Just getting the first reports now: Two men have been arrested for planning to shoot up a military recruiting station in Seattle, in an apparent DOJ sting operation. As is often the case, the suspects’ malign motives were matched by their lack of candle power, thus the arrests. More shortly.

Here’s the latest.

Federal law enforcement officials believe that Yonathan Melaku, the 22 year old Marine reservist arrested last week during a security scare outside the Pentagon was the man responsible for the string of shootings at military sites in the area in October and November. He apparently had bomb making materials and a veritable grab bag of al Qaeda literature and party favors.

Pelosi blames Cantor’s exit from deficit talks on tax cut tantrum.

Palin denies bagging on bus tour, says it will definitely continue “when the time comes.”

Hillary Clinton holding “emergency” meeting with House Democratic caucus to shore up support for administration’s Libya policy in advance of tomorrow’s expected vote to defund the mission.

John Yoo says President Obama breaking through important traditional restraints on executive power.

Via @sissenberg:

“Whitey Bulger caught, Boston teams win, Kennedys irrelevant. This is the end of history for the Boston Globe.”

Don’t be too quick to see Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s withdrawal from the Joe Biden-led debt talks this morning as a sign the parties are at an “impasse.”

The read we’re getting is that this could be merely an indication that the emissaries to the talks have gotten as far as they can get and that the remaining heavy lifting is going to have be done by the principals: President Obama and Speaker Boehner.

If that also puts Boehner instead of Cantor on the hook for agreeing to tax increases … well, that’s probably just icing for Cantor.

One basic critique of online news is that it segregates readers, hiving everyone off into their own little niche based on tone, ideology, length of articles and so forth. And it seems something similar is happening in the Republican presidential primary process. All the plausibly mainstream Republican candidates — first Romney, now Huntsman — are deciding to bail on the Iowa caucuses entirely and opting to make their first stand in New Hampshire, where a more libertarian and less socially coercive style of conservatism has historically reigned. That’s going to leave Iowa a cockpit of right-wing fury, but worth considerably less because some of the biggest contenders won’t even be playing.

Check out the Solar Impulse, an experimental, long-range solar-powered aircraft, that is one of the main attractions at this year’s Paris Air Show.