/12/2011 02:51 Police suspect armed terrorist entered house in West Bank and stabbed couple along with 3 children; 2 other children escape unharmed. Five family members were found murdered in their residence in the West Bank Itamar settlement Friday overnight, after a suspected terrorist broke and entered the house and stabbed the five to death. Two children managed to escape and survived the attack, Army Radio reported. A...

STRATFOR Red Alert: Nuclear Meltdown at Quake-Damaged Japanese Plant [March 12, 2011 | 0827 GMT] A March 12 explosion at the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Japan, appears to have caused a reactor meltdown….. MORE

Chris Cilizza’s The Fix: California Rep. Jane Harman (D) will resign from Congress, according to two senior Democratic leadership aides, a surprise announcement that will set off a special election in her 36th district. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, who broke the news of Harman’s resignation, has reported that the California Congresswoman will take over as director of the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. That job is currently held by former Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton (D). Harman, 65...

Egypt’s Army has told protesters to go home and is reportedly trying to evacuate Tahrir Square. Jerusalem Post: Pro-Mubarak protesters retreat as anti-gov’t rioters charge: 630 injured, three killed in clashes; machine guns are fired and Molotov cocktails hurled from surrounding buildings; protesters target Egyptian Museum.

Jerusalem Post: Machine Guns Fired Into Tahrir Square. 600 reported injured, one killed in clashes; Pro-Mubarak rioters hurl Molotov Cocktails, rocks at opposition from surrounding buildings; protesters target Egyptian Museum. Tahrir Square. Machine gunfire was heard on Wednesday night, shortly after Egyptian state television ordered all demonstrators to evacuate Cairo’s Tahrir (Liberation) Square. Al Jazeera reported that anti-government protesters remained in the square, chanting “Leave!...

MSNBC: Yemen’s president: I won’t extend term or pass power to son. U.S.-allied Saleh says he’ll stand down in 2013; ‘day of rage’ protest looms. SANAA, Yemen — The Yemeni president told parliament Wednesday that he would not seek another term in office or hand power to his son — an apparent reaction to protests in this impoverished nation that have been inspired by Tunisia’s revolt and the turmoil in Egypt. The U.S.-allied Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been...

UPDATE: CNN reports seeing machetes, razors, Molotov cocktails, tear gas, and clubs while hearing some gunshots. Mubarak supporters are storming Tahrir Square from all sides, rumored to be accompanied by plainclothes policemen. An Army vehicle has been overturned. Tear gas may have been fired by police. CNN: Smoke or tear gas is seen rising near the north entrance to Cairo's Tahrir Square on Wednesday. EARLIER: Was just watching CNN. Pro-Mubarak demonstrators, some on horses and camels, have...

NPR: Update at 1:40 p.m. ET. Mubarak To Speak Tonight; Pledge To Not Seek Re-Election? Reuters writes that “Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak will give a speech on Tuesday after at least 1 million people rallied across the country clamouring for him to step down, Al Arabiya television said. There was no official confirmation.” Reuters also quotes Al Arabiya as saying “Mubarak will announce that he will step down at the next election but would stay in office till then to meet...

More prison breaks freeing more criminals and terrorists. Mubarak’s perch wobbles a bit. Some Updates Via Twitter: nytimes The New York Times Despite new crackdown on Al Jazeera, live stream still showing protest scenes (lo-rez) from Cairo. http://bit.ly/VGnK 2 minutes ago » AmelahG Amy Greenbaum RT @BorowitzReport: #Mubarak says that he got the idea of eliminating all the news from CNN. #Egypt #Jan25// funny if weren’t so close2true 5 minutes ago » nytimes The New York Times More...

Think about it. Much looting in Egypt. Police stations are being ransacked and weapons + ammo stolen. There has been a massive jailbreak freeing, among others, terrorists. I suspect much of the looted weaponry is falling into the hands of terrorists. The populace is not happy with Mubarak’s concessions (VP, new PM) but doesn’t care for anarchy endangering their homes, families and shops either. Rumors of a potential military coup.

UPDATE: I’ve been watching CNN & MSNBC. The entire country is now under a curfew which no-one seems to be observing. Protests are not just in Cairo but also in Alexandria, Suez and several provinces. Reportedly the Muslim Brotherhood joined today’s protests. A Cairo police station is under attack and the police are using live ammo. Lots of stuff is on fire. The military has not cracked down and is being embraced by protesters. Mubarak has not yet spoken. A couple of reports of journalists...