Judges rule Franken winner; Coleman to appeal  —  After a trial spanning nearly three months, Norm Coleman's attempt to reverse Al Franken's lead in the recount of the U.S. Senate election was soundly rejected today by a three-judge panel that dismissed the Republican's lawsuit.

‘3 Rounds, 3 Dead Bodies’  —  Precision Volley by Navy SEALs Ended a Five-Day Ordeal For an American Seaman, but Piracy Off Somalia Continues  —  As dusk began to fall Sunday, the Somali pirates holding captain Richard Phillips had grown edgy.  —  As they bobbed in the ocean near the USS Bainbridge …

The Bush Six to Be Indicted  —  Blogs and Stories  —  Spanish prosecutors will seek criminal charges against Alberto Gonzales and five high-ranking Bush administration officials for sanctioning torture at Guantánamo.  By Scott Horton.  —  Spanish prosecutors have decided …

Easter With My Conservative Family  —  A reader writes: … It will get much much worse before it gets better.

Confirmed: The Obama DHS hit job on conservatives is real  —  Last night, the Liberty Papers posted an unclassified DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis report titled:  —  Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.

Glamour Dims as Hecklers Hit the Auto Show  —  Just a year ago, working as a product presenter at an auto show was a pretty straightforward job.  You stood next to a vehicle, you called it a marvel of engineering, style and comfort and then you fielded softball questions like, “What does this baby cost?”

U.S. May Drop Key Condition for Talks With Iran  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration and its European allies are preparing proposals that would shift strategy toward Iran by dropping a longstanding American insistence that Tehran rapidly shut down nuclear facilities during the early phases …

Bank Vet Pegged to Run Bailout  —  WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is expected to tap Fannie Mae Chief Executive Herb Allison to head the government's $700 billion financial-rescue program, people familiar with the matter say.  —  In choosing Mr. Allison to head the Troubled Asset Relief Program …

Dean re-emerging to push healthcare  —  Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D), who used healthcare reform as a signature issue during his 2004 presidential campaign, is using a call for universal coverage to raise his profile once again.  —  Dean left his position as chairman …

GM recalls 1.5 million cars due to fire risk  —  DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp is recalling nearly 1.5 million Buick, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and Pontiac mid-sized cars due to a potential leak of engine oil that could cause an engine fire.  —  The recall applies to the 1997-2003 Buick Regal …

Pakistani Peace Deal Gives New Clout to Taliban Rebels  —  MINGORA, Pakistan — Thousands of Islamist militants are pouring into Pakistan's Swat Valley and setting up training camps here, quickly making it one of the main bases for Taliban fighters and raising their threat to the government in the wake of a controversial peace deal.

Pirates Continue Attacks on Ships in Gulf of Aden  —  DUBAI — Pirates attacked two more cargo ships Tuesday, continuing a spate of hijackings despite recent U.S. and French military action against hijackers in the waters.  —  NATO spokeswoman Shona Lowe told the Associated Press that the M/V Sea Horse …

Romney slams binding arbitration  —  As he considers whether to run for president a second time, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is involving himself in the debate over the Employee Free Choice Act, a measure that is a top priority for labor groups and the focus of a massive public lobbying campaign …

Michael Brown, after the storm  —  Michael Brown became a household name when Hurricane Katrina struck — and then a punch line when President George W. Bush sent him packing shortly after proclaiming that “Brownie” was doing “a heckuva job.”  —  Now that the storm has passed, Brown …

Pakistan warns Kerry not to attach strings to aid  —  Pakistan warned visiting Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) Monday that Washington should not to attach conditions to the $7.5 billion in aid proposed by President Obama as part of his comprehensive Afghanistan strategy.

My Weekend on Tiger's Trail  —  Blogs and Stories  —  A day after one of the most operatic Masters finales in history, Condoleezza Rice on the weekend's heartbreaks and highlights.  —  Long before I picked up a golf club four years ago, I watched the Masters every year.

How Bush Ruined the Free Market  —  (or Why Your Cousin on Wall Street Can't Bet With Your Money Anymore)  —  Do you realize it took George Bush longer to “win” his war against a small, third world nation once led by a third-rate dictator than it took us the U.S. to defeat the two empires of Germany & Japan in World War II?

Taliban execute teenager, man for eloping  —  Afghan clerics impose death penalty after pair are accused of immoral acts  —  KABUL - Taliban gunmen executed a young couple in southern Afghanistan for trying to elope, shooting them with rifles in front of a crowd in a lawless, militant-controlled region, officials said Tuesday.

White House Cheat Sheet: An Economic (Re)Focus?  —  President Obama will address the state of the economy in a major speech today at Georgetown University even as some Republicans are increasingly skeptical that his message is reaching the American people.  —  “The president wants the opportunity …

Anti-Gay-Rights Group Gets MSNBC Clip Pulled From YouTube  —  The National Organization for Marriage seems to be ratcheting up its efforts to suppress the audition videos that leaked from its anti-gay-rights “gathering storm” shoot.  According to YouTube, the group has gotten a clip from MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show pulled from the site.

Freshmen reach across aisle  —  A small group of freshman Democrats think they've found a simple but effective way to signal to their constituents that they aren't part of the problem in Washington: frequently reaching across the aisle to co-sponsor bills with Republicans.

Poll: Obama earns nation's trust  —  Three months into his presidency, Barack Obama stands out as perhaps the most trusted figure in American politics.  —  In a new Public Strategies Inc./POLITICO national survey of 1,000 registered voters, Obama outdistances figures on both the left …