The Note’s Must-Reads for Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Note’s Must-Reads are a round-up of today’s political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com

Compiled by ABC News Desk Assistants KRISTEN RED-HORSE, PETER MARTINEZ, JAYCE HENDERSON, CLAUDIA MORALES and CARRIE HALPERIN

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ECONOMY:

ABC News’ Jonathan Karl: “Report: Stimulus Weatherization Program Bogged Down by Red Tape” LINK

ABC News’ Devin Dwyer: “Drowning in Debt: What the Nation’s Budget Woes Mean for You” LINK

ABC News’ Jake Tapper and Huma Khan: “Is the Stimulus Plan Really Making a Difference?” LINK

ABC News’ Mathew Jaffe: “Administration Touts Rise in Mortgage Modifications Under Housing Plan; Republicans Call It ‘Total Failure’” LINK

The New York Times’ Sewell Chan: “Agreement Is Near on New Overseer of Banking Risks” LINK

The New York Times’ Sheryl Gay Stolberg: “Obama and Republicans Clash Over Stimulus Bill, One Year Later” LINK

The New York Times’ Erik Eckholm: “Plan Pushed on Lending to Students” LINK

The Washington Post’s Neil Irwin, Lori Montgomery and Alec MacGillis: “White House crafts jobs bill, a year into stimulus effort” LINK

The Washington Post’s Renae Merle: “Administration pushed to expand foreclosure-prevention program” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Marc Lifsher: “California, other states face problem” LINK

USA Today’s Dennis Cauchon and William M. Welch: “Recession takes uneven toll in Lincoln, Neb., and Merced, Calif.” LINK

USA Today’s Matt Kelley: “Claims about stimulus don’t always match up with reality” LINK

Time’s Stephen Gandel: “After One Year, a Stimulus Report Card” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Amy Merrick: “States Sink in Benefits Hole” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s James R. Hagerty: “More Households Benefit From Loan-Mod Program” LINK

Politics Daily’s Christopher Weber: “Home Foreclosures in 2010 Could Top Last Year’s” LINK

PRESIDENT OBAMA & HIS ADMINISTRATION:

The New York Times’ Gardiner Harris: “Report Cited by Obama on Hospitals Is Criticized” LINK

The New York Times’ John Broder: “Environment Advocates Are Cooling on Obama” LINK

USA Today’s The Oval: “Obama and students talk to astronauts in orbit” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Jonathan Weisman: “Biden to Push Test-Ban Treaty” LINK

FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

The Washington Post’s Karin Brulliard: “U.S., Pakistan confirm capture of Afghan Taliban’s deputy commander” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Laura King: “Weapon that killed 12 Afghan civilians is back in use” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Matthew Rosenberg in Kabul and Michael M. Phillips in Marjah, Afghanistan: “Coalition Prepares to Set Up Authority in Marjah” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Joel Millman: “Iraq War Contractor Guilty” LINK

Bloomberg’s Peter S. Green and Edwin Chen: “Obama-Dalai Lama Meeting Shows U.S., China Must Accept Rivalry” LINK

Newsweek’s Andrew Tabler: “In a Corner” LINK

CONGRESS:

The New York Times’ Susan Saulny: “Senator Retires, and Voters, Too, Grow Dismayed” LINK

The Washington Post’s Paul Kane: “Value of congressional earmarks increased in fiscal 2010” LINK

The Hill’s Kevin Bogardus: “Black Chamber urges Congress to stay out of battle over rum tax” LINK

DEMOCRATS / REPUBLICANS / TEA PARTY:

The Washington Post’s Amy Gardner: “Va. Democrat from Appalachia hopes to quell anger among voters” LINK

The Washington Post’s Jerry Markon: “At Washington’s homestead, conservative leaders tap into new energy” LINK

Time’s David Von Drehle: “The Making of the Tea Party Movement” LINK

Politico’s John Bresnahan and Glenn Thrush: “Mendez stock falls with Dem losses” LINK

HEALTH CARE:

USA Today’s Mary Brophy Marcus: “Technology, medical tests ‘changing the face of health care’” LINK

Bloomberg’s James Rowley: “Democrats May Not Have Health Proposal Before Summit With Obama” LINK

The Associated Press’ Holly Ramer: “Republican holds out hope on health care overhaul” LINK

Time’s Kate Pickert: “Poll: Yes to Health Reform, No to Paying for It” LINK

Politics Daily’s Patricia Murphy: “Democrats Trying To Revive Health Care ‘Public Option’” LINK

2010 ELECTIONS:

The Wall Street Journal’s Elizabeth Williamson and Naftali Bendavid: “Obama Goes West to Aid Tight Races” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Stephanie Simon: “Lincoln Faces Rough Road” LINK

Politico’s Alexander Burns: “Report: Doherty to drop gov. bid” LINK

FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA:

Politics Daily’s Lynn Sweet: “Michelle Obama to Appear on Fox” LINK

FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

Politics Daily’s Christopher Weber: “Bill Clinton Returns to Work After Heart Procedure” LINK

JOHN MURTHA:

The Hill’s Roxana Tiron: “Navy to review Murtha surgery for error” LINK

Politico’s Alexander Burns: “Report: Doherty to drop gov. bid” LINK

Politico’s John Bresnahan and Glenn Thrush: “Mendez stock falls with Dem losses” LINK

HAITI:

USA Today’s Marisol Bello and Alan Gomez: “Missionaries freed, back in U.S. from Haiti” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s David Luhnow and Yochi Dreazen: “In Haiti, Detained Americans Are Set Free” LINK

OTHER:

The Los Angeles Times’ David Zucchino: “Veterans speak out against burn pits” LINK

USA Today’s Haya El Nasser and Paul Overberg: “Census software plagued by defects” LINK

USA Today’s Thomas Frank: “Homeland Security reports losing guns” LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Siobhan Gorman: “Broad New Hacking Attack Detected” LINK

Time’s Peter Beinart: “Why Washington’s Tied Up in Knots” LINK

ABC NEWS VIDEOS:

“Jake Tapper Digs Into the Stimulus Plan” LINK

“The Trouble With Home Weatherization” LINK

“Obama Strongly Defends Stimulus Success” LINK