Bush Selects Goldman Chief to Take Over Treasury Dept.  —  WASHINGTON, May 30 — President Bush today nominated Henry M. Paulson Jr., the chairman of one of Wall Street's biggest firms, to become his next Treasury secretary and what Mr. Bush described as "my principle economic adviser."

Pedophiles to launch political party  —  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch pedophiles are launching a political party to push for a cut in the legal age for sexual relations to 12 from 16 and the legalization of child pornography and sex with animals, sparking widespread outrage.

Justices, 5-4, Limit Whistleblower Suits  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it harder for government employees to file lawsuits claiming they were retaliated against for going public with allegations of official misconduct.  —  By a 5-4 vote, justices said the nation's 20 …

Ceballos— The Court Creates Bad Information Policy  —  Marty has explained the details of the Ceballos opinion below and I won't repeat what he has to say here.  Instead let me offer a few remarks on the larger meaning of the case.  —  The Court's employee speech cases rest on an unstable tension.

Raiding Congress  —  The Justice Department went overboard in raiding Rep. Jefferson's office.  —  With the separation of powers, the Founders created a system with inevitable tension between Congress and the executive.  Congress has been the biggest offender in stealing power from the executive …

The Purpose Driven Life Takers  —  Imagine: you are a foot soldier in a paramilitary group whose purpose is to remake America as a Christian theocracy, and establish its worldly vision of the dominion of Christ over all aspects of life.  You are issued high-tech military weaponry …

Clinton Is A Politician Not Easily Defined  —  Hillary Rodham Clinton has fashioned a political persona that generates intense passions but defies easy characterization.  She is viewed as a hawk on Iraq and national security, stamped as a big-government Democrat for her work on health care in the 1990s …

"We Are Determined"  —  SPIEGEL: Mr. President, you are a soccer fan and you like to play soccer.  Will you be sitting in the stadium in Nuremberg on June 11, when the Iranian national team plays against Mexico in Germany?  —  Ahmadinejad: It depends.  Naturally, I'll be watching the game in any case.

Lead figure in phone jam to advise GOP contenders  —  Charles McGee back to work after prison  —  May 29.  —  major figure in the Election Day phone-jamming scandal that embarrassed and nearly bankrupted the New Hampshire GOP is out of prison and back in the political game.

Lecturers back boycott of Israeli academics  —  Britain's largest lecturers' union yesterday voted in favour of a boycott of Israeli lecturers and academic institutions who do not publicly dissociate themselves from Israel's "apartheid policies".  —  Delegates at the annual conference …

Dems say oil execs, Bush Admin set to gain from estate tax repeal  —  Democrats have prepared for an upcoming Senate battle over repeal of the estate tax by releasing estimated savings the repeal could equal for oil executives and members of the Bush Administration, RAW STORY has learned.

Is Ahmadinejad Giving Germany's Far-Right Free Propaganda?  —  Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has continued his ranting about whether the Holocaust happened, this time in an interview with SPIEGEL magazine.  Also, Friday's Berlin stabbing spree is a reminder to World Cup visitors …

Batwoman hero returns as lesbian  —  Comic book heroine Batwoman is to make a comeback as a "lipstick lesbian" who moonlights as a crime fighter, a DC Comics spokesman has confirmed.  —  Batwoman - real name Kathy Kane - will appear in 52, a year-long DC Comics publication that began this month.

Car bombs, mortars leave 40 dead in Iraq  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Car bombs and mortar attacks killed at least 40 people Tuesday across Iraq as the government struggled with deteriorating security, while a man who allegedly confessed to hundreds of beheadings has been captured, officials said.

After Fence Assault, Anti-War Port Mob Eats Pepper Spray  —  Sadly, the young protesters had to dunk their heads in Puget Sound after their encounter with pepper spray.  —  Thurston County Sheriff's deputies holds protesters to the ground after clearing the entry to the Port of Olympia on Wednesday afternoon.

Computer techs turn to fisticuffs for fun  —  Fight clubs are chance to be 'a superhero for a night'  —  MENLO PARK, California (AP) — They may sport love handles and Ivy League degrees, but every two weeks, some Silicon Valley techies turn into vicious street brawlers in a real-life, underground fight club.

Former Lobbyist Testifies Against Official  —  WASHINGTON — A former congressional aide and lobbyist described Tuesday how he obtained insider information, advice and assistance from Bush administration procurement chief David Safavian to advance two projects for Republican influence-peddlar Jack Abramoff …

On the anniversary of "last throes," Bush sends more troops to quell Iraq.  This is a VERY bad sign.  Here's why...  NOTE FROM JOHN: AJ is an ex military intelligence officer now writing on AMERICAblog about security issues.  He has extensive experience on Iraq policy both here and in country.

Well-Intentioned Food Police May Create Havoc With Children's Diets  —  Earlier this year, our small Midwestern school district joined the food wars, proposing a new policy that would discourage all food in classrooms, ban nuts and sugary foods and do away with vending machines.