The Wire: January 12, 2011

National
4:34 p.m.
HOLMES: U.S. is land of the 'mostly free' economy
America’s free and open economy is the key to our unparalleled prosperity. It’s why we have the world’s largest economy and why so many people around the world want to come here. Without economic freedom, there would be no American dream. Alas, that dream is fading.
Basketball
8:45 p.m.
Jazz forward Kirilenko becomes US citizen
Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko still has the Russian accent though he sounded like an American citizen Wednesday talking about taxes.
World
2:30 a.m.
TWT
Lebanese coalition collapses in turmoil over probe
Lebanon’s year-old coalition government collapsed Wednesday amid fears that a United Nations report into the 2005 assassination of the country’s prime minister will trigger a new civil war and plunge the Middle East into another conflict.
Politics
7:12 p.m.
TWT
Obama: May good come of Ariz. tragedy
Invoking the memory of a slain 9-year-old girl, a solemn President Obama on Wednesday night urged Americans to “live up to her expectations” and shelve bitter politics as the nation grieves for the victims of Saturday’s attack in Tucson, Ariz.
Security
11:24 a.m.
TWT
N. Korea seen as drawing bead on both Seoul, U.S.
Defense experts warn that the North Korean military is a strategic threat and will soon be equipped to target the U.S. mainland.
Technology
9:45 a.m.
New guidelines would make school lunches healthier
Schoolchildren would have to hold the fries _ and pick up more whole grains, fruits and vegetables _ on the lunch line under proposed new federal standards for school lunches.
National
9:41 a.m.
TWT
Suspect pulled over hours before Arizona killing spree
Only a few hours before a shooting rampage that killed six people and gravely wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Arizona Democrat, a state wildlife officer pulled over the suspected killer after he apparently ran a red light, authorities said Wednesday.
Local
8:24 a.m.
TWT
D.C. charter school laws earn an 'A'
As unions move to organize charter-school employees, former D.C. Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee rolled out a taut school-reform agenda that pushes charter expansion and public-private vouchers, and she said the untold number of charter teachers she has encountered are not “interested in joining a union.”
Politics
5:54 a.m.
TWT
Some Democrats seek to dial back overheated rhetoric on shootings
ANALYSIS: Some Democrats are calling for a cease-fire in a heated liberal campaign to pin blame for the Tucson, Ariz., massacre on conservative speech and specifically on former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
World
3:39 a.m.
Portugal clears hurdle with sale of bonds
Tensions over Europe’s simmering debt crisis eased slightly on Wednesday as ailing Portugal, viewed as the next candidate for a bailout after Greece and Ireland, showed it can still raise money on international markets and the EU proposed to boost the size and powers of its rescue fund.
Security
3:37 a.m.
Obama administration ramping up war on terror
The Obama administration has ramped up its secret war on terror groups with a new military targeting center to oversee the growing use of special-operations strikes against suspected militants in hot spots around the world, according to current and former U.S. officials.
World
3:36 a.m.
Flooding turns Brisbane into a watery ghost town
Inch by inch, block by block, floods consumed Australia’s third-largest city, creeping across suburban yards Wednesday and streaming through downtown streets darkened by power outages and largely emptied of people.
Security
3:34 a.m.
Biden delivers terror warning to Pakistanis
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. warned Pakistanis on Wednesday about the dangers of failing to counter growing Islamist extremism in a speech that also hit back at what he said were popular Pakistani misconceptions about America and its motives.
Politics
3:18 a.m.
TWT
Health-law fight highlights CBO balancing act
In rolling out their “Pledge to America” last year, House Republicans repeatedly cited Congressional Budget Office research as proof President Obama’s health care overhaul was too expensive.
World
3:15 a.m.
World Scene
The normally traffic-clogged streets of the Haitian capital turned quiet Wednesday as businesses closed and people walked in solemn processions to prayer services marking the anniversary of the worst natural disaster in the nation’s history.
World
3:15 a.m.
Consonant conflict spurs Poles to demand spell check
Poland and Lithuania are bonded by history, culture and Catholic faith but deeply divided over the letter w.
Inside The Beltway
3:07 a.m.
TWT
Inside the Beltway
Do lawmakers need bodyguards now? Almost half of Americans agree with the idea.
Inside The Ring
3:04 a.m.
TWT
Inside the Ring
A new showdown is looming between China and the United States over arms sales to Taiwan. The Obama administration privately has decided to sell a new arms package to the island but is keeping details secret until after next week’s visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao.
World
2:53 a.m.
Briefly
Tunisia’s government is imposing a curfew on the capital and surrounding region after weeks of violent riots reached Tunis.
Politics
2:51 a.m.
Political Scene
A leading ethics watchdog group filed a formal complaint on Wednesday against two Republican House members who took part in committee debates and floor votes despite having missed last week’s formal swearing-in ceremony for the 112th Congress.
Ncaa
10:50 p.m.
Pitt breaks out early, blows by Georgetown
Ashton Gibbs hit five 3-pointers and scored 22 points, and No. 5 Pittsburgh broke open the game early Wednesday night and remained unbeaten in the Big East with a 72-57 win over No. 22 Georgetown.
Hockey
10:36 p.m.
Capitals draw blank in 3-0 loss to Lightning
Dwayne Roloson made 23 saves for his second shutout this month against Washington and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Capitals 3-0 Wednesday night in a matchup of Southeast Division leaders.
Basketball
9:54 p.m.
LeBron sees 'karma' in Cavs' 55-point loss
LeBron James has tweaked Dan Gilbert - and the Cavaliers owner’s miserable NBA team - with a pointed tweet.
Baseball
9:53 p.m.
All's quiet on baseball front as Selig, GMs meet
Commissioner Bud Selig met with baseball’s general managers at the start of what promised to be an uneventful two-day meeting of owners at an appropriately tranquil Phoenix-area resort.
Golf
9:45 p.m.
Introductions in order at Sony Open
Maui is a reunion of winners. Oahu is more of a meet-and-greet.
Entertainment
9:45 p.m.
Big band singer Margaret Whiting dies in NJ at 86
As a songwriter’s daughter and a singer who sold millions of records herself in the 1940s and ‘50s, Margaret Whiting knew what separated a good singer from a great one.
Entertainment
9:45 p.m.
Golden-voiced homeless man headed to rehab
An Ohio homeless man whose silky voice made him a web phenomenon is headed to rehab for alcohol and drug dependency after an appearance on “Dr. Phil.” Show representatives said in a statement Wednesday that Ted Williams agreed to enter a private facility after an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw on a show that will air Thursday.
Sports
9:45 p.m.
Longtime Susquehanna asst. Pittello dies at 83
Susquehanna assistant football coach Bob Pittello, who spent nearly his entire 52-year career on the sideline at his alma mater and played under Hall of Famer Amos Alonzo Stagg, has died. He was 83.
Sports
9:00 p.m.
Michigan's Hoke hopes to hang onto QB Robinson
Denard Robinson’s high school coach heard from so many coaches trying to recruit the dual-threat quarterback by Wednesday afternoon that he was on his third cell-phone battery.
Sports
9:00 p.m.
Michigan's Hoke pounds fist talking about O-State
Brady Hoke set the tone for a new era of Michigan football with his mouth and fist, pounding the lectern with each word when asked about the suddenly lopsided rivalry with Ohio State.
Politics
8:42 p.m.
TWT
Palin denounces 'blood libel' in Tucson debate
Former Republican Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Wednesday she is heartbroken over the shootings in Arizona in which Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was gravely wounded, but accused some in the news media and others of “blood libel” for saying heated political rhetoric from her and others are to blame.
Technology
8:30 p.m.
Ariz. hospital workers fired for accessing records
Three employees at the University Medical Center in Arizona have been fired for accessing the confidential medical records of victims in the shooting rampage.
National
8:22 p.m.
Obama visits Giffords at Arizona hospital
Thrust into the role of consoler, President Obama on Wednesday stood at the bedside of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and spent private moments with others who were shot in an assassination attempt against her that has unnerved the nation.
Sports
8:15 p.m.
Long introduced as SDSU's head football coach
Rocky Long had a chance to follow Brady Hoke to Michigan. Instead, he stayed at San Diego State and was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach.
National
8:09 p.m.
Officers stopped suspect on day of Ariz. shooting
A wildlife officer pulled over the suspect in the assassination attempt against Rep. Gabrielle Giffords less than three hours before the shooting, authorities said Wednesday as they pieced together more details of a frenzied morning.
World
7:57 p.m.
Jobless youths riot over unemployment
In the cruise-ship brochures, Tunisia is a land of endless sandy beaches, warm Mediterranean waters, ancient ruins and welcoming bazaars. But behind the postcard-perfect facade, legions of jobless youths who see no future are seething under the iron-fisted leadership of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and worried fathers wonder how they will feed their families.
Politics
7:51 p.m.
Texas faces budget shortfall; GOP likely to 'slash and burn'
There is one enduring political value in Texas: The state does not mollycoddle.
Politics
7:50 p.m.
TWT
House expresses Tucson-attack revulsion
A somber and bipartisan shadow enveloped the House on Wednesday as members gathered in support of one of their own on the first work day since the attempted assassination of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords last weekend.
Politics
7:48 p.m.
Haley aims to trim government, cut taxes
South Carolina must cut taxes and trim the size of government to turn around its lagging economy, Gov. Nikki Haley said Wednesday in an inaugural address given moments after the 38-year-old Republican made history by becoming the state’s 90th chief executive.
Entertainment
7:45 p.m.
Conan OK with Letterman, not so much with Leno
Conan O’Brien says he got a phone call from David Letterman over the holidays. The CBS host wanted to make sure a year of late-night TV turmoil hadn’t created a rift between them.
Football
7:34 p.m.
Brady brushes off Jets' barbs
Tom Brady just wants to talk about football. The New York Jets won’t let him.
Commentary
7:30 p.m.
TWT
TYRRELL: Liberalism's death knell keeps tolling
The evidence mounts that liberalism is dead. The liberal wizards, working their wonders at the New York Times and its clearinghouses in the major networks, cannot even dupe the American people with an absurd conspiracy theory anymore. In Dallas back in 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald, a pious communist awash in the Marxist-Leninist bilge, shot President John F. Kennedy. In no time, the liberals had the nation focused on the “dangerous right-wing atmosphere” supposedly pervading Dallas.
Entertainment
7:30 p.m.
Striking Detroit musicians renew compromise call
Striking Detroit Symphony Orchestra musicians are calling for a return to bargaining more than three months after walking off the job.
Baseball
7:30 p.m.
AL MVP Hamilton still hosptialized, but improving
AL MVP Josh Hamilton remains hospitalized while showing signs of getting better in a bout with pneumonia.
Commentary
7:27 p.m.
TWT
ORIENT: Tucson reveals poisonous media milieu
Tucsonans are grieved by the loss of family, friends and neighbors and are shaken by the reminder of mortality. Standing in line to greet their congresswoman, or just going to the grocery store, they could be killed by a malcontent. They are not immune from the violence that is rampant in the world, bringing sudden death from bombs, incendiary devices, missiles, gunfire or other means.
Commentary
7:25 p.m.
TWT
CAMPBELL: The liberal tax
During the protracted debate over the extension of the “Bush tax cuts,” much of the angst of President Obama and his fellow Democrats has been centered around increasing taxes on “the rich.” “Rich,” for purposes of this debate, has been defined by the president as individuals making more than $200,000 per year and families earning more than $250,000.
Commentary
7:23 p.m.
TWT
MINTON: The online poker players next door
Ask any professional poker player after a losing night what happened, and very rarely will he attribute the outcome to bad luck. There is an element of chance involved - for example, in the cards one is dealt - but long-term success lies, literally, in each player’s hands.
Commentary
7:20 p.m.
TWT
BOOK REVIEW: Sister who embraced Stalinism
In the many volumes of what might be termed Mitfordology - studies of that endlessly fascinating and appalling clan - next-to-last daughter Jessica often appears as a salutary counterpoint to her Nazi and fascist siblings. But in the account of her life in this adulatory biography, what is most striking is not what sets her apart from all those other Mitfords, but rather her horrible similarity to them.
Politics
7:10 p.m.
Illinois income tax to rise 66 percent
Democratic Illinois lawmakers beat a looming deadline and approved a 66 percent income-tax increase in a desperate bid to end the state’s crippling budget crisis.
Local
7:10 p.m.
Latest suspicious package in D.C. not a threat
Days after a parcel ignited at a Washington postal facility, authorities returned Wednesday to the same neighborhood because of a suspicious package that was later determined not to be a threat.