Obama's Sister Soulja Moment?  —  President Obama's decision this week to reconsider release of inflammatory Pentagon interrogation photos may mark a shift in his administration's handling of politically charged national security issues — upsetting his allies on the left but making some new friends among conservatives in the military.

Miss December 2001 decides she can no longer associate with Miss USA pageant  —  Shanna Moakler, whose erstwhile career as a Playboy centerfold has been previously noted here, considers Carrie Prejean a disgrace: … Thank you, Miss December 2001 and divorced mom.

As Obama Pares Supreme Court List, Secrecy Is a Priority  —  WASHINGTON — Lawyers at the White House and at a handful of firms across town have been given their assignments.  Interviews are under way with colleagues and family members of candidates.  And President Obama is poised …

As Cheney Seizes the Spotlight, Many Republicans Wince  —  As vice president, Richard B. Cheney famously spent much of the past eight years in undisclosed locations and offering private advice to President George W. Bush.  But past was not prologue.  —  Today Cheney is the most visible …

Senate Rejects a 15% Ceiling on Credit Card Interest Rates  —  Despite complaints that banks and credit card companies are gouging customers by charging outrageous interest rates, the Senate on Wednesday turned back an effort to cap interest rates at 15 percent.

Ancient man sculpts a grotesque vision of the female form  —  A grotesque carving in mammoth ivory is arguably the world's oldest depiction of a human figure, scientists say.  —  The distorted sculpture, which portrays a woman with huge breasts, big buttocks and exaggerated genitals, is thought to be at least 35,000 years old.

Congress and Waterboarding  —  Nancy Pelosi was an accomplice to ‘torture.’  —  Someone important appears not to be telling the truth about her knowledge of the CIA's use of enhanced interrogation techniques (EITs).  That someone is Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Chinese imports could bring GM political troubles  —  DETROIT (AP) - As thousands of General Motors workers await word on more U.S. plant closures, reports that the company plans to import Chinese-made vehicles to the U.S. have created a political problem for the automaker and the White House.

Bill Clinton: Cheney should stick to target practice  —  HERNDON, Virginia (CNN) - Bill Clinton jokingly laughed off a question Wednesday about former Vice President Dick Cheney and his recent claims that the country is less safe under the Obama administration.

White House Cheat Sheet: Tea Party, Part Deux  —  (AP Photo/Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Todd Yates)  —  Two prominent GOP governors will host a telephonic anti-tax tea party today, an effort organized by the Republican Governors Association to capitalize politically on the outrage expressed in last month's nationwide protests.

The Almighty Renminbi?  —  THE 19th century was dominated by the British Empire, the 20th century by the United States.  We may now be entering the Asian century, dominated by a rising China and its currency.  While the dollar's status as the major reserve currency will not vanish overnight, we can no longer take it for granted.

Vets expose advocate as impostor  —  The leader of a statewide veterans group who fought for homeless veterans in Colorado Springs was in the Denver County jail on Wednesday, unmasked as a former psychiatric patient who posed as a wounded Marine officer and 9/11 survivor.

White House Czar Calls for End to ‘War on Drugs’  —  Kerlikowske Says Analogy Is Counterproductive; Shift Aligns With Administration Preference for Treatment Over Incarceration  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration's new drug czar says he wants to banish the idea that the U.S. is fighting …

Cop Punts Suspect's Head; High Five Ensues  —  Fleeing from police, endangering lives earns boot to the head  —  LOS ANGELES — Despite lying on the ground with his arms and legs spread, a suspect — who police say is a known gang member — got a face full of police boot on Wednesday.

Scouts Train to Fight Terrorists, and More  —  IMPERIAL, Calif. — Ten minutes into arrant mayhem in this town near the Mexican border, and the gunman, a disgruntled Iraq war veteran, has already taken out two people, one slumped in his desk, the other covered in blood on the floor.

Auto industry paces jobless claims surge  —  Government says 637,000 people filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week.  Continuing claims at all-time high for 15th week in a row.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Auto industry job losses led to a surge in the number …

Democrats to Develop Plan to Sell Health Care  —  WASHINGTON — Alarmed at Republican attacks on President Obama's health care proposals, Senate Democrats huddled Wednesday with White House officials to formulate a response.  —  Democrats said they felt an urgent need to devise a “message” …

FACT CHECK: Data belie Biden stimulus anecdotes  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — In his first quarterly report on the nation's stimulus package, Vice President Joe Biden uses anecdotes to paint a glowing picture of an economy on the rebound.  In reality, the picture is incomplete and the colors far more muted.

Bankrupt Tribune gives bonuses after berating AIG  —  Two months after denouncing a troubled financial company for doling out hefty management bonuses, a bankrupt news media company is doing the same thing.  —  “Money for nothing?” blared a Chicago Tribune editorial in mid-March …

Cheney's Role Deepens  —  Blogs and Stories  —  Former NBC Investigative Producer Robert Windrem reports that the Vice President's office suggested waterboarding an Iraqi prisoner who was suspected of knowing about a relationship between Al Qaeda and Saddam.