CIA Says Pelosi Was Briefed on Use of ‘Enhanced Interrogations’  —  Intelligence officials released documents this evening saying that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was briefed in September 2002 about the use of harsh interrogation tactics against al-Qaeda prisoners …

Palin pulls out of White House Correspondents' Dinner  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will miss a chance to chat up President Obama this weekend because she's cancelling plans to attend the White House Correspondents' dinner, but she's got a good excuse.

Stressing the Positive  —  Hooray!  The banking crisis is over!  Let's party!  O.K., maybe not.  —  In the end, the actual release of the much-hyped bank stress tests on Thursday came as an anticlimax.  Everyone knew more or less what the results would say: some big players need to raise more capital …

U.S. Jobless Rate Hits 8.9%, but Pace of Losses Eases  —  The United States economy lost 539,000 jobs in April, the government reported on Friday, a sign that the relentless pace of job losses was starting to level off slightly.  —  A year ago, the loss of more than half a million jobs …

Your Yard Sale Is Illegal  —  Thinking of having a yard sale this weekend?  Before you do, be sure to consult CSPC Publication #254 [PDF].  —  This handy 28-pager from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminds the American people that, thanks to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act …

Canadian Exceptionism  —  Canada is one of the few countries without a major banking crisis.  Weirdly, this was also true in 1930.  I've seen this list of the success factors for Canadian banks in several places.  I want to believe it, but . . .  ..it doesn't seem to be as simple as “Canadian banks are more tightly-regulated”.

Pakistan Announces Army Offensive Against Taliban  —  Move Solidifies Collapse of Peace Accord  —  Pakistan's prime minister told the nation Thursday that the armed forces were being “called in to eliminate the militants and terrorists” who have forcibly occupied part of the country's northwest …

Under Restructuring, GM To Build More Cars Overseas  —  The U.S. government is pouring billions into General Motors in hopes of reviving the domestic economy, but when the automaker completes its restructuring plan, many of the company's new jobs will be filled by workers overseas.

Obama and the 9/11 Families  —  The president isn't sincere about ‘swift and certain’ justice for terrorists.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  In February I was among a group of USS Cole and 9/11 victims' families who met with the president at the White House to discuss his policies regarding Guantanamo detainees.

Junior Senator Gains a Defender: The Senior Senator  —  WASHINGTON — At a recent Capitol Hill fund-raising event, Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand rose to thank her donors.  It was important for her to raise money now, she told them, because she might face a Democratic primary challenge next year.

Diminished Conservative Groups Gear Up for Supreme Court Nomination Battle  —  Conservatives Prepare For Underdog Role  —  When John G. Roberts Jr. was nominated to the Supreme Court as chief justice, a pro-Republican group called Progress for America had $18 million in the bank.

Weak Treasury auction sends stocks lower  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Weak demand at a Treasury bond auction touched off worries in the stock market Thursday about the government's ability to raise funds to fight the recession.  —  The government had to pay greater interest than expected in a sale of 30-year Treasurys.

A Personal Promise From President Obama On “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”  —  Last night, I received a phone call filled with exciting news from a close friend to GLAAD, Second Lieutenant Sandy Tsao.  Sandy is a Chinese American woman and army officer based out of St. Louis, Missouri.

Sessions Subordinate: I Thought I'd Be Fired If I Objected To Being Called ‘Boy’  —  When it became clear that Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) was poised to become ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, we recalled this 2002 article by Sarah Wildman which addresses some of the controversies …

Drew Peterson charged in death of third wife  —  (CNN) — Drew Peterson, the former police sergeant who authorities call the prime suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, has been indicted on murder charges related to his third wife, Kathleen Savio, the Illinois state attorney's office said.

First step toward change  —  ... in budget cuts “a serious first step toward changing the culture in Washington.”  —  “These proposals must be followed by real action and enforcement by Congress and the White House.  Many presidents have proposed specific spending cuts, but nearly all have failed to carry through on their pledges.

BLACK COMEDY.  RedState is reaching out to black people.  Don't believe it?  Here's the proof: … Unfortunately they're doing it at RedState, so very few African-Americans will read it.  Which may be just as well...  ...because they sound less like their friends and more like their parole officer.

U.S. Banks' Not-So-Stressful Test  —  The government's bank stress tests deserve a B-minus.  —  To give a sustained boost to investor confidence, the tests needed demonstrable rigor.  They achieved that up to a point.  While worst-case loss rates look tough, certain loan portfolios …

Spring Thaw Triggers Floods in Alaska  —  An unusually warm spring thaw in Alaska is causing some of the state's worst flooding in decades, with rising rivers wiping out an entire village and bombarding another town with ice chunks as big as houses.  —  The Alaska Railroad shut …

GOP base rips Cantor's new group  —  Social conservatives are blasting the National Council for a New America, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor's (R-Va.) nascent effort to rebrand the Republican Party, as a misguided and weak-kneed initiative that is out of touch with the GOP rank and file.