FBI arrest four in alleged plot to bomb Bronx synagogues, shoot down plane  —  The FBI busted a homegrown terror cell late Wednesday night as the men sneaked around a Jewish temple in Riverdale planting what they thought were packages of C-4 explosives, sources told the Daily News.

Obama Is Said to Consider Preventive Detention Plan  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama told human rights advocates at the White House on Wednesday that he was mulling the need for a “preventive detention” system that would establish a legal basis for the United States to incarcerate terrorism suspects …

A Setback Of His Own  —  There are no friends in politics, just interests.  Some in the White House relearned that dictum this week, as their party dissolved into factions, and largely knelt down in front ofRepublican political priorities.  —  As usual, administration officials won't concede …

CNN Poll: Obama moving US in right direction  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - As the Republican Party gets ready to condemn what they call the Democrats ‘march to socialism’, a new national poll indicates that most Americans believe President Barack Obama's policies would move the country in the right direction.

Specter defends Pelosi, questions CIA's honesty  —  Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) took the opportunity Wednesday to defend House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who has come under fire in recent weeks over a controversy surrounding when she was told of the use of enhanced interrogation techniques being used by the CIA.

California, a Broke State, Reels as Voters Rebuff Leaders  —  LOS ANGELES — Direct democracy has once again upended California — enough so that the state may finally consider another way by overhauling its Constitution for the first time in 130 years.  —  Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger returned home …

Obama: Plame Lawsuit Should Not Be Reconsidered By Supreme Court  —  Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington:  —  CREW learned today that the Obama administration is opposing our request that the Supreme Court reconsider the dismissal of the lawsuit, Wilson v. Libby, et al.

Time for reform - not for blame  —  NOW VOTERS HAVE JUDGED LEADERS; HOW WILL LEADERS TAKE THE REBUKE?  —  Good morning, members of the California Legislature.  Good morning, Governor.  —  Feeling bruised and abused this morning?  Well, you can't say you didn't see it coming.

PM aide: Focus on 2-state idea ‘stupid’  —  Article's topics: Ron Dermer, 2-state Solution, Binyamin Netanyahu, Barack Obama  —  As Binyamin Netanyahu returned to Israel from Washington late Wednesday afternoon, an aide to the prime minister said that media focus on the idea …

Do You Want Your OTV?  —  On April 27, President Obama welcomed the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies, who had just won the NCAA women's basketball championship.  —  After the event, President Obama went to the White House basketball court to shoot hoop with the Lady Huskies.

Krauthammer  —  The usual neoconservative malingerers have been hammering me about a quote I gave to Politico, regarding Charles Krauthammer's limitations as a columnist.  —  Obviously, I didn't mean to imply second-class status for disabled people.  On the contrary, the distance and perspective …

Did White House OK Earliest Detainee Abuse?  —  Listen Now  —  · It is clear that increasingly abusive interrogation techniques were used on Abu Zubaydah, the first high-value detainee, in the months between his capture and the first Justice Department memo authorizing harsh interrogations.

Reviewing the April fundraising numbers.  —  [UPDATE]: Welcome, Instapundit readers.  Have you seen the new V trailer?  It's going to amusingly infuriate a bunch of people at some point in the near future.  —  Short version: the DNC kept quiet about its fundraising for a reason …

Judge Diane Wood, Solicitor General Elena Kagan Seen as Supreme Court Hopefuls  —  President Obama is intensifying his search for a Supreme Court nominee and has interviewed Judge Diane P. Wood of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago, believed to be among a handful of top contenders.

Pre-emption of State Laws Rolled Back  —  WASHINGTON — In a sweeping order Wednesday, President Barack Obama called for a rollback of Bush administration regulations designed to protect companies from product-liability lawsuits in state courts.  —  The memo didn't name specific industries …

Fed's economic forecast worsens  —  Central bank now expects unemployment to rise to a range of 9.2% to 9.6% this year.  Fed also predicts a sharper decline in GDP than it had forecast in January.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The Federal Reserve's latest forecasts for the U.S. economy …

Dodd Dinner With Online Payday Lenders Transforms Into Fundraiser  —  The Online Lenders Alliance, a lobby group for Internet payday lenders, is hosting a three-day conference in Washington, D.C. The agenda's highlights include Senate Republicans, such as Richard Shelby (Ala.) …

Trebek Makes Bush Joke as Texas Teen Wins Geography Bee  —  WASHINGTON — The nation's top geography whiz breezed through questions about mountain ranges, rivers and world capitals Wednesday, but he was stumped when National Geographic Bee host Alex Trebek asked him to name one of his weaknesses.

Cap-and-trade showdown  —  A committee chairman is threatening House leaders to either give him a role in shaping climate change legislation or risk losing every Democratic vote on his panel when the bill hits the floor.  —  Rep. Collin Peterson (Minn.), the outspoken Democratic chairman …

World Economies Plummet  —  Fall in GDP Quickens in Mexico and Japan; Global Outlook Brighter This Quarter  —  Steep declines in the economies of three of the U.S.'s biggest trading partners — Mexico, Japan and Germany — underscored the severity of the global recession and put pressure …