Jill Carroll forced to make propaganda video as price of freedom  —  CAIRO - The night before journalist Jill Carroll's release, her captors said they had one final demand as the price of her freedom: She would have to make a video praising her captors and attacking the United States, according to Jim Carroll.

Lawyer says McKinney a victim in scuffle  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer for Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the Georgia congresswoman who had an altercation with a Capitol Police officer, says she was "just a victim of being in Congress while black."  —  McKinney awaited word Friday on whether …

Power of prayer flunks an unusual test  —  Large study had Christians pray for heart-surgery patients  —  NEW YORK - In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that having people pray for heart bypass surgery patients had no effect on their recovery.

Conservatives Stand Firm on Immigration  —  WASHINGTON, March 30 — Conservative House Republicans bluntly warned their leaders Thursday against any immigration compromise that would allow temporary foreign workers and assailed a Senate proposal that would open the way for illegal immigrants to earn citizenship.

Ex-DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty  —  Deal Protects Tony C. Rudy From Additional Charges  —  A former top aide to Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) pleaded guilty to conspiracy today and promised to aid a wide-ranging federal investigation into corrupt lobbying practices.

To Bloggers from Borders  —  An Open Letter from Gregory P Josefowicz CEO/Chairman of the Board/President/Director, Borders Books to Charles Johnson, Director, Pajamas Media, CEO Little Green Foosballs, Rock 'N' Roller in the Free World, Stealth Cyclist.  —  Dear Mr. Johnson (or may I call you "Charles"?),

As France Approves Labor Law, Students Block Roads and Rails  —  PARIS, March 30 —France's Constitutional Council ruled this evening that a disputed labor law that has brought more than a million protesters into the streets was valid, setting the stage for further confrontation.

Immigration tensions spark flag-burning in A.J.  —  This week's tensions over immigration reform literally caught fire in the East Valley on Thursday when students raised a Mexican flag over Apache Junction High School — and then other students yanked it down and burned it.

The Left's Fear of Money, Part II  —  Nine months ago I wrote a post that got a good amount of attention, it was about the fear of money that some people have on the left.  I think it's time for the next installment.  —  Last night I attended the Radio and Television Correspondents Association annual dinner in Washington, DC.

Air America Anniversary, Sacramento, New York City, Al Franken, Bill O'Reilly  —  DEBACLE  —  After Two Years, How Else To Describe Air America?  —  As certain as the presence of a dozen Dunkin' Donuts outlets in every New England town, today's second Air America Radio on-air anniversary …

JADED?....As Bob Somerby and Peter Daou and Media Matters have all pointed out, it really is remarkable how little attention the confirmation of David Manning's explosive prewar memo has gotten in the past week.  Here's what the New York Times reported on Monday:

Levee Repair Costs Triple  —  The Bush administration said yesterday that the cost of rebuilding New Orleans's levees to federal standards has nearly tripled to $10 billion and that there may not be enough money to fully protect the entire region.  —  Donald E. Powell, the administration's …

The Twilight of Objectivity  —  How opinion journalism could change the face of the news.  —  CNN says it is just thrilled by the transformation of Lou Dobbs—formerly a mild-mannered news anchor noted for his palsy-walsy interviews with corporate CEOs—into a raving populist xenophobe.  Ratings are up.

ABC Suspends Producer John Green After E-Mail Flap  —  ABC News executives have suspended Weekend Good Morning America executive producer John Green for a month, after two politically charged personal e-mails Green sent to a colleague were leaked to the press, according to two network sources.