American captain rescued, pirates killed, U.S. official says  —  (CNN) — The captain of the Maersk Alabama was freed Sunday after being held captive since Wednesday by pirates off the coast of Somalia, a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the situation told CNN.

The First Puppy Makes a Big Splash  —  Bo, the Portuguese Water Dog, Is All Over the Web Before His Official Debut  —  Who let the dog out?  —  That's the Washington mystery du jour.  —  The identity of the first puppy — the one that the Washington press corps has been yelping about for months …

The Free World Bars Free Speech  —  For years, the Western world has listened aghast to stories out of Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern nations of citizens being imprisoned or executed for questioning or offending Islam.  Even the most seemingly minor infractions elicit draconian punishments.

Dobson concedes that the far right has ‘lost’ the culture war.  —  In a farewell address to the staff of Focus on the Family, James Dobson conceded that evangelical conservatives had lost most of the recent so-called “culture war” battles.  Attributing the right's recent failures to the …

Crisis Altering Wall Street as Big Banks Lose Top Talent  —  The turning point for Stephan Jung came in February, around the time bonus checks were slashed.  A veteran of UBS, one of many banks tarnished by the financial crisis, Mr. Jung realized that the old Wall Street would not be bouncing back any time soon.

Warren bails on “This Week” interview  —  Instead of explaining contradictory statements over his actions regarding California's Prop 8 on same-sex marriage, Rick Warren went with Plan B today: he didn't show up for a planned interview on ABC's “This Week.”  —  “For those of you tuning …

Top U.S. general in Iraq: I believe we'll be gone by late 2011  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - General Ray Odierno, the top U.S. military commander on the ground in Iraq, said Sunday that he believes U.S. troops will be out of the country by the end of 2011.  —  CNN Chief National Correspondent John …

MISUNDERSTANDING THE ‘GRASSROOTS’ CONCEPT.... Media Matters' Karl Frisch notes Glenn Beck's role in this week's Tea-bagging events.  It points to a larger truth that often goes overlooked. … While the notion of someone paying $500 to have lunch near Glenn Beck is itself amusing …

Everyone an Instapundit: How the Left Underestimates Twitter  —  I've noticed a trend over the past few weeks, roughly concurrent with the Twitter-reinforced Tea Party movement, which is a tendency on the Left to dismiss Twitter both for its apparent limitations as well as its embrace by the political Right.

Piratics  —  Three thoughts about the pirates: 1) Piracy may or may not be a matter of American national security, but the American people will not for long stand the notion that a captive brave American ship captain risks his life to escape, while formidable American naval power either cannot …