‘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 …

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.

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.

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

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 …

United Militants Threaten Pakistan's Populous Heart  —  DERA GHAZI KHAN, Pakistan — Taliban insurgents are teaming up with local militant groups to make inroads in Punjab, the province that is home to more than half of Pakistanis, reinvigorating an alliance that Pakistani and American authorities …

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 …

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?”

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 …

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 …

The Case of the Missing Month  —  I blogged the Goldman Sachs call this morning, starting at 7 a.m. The newest posts are at the top.  —  7:50 a.m.|  Call Over: The call ended quietly with little additional talk about December.  —  7:45 a.m.|  How Quickly We Forget …

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.

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 …

N. Korea Says It Will Boycott Nuclear Talks, Restart Weapons Plant  —  Fuming at the U.N. Security Council for condemning its recent missile launch, North Korea said Tuesday it will restart its plutonium factory, junk all its disarmament agreements and “never participate” again in six-country nuclear negotiations.

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.

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 …

Obama: ‘Instant gratification’ fueled bust  —  President Barack Obama acknowledges in a major economic speech Tuesday that “times are still tough” and warns that a culture of “instant gratification” had produced neglect of major national problems that wound up undermining the economy.

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 …