Morning News 01.24.2011

1. GOP Gears Up for Budget Battle
   With the president's State of the Union address drawing near, Republicans are saying Obama's proposed investment in education and infrastructure is lefty code for another "spending binge."
   Read original story in The New York Times | Monday, Jan. 24, 2011

2. Taxpayers Pay Millions to Defend Mortgage Executives
   Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are spending vast sums defending their executives in court, and handing the bill to the taxpayer.
   Read original story in The New York Times | Monday, Jan. 24, 2011

3. Giffords Recovery Delayed
   A buildup of spinal fluid after congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was transferred to a rehab center in Texas is keeping her in intensive care.
   Read original story in AP | Monday, Jan. 24, 2011

4. Al-Jazeera: Palestinians Offered to Relinquish Most of East Jerusalem
   The Palestinians offered to give up any claims to most of the settlements in East Jerusalem, and Israel turned them down, according to documents released by Al-Jazeera.
   Read original story in The Guardian | Monday, Jan. 24, 2011

5. Suspect in 1987 Kidnapping Surrenders
   A North Carolina woman turned herself in to the FBI on Sunday after the girl she'd raised discovered she had been kidnapped.
   Read original story in AP | Monday, Jan. 24, 2011

6. Tea Party Takes On New Hampshire
   The election of a Tea Partier as the state's new GOP chairman may force a shift in mainstream Republican presidential candidate strategy.
   Read original story in Politico | Monday, Jan. 24, 2011

7. Gunman Injures Four Officers in Detroit
   Bulletproof vests and luck saved the officers from the hail of bullets fired by a gunman on Sunday.
   Read original story in Reuters | Monday, Jan. 24, 2011

8. Parking Garage Doubles As Chic Wedding Venue
   In Miami, a spectacular parking garage is drawing cultural cognoscenti looking for an unconventional setting to tie the knot.
   Read original story in The New York Times | Monday, Jan. 24, 2011

9. Congress To Blame for Failure To Close Gitmo
   Two years ago, President Obama signed an order instructing the military to close the prison within a year. It remains open, and with little chance for that to change in the near future.
   Read original story in | Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011

10. Half of Americans Suspect Vaccines Linked to Autism
    Although only 18 percent believe they can cause autism, another 30 percent say they aren't sure. Fifty-two percent say there is no connection.
    Read original story in | Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011

11. Domestic Use of Drones Spur Privacy Concerns
    So far, their use by police is exceedingly rare but that could soon change granting an unprecedented ability to secretly monitor citizens relatively cheaply.
    Read original story in | Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011

12. "Skins" Keeps Losing Advertisers
    Wrigley is now the third company to drop its ads from the MTV treen drama that has been called "the most dangerous television show for children."
    Read original story in | Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011