Executive Order: Interpretation of the Geneva Conventions Common Article 3 as Applied to a Program of Detention and Interrogation Operated by the Central Intelligence Agency  —  By the authority vested in me as President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces by the Constitution and the laws …

JetBlue caved  —  Okay, so JetBlue, after deciding to resist Bill O'Reilly's pressure last night, just decided to back down.  Let them know what you think about that. … As for my part, I'm cancelling my JetBlue American Express card and will be looking at alternative options for my future travel.

Harry Potter: the economics  —  Successful magical worlds depend on basic economic principles, and that's where JK Rowling's Harry Potter falls short.  —  Why are books about magic so exciting?  The lure is almost tautological: magic is compelling because it allows us to imagine doing the things we cannot ordinarily do.

NOTE TO READERS:  —  Several conservative blogs have raised questions about the Diarist "Shock Troops," written by a soldier in Iraq using the pseudonym Scott Thomas.  Whenever anybody levels serious accusations against a piece published in our magazine, we take those charges seriously.

Romney targets Obama - with a twist  —  Promoting sex education for kindergarten students—kind of a sexy topic — was injected into the 2008 presidential race.  It conjures up visions of condoms and cupcakes passed around before the afternoon naptime.  Except that it is not true.

A White House Warning on Contempt Charges  —  The Justice Department would be likely to block any efforts by Congressional Democrats to seek contempt charges against present and former White House officials for refusing to give information to Congress, a White House spokesman said Friday.

Court Tells U.S. to Reveal Data on Detainees at Guantánamo  —  A federal appeals court ordered the government yesterday to turn over virtually all its information on Guantánamo detainees who are challenging their detention, rejecting an effort by the Justice Department …

Shays screams at Capitol Police officer  —  On Thursday afternoon, Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) got into a loud, angry dispute with a U.S. Capitol Police officer at the security checkpoint inside the entrance of the West Side of the Capitol.  On Friday, Shays, a veteran lawmaker …

Bald eagles  —  Our political cartoonist casts his eye towards the presidential campaign  —  A GROWING number of Republicans are hoping that Fred Thompson, a former senator and television actor, will throw his hat into the presidential ring.  Should he do so, he'd be wise to keep his head …

Rudy and Romney: Artful dodgers  —  When the most belligerent Republicans start to beat the war drums, it's important to look at what they're trying to hide.  —  Left: Rudy Giuliani talks to students during a campaign stop in Henniker, N.H., on April 24, 2007.

'NYT': Ron Paul for President — Of the 'Wackos'?  —  NEW YORK A feature piece in this coming Sunday's New York Times Magazine on Republican candidate for president, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, portrays his followers as including a wild mix of "wackos" on both ends of the political spectrum.

Being a New...  VIDEO SURFACES OF RUDY SCREAMING, "BULLSH#$T!"  —  Being a New Yorker, I'd remembered that during a cop union rally in 1992, Rudy had come unhinged and screamed, "Bulls#$t!"  —  For some time now I've been meaning to track video of this moment down.

Google Intends to Bid in Spectrum Auction If FCC Adopts Consumer Choice and Competition Requirements  —  Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today that should the Federal Communications Commission adopt a framework requiring greater competition and consumer choice, Google intends to participate …

"Sometimes I can't believe it when I look up in the mirror"  —  All Russian female names end in "A".  My grandmother was Sarra, her sister Raya.  My other grandma was Antonina.  My mom is Nina.  Her sister is Gyala.  So, when people meet me and learn I was born in the Soviet Union they ask "so what is your Russian name?"

Slacker Friday:  —  Hometown: Newton, MA.  —  Hey Doc —  "Mary Hill used to love to ride on the merry-go-round/All the guys got eager eyes watching Mary go 'round."  —  WWOZ Pick To Click — "Fish For Supper" (Hot Lips Page): Once again, I have forgotten to design an eight-mile circular work …

A Busy Saturday  —  Readers are really into Cheney being president for awhile.  Suggestions for Acting President Cheney include  —  Bomb Iran.  —  Commute the sentences of those border agents.  —  Fire Mike Chertoff.  —  Tell Harry Reid to ... well, you know...  Pardon Scooter.

Romney aide's bogus badges: Sources detail 'illegal' security tactic  —  In an apparent violation of the law, a controversial aide to ex-Gov. Mitt Romney created phony law enforcement badges that he and other staffers used on the campaign trail to strong-arm reporters, avoid paying tolls …

An Example Of Google 'News'  —  An alert CQ reader, Mike Jackson, happened to check out Google News a few minutes ago (3:50 pm PDT), and was stunned to see the top headline and article:  —  It comes from a news service called AXcess — and the article itself is worse than the headline: