Flickr: Creative Commons by trialsanderrors

The Financial Times on the Nikkei this last day of trading in a year that saw its worst-ever performance, with the damned thing shedding more than 40% of what makes it exist. For the record, it was up slightly....

Divorcing couples are battling over who keeps the house, but with many in upside-down mortgages the argument is about who gets stuck with it.

Sarah Palin's daughter becomes a baby mama. 

Open Left's Chris Bowers gets real about the stimulus package, and just how progressive we are as a nation. On the Bowers Progress-O-matic? Meh. 

Here's Rachel on the weather and then with Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman, who discusses Obama's stimulus package:

RNC Chair candidate Chip Saltsman may have helped himself by sending out that "magic negro" viral according to Politico. Who says being a con-tarded bigot doesn't pay?

Here is Amnesty International's take on the human cost of the hostilities between Israel and Hamas and a plea for hostilities to end so folks can get the care they need.

Meanwhile, Israel expands the list of Hamas targets it would like to hit while there is no American president to say enough is enough.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich has called for an inquiry regarding Israel's attack on international law, specifically citing illegal attacks on civilians.

And another big auto maker (or two) step(s) up to the Federal trough by way of GMAC, which gets $6 billion. Oink.

Jazz great Freddie Hubbard is dead.