Reid's Specter deal stirs senior Dems' anger  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) deal to allow Sen. Arlen Specter to retain his seniority after he switches to the Democratic Conference has not been received well by senior senators in the party.  —  Several Democrats are furious …

‘ACTUALLY’.... I've read quite a few columns from Byron York over the years, first during his tenure at the National Review, and more recently as the chief political correspondent for the Washington Examiner.  I've seen plenty of commentary I strongly disagree with, but none has offended me quite as much as his latest column.

Rep. Virginia Foxx Called Matthew Shepard Hate Crime “A Hoax” … Matthew Shepard's Death Was A Hate Crime, Not Simply A Robbery  —  Rep. Foxx: “The bill was named after a very unfortunate incident that happened, where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of robbery.

Exclusive: Utah's Republican Governor Warns GOP Leaders, “You Can't Just Say No”  —  It's Time for Party to Advance Workable Alternatives Rather Than Block the Door, Gov. Says  —  With the party reeling from Sen. Arlen Specter's defection, a prominent moderate Republican governor is warning …

GOP set to launch rebranding effort  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - Coming soon to a battleground state near you: a new effort to revive the image of the Republican Party and to counter President Obama's characterization of Republicans as “the party of ‘no.’”  —  CNN has learned that the new initiative …

FACT CHECK: Obama disowns deficit he helped shape  —  WASHINGTON - “That wasn't me,” President Barack Obama said on his 100th day in office, disclaiming responsibility for the huge budget deficit waiting for him on Day One.  It actually was him — and the other Democrats controlling Congress …

President Obama's 100th-Day Press Briefing  —  Following is a transcript of President Obama's press briefing as he marks his 100th day in office, as transcribed by Federal News Service.  —  PRESIDENT OBAMA: Before we begin to tonight, I just want to provide everyone with a few brief updates …

Obama targets tea bags at town hall  —  At his 100th-day town hall meeting in St. Louis Wednesday, President Barack Obama took direct aim at the anti-tax “tea party” demonstrations that have cropped up over the last month and took a veiled shot at the Fox News Channel, the cable news network closely associated with the protests.

A Chilling Effect on U.S. Counterterrorism  —  Over the past couple of weeks, we have been carefully watching the fallout from the Obama administration's decision to release four classified memos from former President George W. Bush's administration that authorized “enhanced interrogation techniques.”

Obama Deftly Handles Another Prime-Time News Conference  —  The questions put to Barack Obama at his news conference last night covered nearly every topic but the Craigslist Killer, and if that had come up, Obama probably would have answered it in stride.  You ask, he'll answer — earnestly …

Chrysler Bankruptcy Looms as Deal on Debt Falters  —  DETROIT — Last-minute efforts by the Treasury Department to win over recalcitrant Chrysler debtholders failed Wednesday night, setting up a near-certain bankruptcy filing by the American automaker, according to people briefed on the talks.

Field Poll: California voters oppose five of six May 19 ballot measures  —  Voters strongly oppose five special election measures being sold as a budget-reform elixir for California's burgeoning $40 billion deficit.  —  But voters in a new Field Poll overwhelmingly support a measure …

CNN Story On Obama's “Swagga” The Most Embarrassing Ever?  (VIDEO)  —  We all expect a bit of fluff from cable news considering they have 24 hours a day to fill and there are only so many events to be “rocked” by, but when we hit a point at which CNN is spending Obama's 100th day in office “assessing his swagga” something is amiss.

Swine influenza  —  The situation continues to evolve rapidly.  As of 18:00 GMT, 29 April 2009, nine countries have officially reported 148 cases of swine influenza A/H1N1 infection.  The United States Government has reported 91 laboratory confirmed human cases, with one death.

U.S. says torture tape delays UAE nuclear deal  —  CNN State Department Producer  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — A videotape of a heinous torture session is delaying the ratification of a civil nuclear deal between the United Arab Emirates and the United States, senior U.S. officials familiar with the case said.