Tax Day Becomes Protest Day  —  How the tea parties could change American politics.  —  Today American taxpayers in more than 300 locations in all 50 states will hold rallies — dubbed “tea parties” — to protest higher taxes and out-of-control government spending.

Obama Tilts to CIA on Memos  —  Top Officials at Odds Over Whether to Withhold Some Details on Interrogation Tactics  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is leaning toward keeping secret some graphic details of tactics allowed in Central Intelligence Agency interrogations …

In Minnesota, a Battle Without End for a Senate Seat  —  ST. PAUL — Norm Coleman spends his days in the quiet living room of his small house here, thumbing through stacks of legal papers.  His United States Senate staff and offices vanished at the start of the year, as did his salary …

The peasant mentality lives on in America  —  It took a good long while for news of the Teabag movement to penetrate the periphery of my consciousness — I kept hearing things about it and dismissing them, sure that the whole business was some kind of joke.  Like a Daily Show invention, say.

Is the GOP Waving Bye-Bye to Sarah Palin?  —  Worse than Dan Quayle before her, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's bright star has fast faded in the eyes of Washington Republican officials and analysts, calling into question her efforts to become a national party figure ready to run for the White House.

Ron Paul's plan to fend off pirates  —  A little-known congressional power could help the federal government keep the Somali pirates in check — and possibly do it for a discount price.  —  Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and a growing number of national security experts are calling on Congress …

U.S. Planning to Reveal Data on Health of Top Banks  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is drawing up plans to disclose the conditions of the 19 biggest banks in the country, according to senior administration officials, as it tries to restore confidence in the financial system without unnerving investors.

Protest stops Tancredo's UNC speech  —  CHAPEL HILL — UNC-CH police released pepper spray and threatened to use a Taser on student protesters Tuesday evening when a crowd disrupted a speech by former Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo opposing in-state tuition benefits to unauthorized immigrants.

This Tax Is for You  —  A levy on Joe Six Pack.  —  Today is the dreaded April 15, but at least in Oregon it's even going to cost you more to drown in your tax sorrows.  In their sober unwisdom, the state's pols plan to raise taxes by 1,900% on . . . beer.  The tax would catapult to $52.21 from $2.60 a barrel.

IRS workers see double standard on tax errors  —  The Treasury secretary, who oversees the IRS, didn't pay all his taxes.  Neither did five other top nominees for the Obama administration, or their spouses.  —  Now, as Wednesday's tax deadline looms, some Americans are wondering …

In shift, Marco Rubio is willing to battle Charlie Crist for Senate  —  TALLAHASSEE — His approval ratings may be sky high, but if Charlie Crist runs for the U.S. Senate, he still could face a serious primary challenge from former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.

SEAL Sniper Details Trickle In  —  For those Buzz readers hungry for detail about the Somali pirates, my buddy Christian over at DefenseTech offers some details about the techniques behind the SEAL sniper shots.  Read on for some info about the firearms used and who probably played in this most satisfying incident at sea.

The Panic of 1825  —  If you're not satisfied with Paul Krugman or Nouriel Roubini as your guide to the current turmoil, you can always rely on E.M. Forster.  It was Forster who grasped the essential drawback of the Internet long before anyone else, depicting, in his 1909 story “The Machine Stops” …

Bernanke's PR Push Rewrites Fed Script  —  WASHINGTON — Ben Bernanke became Federal Reserve chairman intent on making the central bank less personality-driven than it was under Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker.  But as he confronts an economic crisis that has pushed the Fed to shatter precedent …

Depression Lurks Unless There's More Stimulus: Robert Shiller  —  In the Great Depression of the 1930s the U.S. government had a great deal of trouble maintaining its commitment to economic stimulus.  “Pump- priming” was talked about and tried, but not consistently.