2010 Arrives With National Security At Top Of President's Agenda

Welcome to 2010. We hope you had a safe and happy New Year's Eve. It appears things went well at celebrations around the world.

Over this long holiday weekend, we — like you, hopefully — are going to try to take some time off. If news breaks out, of course, we'll pass it along.

Before we shut down, though, here are some of the stories making headlines this morning:

— Morning Edition — "Obama Hears First Briefings On Jet Bombing Attempt": NPR's Don Gonyea reports that "White House officials had anticipated starting the new year with an intense focus on the nation's still-sluggish economy and weak jobs picture. But the events of the past week — from the thwarted jetliner attack to the deadly bombing Wednesday that claimed the lives of seven CIA staffers in Afghanistan — will most likely keep the focus squarely on national security as 2010 gets under way."

— ABC News — Abdulmutallab Made "Alarming" Phone Call To His Father: "The accused 'underwear bomber' made a dramatic final call to his father that he found so alarming, the father approached Nigerian officials who took him directly to the CIA's station chief in the Nigerian capital, sources told ABC News. ... Current and former officials of the Nigerian government, including a source close to the suspect's family, say Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, called his father (in November) from Yemen with the warning that it would be his last contact." Abdulmutallab is accused of trying to detonate an explosive aboard a Northwest Airline flight to Detroit on Christmas Day.

— The New York Times — "CIA Takes On Bigger And Riskier Role On Front Lines": "The deaths of seven Central Intelligence Agency operatives at a remote base in the mountains of Afghanistan are a pointed example of the civilian spy agency's transformation in recent years into a paramilitary organization at the vanguard of America's far-flung wars."

— The Guardian — Iranian Opposition Leader Declares He Is "Ready To Die" For Reform: "Iran's opposition leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi, today declared his readiness to die after hardline government supporters called for his execution. Mousavi, who believes he was the rightful winner of June's disputed presidential election, said Iran was in 'serious crisis' and demanded the immediate release of supporters arrested in a government crackdown since the summer."

— The Washington Post — "TSA Nominee Misled Congress About Accessing Confidential Records": "The White House nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration gave Congress misleading information about incidents in which he inappropriately accessed a federal database, possibly in violation of privacy laws, documents obtained by The Washington Post show. The disclosure comes as pressure builds from Democrats on Capitol Hill for quick January confirmation of Erroll Southers, whose nomination has been held up by GOP opponents. In the aftermath of an attempted airline bombing on Christmas Day, calls have intensified for lawmakers to install permanent leadership at the TSA, a critical agency in enforcing airline security."

— The Associated Press — News Corp. And Time Warner Extend Their Talks: "Fox and Time Warner Cable extended their contract for a few hours, avoiding a threatened blackout of several stations from the cable provider while the two sides tried early Friday to resolve a disagreement over fees. Time Warner Cable Inc. made the announcement as the clock rolled past midnight Thursday on the East Coast. In a brief statement at 5:30 a.m. EST Friday, Scott Grogin, Fox senior vice president for communications, said 'we are still negotiating'."