Hillary Clinton leaves flowers for Our Lady of Guadalupe, asks ‘Who painted it?’  —  Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 27, 2009 / 04:59 pm (CNA).- During her recent visit to Mexico, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an unexpected stop at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and left a bouquet …

Obama's Nobel Headache  —  Paul Krugman has emerged as Obama's toughest liberal critic.  He's deeply skeptical of the bank bailout and pessimistic about the economy.  Why the establishment worries he may be right.  —  From the magazine issue dated Apr 6, 2009  —  Traditionally, punditry in Washington has been a cozy business.

No Givens As Obama Steps Onto World Stage  —  After 69 days in which international issues have taken a back seat to attempts to rescue the economy at home, President Obama takes the world stage this week as a wildly popular figure among the people of Europe, but one who faces a difficult task …

Deal Is Reached to Raise Taxes on Top Earners in New York  —  Gov. David A. Paterson and leaders of the Legislature have reached a deal to temporarily raise taxes on New York's highest earners in order to close the state's yawning budget deficit, lawmakers and officials involved in the talks said on Saturday.

Iran missile experts in North Korea ‘to help with rocket launch’  —  Missile experts from Iran are in North Korea to help Pyongyang prepare for a rocket launch, according to reports.  —  Amid increasing global concern over the launch, which the US and its allies consider to be illegal …

How Obama Ruined The Easter Egg Roll  —  Change has come to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, and our family is not happy about it.  The end result is that we won't get to go for the first time in nine years.  —  President Obama thought outside the box and decided it was better to move …

Speaking Freely, Biden Finds Influential Role  —  WASHINGTON — When President Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. meet for their standing Friday lunch engagement, Mr. Obama always picks the cuisine — a subtle break from previous administrations in which the president …

Detainee's Harsh Treatment Foiled No Plots  —  Waterboarding, Rough Interrogation of Abu Zubaida Produced False Leads, Officials Say  —  When CIA officials subjected their first high-value captive, Abu Zubaida, to waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods, they were convinced …

A NEW BRAND OF STUPID ON CLIMATE CHANGE... Today is the second annual Earth Hour, a worldwide campaign to raise awareness on the issue of climate change.  At 8:30pm local time, major businesses, local and national points of interest, and individual homes will dim their lights for one hour.

‘FRIEND’ OF BIDEN'S DAUGHTER SHOPPING TAPE OF HER ALLEGEDLY DOING COCAINE  —  A “friend” of Vice President Joseph Biden's daughter, Ashley, is attempting to hawk a videotape that he claims shows her snorting cocaine at a house party this month in Delaware.  —  The anonymous male acquaintance …

Brown snubbed over tax  —  Germans wreck ‘global new deal’  —  GORDON BROWN'S carefully laid plans for a G20 deal on worldwide tax cuts have been scuppered by an eve-of-summit ambush by European leaders.  —  Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, last night led the assault on the prime minister's …

US and Iran open Afghanistan peace talks  —  As Obama unveiled his new strategy on Afghanistan, his officials attended a historic meeting with an old enemy  —  IRANIAN and American officials have held their first talks about ending the war in Afghanistan amid signs that President Barack Obama's efforts …