* A secret joint operation by American and Pakistani forces captured the Taliban's top commander, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who is also the second most influential figure in the Taliban (after the group's one-eyed spiritual leader, Mullah Omar). Baradar is the most significant Taliban figure to be detained since the American-led war in Afghanistan began more than eight years ago.
* The New York Times had learned of Baradar's capture nearly a week before reporting it, and delayed publicizing the information at the request of the White House. At the time of the capture, Taliban leaders were not aware that Baradar had been taken; reporting the news could have made Taliban leaders more cautious in their communications with one another, threatening U.S. intelligence-gathering efforts.
* The Oath Keepers is one of the conservative populist groups to emerge as discontent builds in the wake of President Obama's election and Congressional gridlock. The group is made up of former and current members of the U.S. military who stress keeping their promise, upon enlistment, to uphold the U.S. Constitution. Although the group claims to be non-partisan, it is often lumped together with the Tea Party--which helped Republican Scott Brown claim the Senate seat formerly held by Edward M. Kennedy, Glenn Beck's 9/12 Project, and the John Birch Society. From Wikipedia: "In the Southern Poverty Law Center's 2009 report 'The Second Wave: Return of the Militias' Larry Keller wrote that the Oath Keepers 'may be a particularly worrisome example of the Patriot revival.' Keller described [former sheriff] Richard Mack, an Oath Keeper, as 'a militia hero' and quoted him as having said, 'The greatest threat we face today is not terrorists; it is our federal government... One of the best and easiest solutions is to depend on local officials, especially the sheriff, to stand against federal intervention and federal criminality.' Mack, a former sheriff, responded by denouncing the SPLC's claims."
* Democratic Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana has said that he will not run for a third term, and used his announcement as a chance to criticize the festering partisanship among lawmakers: "For some time, I have had a growing conviction that Congress is not operating as it should."
* At the Olympics in Vancouver, American Seth Wescott--an "older" athlete at age 33--took the gold in snowboard cross. In his winning final run, he emerged from last place to beat a competitor who was a full decade younger. He says he is in better shape now than he was when he was in his 20s, and that he does four sets of 100-ball squats just to warm up, followed possibly by an all-day mountain-bike ride to build endurance.