TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
‘American optimism’? Not from Ron Paul.
Texas congressman leaves rosy outlooks and lofty campaign promises to the other GOP candidates.
(By Nia-Malika Henderson)
GOP’s battle plan: Attack Obama with his own words
Republicans are finishing “the book,” a massive document that will form the basis of their attack and that seeks to turn the president’s promises against him.
(By Peter Wallsten)
Iran seeks more influence in Latin America
A new diplomatic offensive highlights the Islamic republic’s growing presence in the U.S.’s back yard.
(By Joby Warrick)
A remarkable life hijacked
Viola Herms Drath had been to the Blue Star Mothers convention the week of Aug. 8, and she spoke excitedly about her great-granddaughter’s first birthday. She was pleased that even at 91 years old, her calendar was so full. But by the end of the week, she was found dead.
(By Josh White)
Ravens claim No. 2 seed in the AFC
Baltimore secures the AFC North title and a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs that begin next week. Denver sneaks in despite losing.
(By Gene Wang and Mark Maske)
NATION
Killers lurking on bay’s bottom
Lost crab traps, called “ghost pots,” kill thousands of crabs and other Chesapeake creatures every year.
( by Darryl Fears , The Washington Post)
NASA flight may find moon’s twin sister
Twin NASA probes circling the moon could reveal that a second moon existed billions of years ago.
( by Brian Vastag , The Washington Post)
In this Washington, ‘life is good’
Residents in this Iowa town have spent months hearing candidates talk about problems they largely don’t have.
( by Eli Saslow in WASHINGTON, Iowa , The Washington Post)
Texas consumer health program to shut down
Less than a year after it opened, the Texas Consumer Health Assistance Program is preparing to shut down, a victim of Congress’s inability to agree on a budget for next year.
( by Sarah Kliff , The Washington Post)
Iran seeks more influence in Latin America
A new diplomatic offensive highlights the Islamic republic’s growing presence in the U.S.’s back yard.
( by Joby Warrick , The Washington Post)
More National: Breaking National News & Headlines - Washington Post
METRO
Rainbow caps balmy day in D.C.
Sunday was the first day of the new year, but that was only one of the day’s distinctions. The temperature rose to 60 degrees in Washington, a January rarity.
( by Martin Weil , The Washington Post)
Arlington reports zero homicides in 2011
No homicides were reported in Arlington County last year, for the first time in at least 50 years, according to county police.
( by Martin Weil , The Washington Post)
Getting a handle on the new bag tax
Not all Montgomery County shoppers were ready for the 5-cent surcharge.
( by Katherine Shaver and Victor Zapana , The Washington Post)
Designer Eva Zeisel dead at 105
Mrs. Zeisel, who escaped turbulent times in prewar Europe, designed tableware that was credited with bringing a sense of serenity to American dinnertime.
( by Emily Langer , The Washington Post)
Year’s first baby is right on time
Washington area’s first baby of 2012 gives Upper Marlboro family a girl to follow two boys.
( by Donna St. George , The Washington Post)
More Post Local: Washington, DC Area News, Traffic, Weather, Sports & More - The Washington Post
POLITICS
Romney benches his five grown sons
Four years ago, the five Romney sons were a staple on the campaign trail. This time around, Mitt Romney’s kids have been more scarce.
( by Sandhya Somashekhar in WINDHAM, N.H. , The Washington Post)
Conservatives assess Romney
National conservative leaders are beginning to accept the increasingly likely prospect of a Mitt Romney nomination, and how and whether they can live with that.
( by Amy Gardner and Rosalind S. Helderman , The Washington Post)
Getting a handle on the new bag tax
Not all Montgomery County shoppers were ready for the 5-cent surcharge.
( by Katherine Shaver and Victor Zapana , The Washington Post)
Final push before Iowa Republican primary
Seeking to press their advantages and differentiate themselves, the Republican candidates for president flooded the Iowa airwaves Sunday and stepped up the ground games in the final push before decision day.
( by Nia-Malika Henderson , The Washington Post)
The line on the Iowa caucuses
MONDAY FIX | Mitt Romney has the best odds of winning Tuesday, but Rick Santorum has the momentum.
(, The Washington Post)
More Post Politics: Breaking Politics News, Political Analysis & More - The Washington Post
STYLE
When two people no longer ‘fit’
People change, and not fitting anymore is a perfectly adequate reason for ending a relationship without judgments.
(, The Washington Post)
Debating life, universe and everything
The philosophers were in town for the American Philosophical Association’s annual conference.
( by Monica Hesse , The Washington Post)
More Style: Culture, Arts, Ideas & More - The Washington Post
SPORTS
TV and radio listings: Jan. 2
TV and radio listings: Jan. 2
(, The Washington Post)
Giants win the NFC East
Eli Manning, New York top Dallas for last playoff spot.
( by Mark Maske , The Washington Post)
Ravens take AFC North title
With two electric runs by Ray Rice, the Baltimore Ravens secure their third AFC North title in team history with a 24-16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
( by Jeff Zrebiec , The Washington Post)
Opinion | Mike Shanahan needs the right parts
COLUMN | Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan is a brilliant play caller and has the competitive drive to succeed. But he needs the right players, especially a big-time quarterback.
(, The Washington Post)
Ravens claim No. 2 seed in the AFC
Baltimore secures the AFC North title and a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs that begin next week. Denver sneaks in despite losing.
( by Gene Wang and Mark Maske , The Washington Post)
More Sports: Sports News, Scores, Analysis, Schedules & More - The Washington Post
WORLD
In Iraq, Sunni official hit by bomb
The blast that hit the finance minister’s convoy injured 6 and will likely increase political tensions.
( by Dan Morse and Aziz Alwan , The Washington Post)
In sports-mad Argentina, specialty journalism schools also an obsession
Buenos Aires alone boasts about a dozen institutions like the Superior School of Sports Journalism.
( by Juan Forero , The Washington Post)
India’s drug trials fuel controversy
As participation grows, so do fears that many Indians are entering trials without knowing the risks.
( by Rama Lakshmi , The Washington Post)
Iran claims nuclear fuel advance
The government today announced an engineering breakthrough and test-fired a radar-evading medium-range missile in the Persian Gulf.
( by Parisa Hafezi , The Washington Post)
Iran seeks more influence in Latin America
A new diplomatic offensive highlights the Islamic republic’s growing presence in the U.S.’s back yard.
( by Joby Warrick , The Washington Post)
More World: World News, International News, Foreign Reporting - The Washington Post
LIVE DISCUSSIONS
Redskins-Eagles postgame chat with Cindy Boren
Live discussion about the Redskins vs. Eagles game.
(, vForum)
Dave Barry's 2011 year in review
Dave Barry discusses all that made up 2011.
(, vForum)
More Conversations: Discussions, Blogs, Debates, Live Q&A's and More - The Washington Post
TECHNOLOGY
Google+ Service May Have 400 Million Users by End of 2012
Google Inc. is adding 625,000 new users a day to the Google+ social-networking service, which may total 400 million members by the end of next year, according to independent analysis of its growth.
( by Nick Turner Bloomberg News , Bloomberg)
Alibaba Hired Duberstein Group for Washington Lobbying Help
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. hired Washington lobbying firm Duberstein Group Inc. earlier this year as it explored potential transactions involving Yahoo! Inc.
( by Ian King Bloomberg News , Bloomberg)
CES 2012: Lenovo smart TV and cloud service
Lenovo will be offering a smart television (dubbed the IdeaTV) in Q1 2012 with a focus on allowing users to easily share content between devices.
( by Dante D’Orazio , The Washington Post)
CES 2012: Nokia to unveil portfolio of products
The company calls the 710 launch "Day 1 of Rolling Thunder."
( by Thomas Ricker , The Washington Post)
More Technology News - The Washington Post
EDITORIAL
The Arctic is vital to national security
(, The Washington Post)
Medical experiments on humans
Better records and compensation for injuries are advisable.
(, The Washington Post)
Follow the money
More scrutiny may be useful for the funding of programs to benefit D.C. youth.
(, The Washington Post)
D.C.’s lesson for Congress
(, The Washington Post)
Overcharged
Pull the plug on electric-car subsidies.
(, The Washington Post)
More Opinions: Washington Post Opinion, Editorial, Op Ed, Politics Editorials - The Washington Post
BUSINESS
Local firm turns data and analysis into profitable advice
Columbia-based Merkle is a ‘work-hard, play-hard’ kind of company, its 48-year-old chief executive, David Williams, says.
(, The Washington Post)
Exxon awarded $908 million
An arbitration panel has awarded U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil $908 million in compensation for Venezuela’s 2007 nationalization of its assets.
( by Brian Ellsworth and Marianna Parraga , The Washington Post)
New at the Top: David F. Melcher, Exelis Inc.
David F. Melcher, a retired Army lieutenant general and new chief executive of Exelis Inc., sees the importance of leadership in both the governmental and business contexts.
(, The Washington Post)
Week ahead for Jan. 2, 2012
The new year begins with a week packed with economic news.
(, The Washington Post)
Washington-area bankruptcies
These firms recently filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court’s local court clerk’s offices.
(, The Washington Post)
