‘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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Paterson Will Introduce Same-Sex Marriage Bill  —  Gov. David A. Paterson will announce on Thursday plans to introduce legislation to legalize same-sex marriage, according to people with knowledge of the governor's plans.  —  Mr. Paterson's move, which he first signaled last week …

Vermont Lawmakers Look To Legalize Teen ‘Sexting’  —  Under Current Law, Teens Who Text Message Explicit Photos Could Be Prosecuted As Sex Offenders  —  MONTPELIER, Vt. (CBS) ― Text messaging graphic pictures of yourself could soon be legal for teens in Vermont.

THEY'RE GOING TO NEED A LOT MORE TEA BAGS.... As April 15 approaches, this is generally the time most Americans are inclined to complain about paying Uncle Sam.  It's supposed to be as American as apple pie — we all think we're paying too much in taxes.  —  At least, that's what we've been led to believe.

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 …

Addled by Fidel  —  The Congressional Black Caucus delegation that visited Havana last week was naive not to notice — or disingenuous not to acknowledge — that Cuba is hardly the paradise of racial harmony and equality it pretends to be.  Still, that's no reason for the United States …

Goldberg tells Hannity, “I'm sorry, Sean ... but we have to stop going out of our way to find fault with every single thing he [Obama] does.”  —  Wow that is about the 4 or 5 time in the last few days that an Fox commentator has voiced support for Pres Obams.  Kirstin Powers , Mara Liasson, Bill O'Reilly, Bob Beckel and now Goldberg.

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.

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 …

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?

Angry taxpayers to rally at Tea Party protests  —  If things go as organizers plan, thousands of ordinary, hard-working Americans will hit the streets Wednesday in hundreds of Tea Party Protests called to oppose the high-tax and deficit spending policies of President Obama and the Democratic Congress.