Gunman ‘lying in wait’ kills 3 Pittsburgh officers; friends say he feared Obama would ban guns  —  Map locates Pittsburgh , Penn. where police officers were wounded in a shootout (W. Castello, AP / April 4, 2009)  —  PITTSBURGH (AP) — A gunman wearing a bulletproof vest and “lying in wait” …

Pitchforks and Pistols  —  Lately I've been consuming as much conservative media as possible (interspersed with shots of Pepto-Bismol) to get a better sense of the mind and mood of the right.  My read: They're apocalyptic.  They feel isolated, angry, betrayed and besieged.

Europeans Offer Few New Troops for Afghanistan  —  STRASBOURG, France — European leaders offered few extra troops on Saturday for President Obama's intensified effort in Afghanistan, with most of the soldiers only on temporary security assignment, underlining deep divisions within the alliance over the war.

It Really Is All Greenspan's Fault  —  Ask John Taylor ...  It's been quite a spectacle for those who have followed Alan Greenspan's career for decades.  Gone is the financial rock star or even the statesman testifying before Congress in a measured baritone.

Commoner Captures Princess, Blog Version  —  CONSIDER the erotic potential between blogger and commenters.  —  The blogger is boss, a salon host with wit and whip.  Certainly a blogger thrives on commenters — who wants to declaim to an empty e-room?  But let's be clear: blogger, sovereign; commenters, courtiers.

Larry Summers, Tim Geithner and Wall Street's ownership of government  —  White House officials yesterday released their personal financial disclosure forms, and included in the millions of dollars which top Obama economics adviser Larry Summers made from Wall Street in 2008 is this detail:

Obama Wants to Control the Banks  —  There's a reason he refuses to accept repayment of TARP money.  —  I must be naive.  I really thought the administration would welcome the return of bank bailout money.  Some $340 million in TARP cash flowed back this week from four small banks in Louisiana, New York, Indiana and California.

Binghamton Gunman Felt “Degraded And Disrespcted”  —  Vietnamese immigrant Jiverly Voong was angry about poor language skills and lack of job prospects.  Police Chief Joseph Zikusky of Binghamton says he felt “degraded and disrespected” because of his poor English.

Churchill $1 award result of one juror  —  Five on the six-person jury wanted to give the fired professor more.  —  Five of six jurors favored awarding fired University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill as much as $110,000 or more — while a single juror insisted he get nothing, a juror and Churchill's attorney said Friday.

Why Creditors Should Suffer, Too  —  THE Obama administration's proposals to reform financial regulation sound ambitious enough as they aim to bring companies like A.I.G. under a broader umbrella of government rule-making and scrutiny.  —  But there is a big hole in these proposals …

Republicans slam Barack Obama over ‘American arrogance’ speech  —  President Barack Obama's unprecedented critique of past American behaviour towards Europe aroused predictable ire among his conservative foes and praise from liberals in the US.  —  Phone lines to Right-wing talk radio shows …

A Push Is On for Same-Sex Marriage Rights Across New England  —  BOSTON — The Iowa Supreme Court's approval of same-sex marriage on Friday gave advocates an important first victory in the nation's heartland, thwarting the notion that only the Northeast will accept it.

Chinese Hunger for Sons Fuels Boys' Abductions  —  SHENZHEN, China — The thieves often strike at dusk, when children are playing outside and their parents are distracted by exhaustion.  —  Deng Huidong lost her 9-month-old son in the blink of an eye as a man yanked him from the grip …

Taliban Chief Claims Responsibility for N.Y. Shooting Massacre  —  A Pakistani Taliban militant leader has claimed responsibility for the attack on a U.S. immigration center in New York state in which 13 people were killed, Reuters reported.  —  “I accept responsibility.  They were my men.