NEW YORK/DETROIT, (Reuters) - The U.S. government islikely to take a loss on General Motors Co in the firstoffering of the automaker's stock, six people familiar withpreparations for the landmark IPO said. Subsequent offerings of the government's holdings may beprofitable depending on how investors trade the newly listedstock, the sources said. (more)

QUETTA, Pakistan – A suicide bombing claimed by the Pakistani Taliban killed at least 43 Shiite Muslims at a procession in southwest Pakistan on Friday. The assault sharply drove up the toll of sectarian assaults in a country battered by massive flooding. To the northwest in Pakistan's restive tribal regions, two suspected U.S. missile strikes killed at least seven people in an area controlled by one of the main groups battling Americans in neighboring Afghanistan, Pakistani intelligence officials said. (more)

Hey, Arizona immigration law haters who are looking for some schadenfreude: it's popcorn time. Because here's a clip of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer last night giving one of the worst debate opening statements... ever? Sure, let's go with "ever." (more)

The U.S. federal government is the largest employer in the world, and as you might expect, there are great government jobs and lousy government jobs. So what are, in the opinions the people who do them, the best and worst government jobs? (more)

In a memoir filled with profound navel-gazing, political bombshells and a few purple-prose love scenes, Tony Blair has also found time to salute U2's activist frontman, claiming he "could be ... prime minister". Blair's new book, A Journey, is the hottest thing in bookshops this week. It captures the government equivalent of band in-fighting – Brown and Blair like the Gallagher brothers – and even Blair's struggle with alcohol. But it's also got a tiny bit of real rock stardom, particularly in a passa... (more)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Companies are cutting healthcare costs further amid a continuing sour economy, scaling back benefits and shifting a greater share of the expense to employees. The findings, published on Thursday, come as the congressional campaign heats up over the nation's stagnant economic growth and whether recently passed healthcare reforms should be repealed. Such steps may be keeping the cost of insurance plans down "but it also means employer coverage is less comprehensive," said Drew ... (more)

I have to say, I’m a bit surprised that the liberal feminists who have taken every opportunity they could to attack Sarah Palin have now come out to defend her from the disgusting Vanity Fair article that was released yesterday: Yesterday, Vanity Fair released yet another long hatchet job piece about Sarah Palin. But what this piece has generated — well, besides incredulity that a magazine of Vanity Fair’s caliber would run a character assassination piece almost entirely based on anonymous sources — is ... (more)