CBS Fires Don Imus Over Racial Slur  —  Dismissal Caps Week Of Uproar Over Radio Host's Comments About Rutgers Women's Basketball Team  —  (CBS/AP) CBS announced Thursday that it has fired Don Imus from his radio program, following a week of uproar over the radio host's derogatory comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team.

Rove Emails Missing from RNC Server  —  In a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales today, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, asked that the Justice Department retain all emails received or sent to a White House official's RNC-issued email address.

The prospect of all-female conception  —  Women might soon be able to produce sperm in a development that could allow lesbian couples to have their own biological daughters, according to a pioneering study published today.  —  Scientists are seeking ethical permission to produce synthetic sperm cells …

BREAKING: PRESENT AT THE BOMBING  —  In this exclusive report he describes the carnage, the aftermath, and what led up to it, including the fact that two suicide vests were discovered inside the Green Zone on April 1, with a resulting, if unsuccessful, search for others.

Turkish Army Seeks OK for Iraq Raids  —  AP Photo ANK104  —  ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey's military asked the government Thursday to approve attacks on Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, signaling growing frustration over a lack of action against the guerrillas by Iraqi and U.S. forces.

Bank Staff Asks Wolfowitz to Resign  —  WASHINGTON — World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz acknowledged Thursday that he erred in helping a close female friend get transferred to a high-paying job, and said he was sorry.  —  His apology didn't ease concerns among the bank's staff association, which wants him to resign.

DUKE CASE: WILL THE TIMES APOLOGIZE?  —  REVERSE the races, change the sport, and you have the Kobe Bryant "rape" hoax all over again.  —  It frightens me that, in this day and age, three demonstrably innocent men can be dragged into the public square in chains and be unjustly accused …

It's not just Imus  —  On April 11, NBC News announced that it was dropping MSNBC's simulcast of Imus in the Morning in the wake of the controversy that erupted over host Don Imus' reference to the Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos."

ACLU Releases Files on Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq  —  Americans Have a Right to Unfiltered Information About the Human Costs of War, ACLU Says  —  NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today made public hundreds of claims for damages by family members of civilians killed …

Open thread: Fireworks on the Factor with Michelle hosting?  Update: Video added  —  The show's starting now; comment below if you're watching.  I'm reliably informed that one guest lobs a sexist insult at Michelle — but a "good," progressive kind of sexist insult, not a retrograde conservative one.

GIULIANI GALLS AGAIN:  —  Rudy Giuliani, who recently said that he would have backed efforts to keep Terri Schiavo "alive," has now declared, before a swooning crowd at the Alabama state capitol, that he believes that the decision to fly the Confederate flag on state property ought be "left to the states."

Political Environment Continues to Favor Democrats  —  By 50% to 35% margin, Americans want to see Democrats win in 2008  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Recent Gallup polling continues to show a favorable political environment for the Democratic Party.  Democrats maintained a significant advantage …

HILLARY IS HEADING TO RUTGERS  —  A Mouth Exclusive:  —  The Mouth has learned that Hillary Clinton is following up her e-love efforts for the Rutgers women's basketball team with something more tangible — a real-life visit on Monday.  —  The trip to see the Scarlet Knights comes …