A vote to move forward on the nomination of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to run the new federal consumer protection agency fell seven votes short in the Senate this morning. Republicans banded together to make sure there weren't the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and move on to a vote on the nomination itself.

A new poll released Wednesday by Time magazine and CNN finds Newt Gingrich staying ahead of Mitt Romney in three out of the four states with January primaries or caucuses.

Gingrich's lead in the key primary states has sparked private discussions among President Obama's advisers about the former Speaker of the House's "realistic chance" of winning the Republican presidential nomination, CBS News reported.

USA Today, ESPN, The St.

Pusuke, a Shiba mix who last year was recognized by Guinness World Records as the planet's oldest dog, has died.

He was 26 years, eight months old. Or, about 125 in "human years," according to his owner.

Less than two years after India's Sachin Tendulkar achieved cricket superstardom by recording a "double century" in an international match, his record has been broken.

Here's how the BBC reports the news:

"India opener Virender Sehwag has hit the record one-day international score after smashing 219 from 149 balls against West Indies in Indore."

Good morning.

Our early headlines:

-- Report: Hundreds Of Troops' Ashes Were Dumped In Landfill.

-- Corzine Apologizes, Defends Actions Of MF Global, May Invoke Fifth

It's a widely expected move, but still noteworthy:

"The European Central Bank cut interest rates by a quarter of a point on Thursday to counter the twin threats of recession and deflation in the euro zone, and is expected to unveil fresh measures to help banks hurt by the bloc's debt crisis," Reuters reports.

The lower part of Michigan is shaped like a mitten, which helps people recognize the state on a map. But now nearby Wisconsin has an official website featuring a picture of a mitten, saying Wisconsin is mitten-shaped. That might be true, if the thumb is smashed. Michiganders are furious, and officials accuse Wisconsin of "mitten envy."

Former New Jersey senator and governor Jon Corzine, who led MF Global as it spectacularly collapsed in a bankruptcy that has left $1.2 billion in client money missing, is due at a House Agriculture Committee hearing this morning to face questions about what happened.