Justices Rule for White Firefighters in Bias Case  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.

Obama says coup in Honduras is illegal  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday the coup that ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was illegal and would set a “terrible precedent” of transition by military force unless it was reversed.

Sanford: Staying is part of God's plan  —  In a written message to supporters Monday, Mark Sanford asserted that God's plan for him includes finishing his term as South Carolina governor.  —  Sanford is facing calls for his resignation after disappearing to Argentina then returning last week to admit an affair.

Video: Press corps now openly laughing at Obama's backtracking on taxes  —  It's a laugh riot, isn't it?  Actually, they might be laughing more at Gibbs's feeble way of ducking the question than The One's looming broken promise, but in Gibbs's defense, what's he supposed to say?

Madoff Sentenced to 150 Years in Prison for Ponzi Scheme  —  A federal judge sentenced Bernard L. Madoff to 150 years in prison on Monday for operating a huge Ponzi scheme that devastated thousands of people, calling his crimes “extraordinarily evil.”  —  In pronouncing the sentence …

Video: Energy Czar hasn't read cap & tax, either  —  Barack Obama's energy czar appeared on Fox & Friends this morning to discuss the cap-and-tax bill passed by the House last week on a razor-thin margin.  Carol Browner got stumped by Fox's Steve Doocy while questioning her ability to speak to the subject …

San Diego sheriff seeks probe in use of pepper spray at political event  —  Top officials at the San Diego County Sheriff's Department have ordered an internal affairs investigation into the use of pepper spray by a deputy to make an arrest at a fundraiser in Encinitas for a Democratic congressional hopeful.

It's Now Legal to Catch a Raindrop in Colorado  —  DURANGO, Colo. — For the first time since territorial days, rain will be free for the catching here, as more and more thirsty states part ways with one of the most entrenched codes of the West.  —  Precipitation, every last drop or flake …

Enemies of the People  —  Writing in the New York Times, Paul Krugman has a Vyshinsky moment: So the House passed the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill.  In political terms, it was a remarkable achievement.  But 212 representatives voted no. A handful of these no votes came from representatives …

‘It takes small people to stoop this low’  —  Says Professor William Jacobson regarding Wonkette's despicable treatment of Sarah Palin's year-old son, Trig.  And I would amend the professor's sentiments only to improve them by saying, “It takes gay men to stoop this low.”  —  Yeah, I just wrote that.

8st 1oz, no food just pills in his stomach, bald, bruised, his ribs broken by CPR, 4 needle wounds near his heart...  THE horrifying state of pop superstar Michael Jackson in his final days can be revealed by The Sun today.  —  Harrowing leaked autopsy details show the singer was a virtual skeleton …

COLUMBIA TENURES AN ISRAEL-BASHER  —  JOSEPH Massad's schol arly contribution during his decade as a faculty member of Columbia University's Middle East Studies Department may be summed up as follows: Israel is racist, and homosexuality is an insidious Western invention.

Ron Paul's ‘Audit the Fed’ Bill Gathers Steam  —  He may have faded from the national political scene a year ago, after his dark-horse presidential run came to naught, but Rep. Ron Paul 's influence is still being felt in campaigns and policy debates across the country.

Bottom Line on Public Option  —  This won't come as the slightest surprise to those versed in health care policy issues.  But I fear it's only barely permeated the health care reform debate in the country, certainly in Washington.  And that's this: the opposition to a so-called 'public …

On Gay Issues, Obama Asks to Be Judged on Vows Kept  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama defended his policies on gay rights on Monday, telling an audience of gay men and lesbians that he remained committed to overturning the military's “don't ask, don't tell” rule and that he expected to be judged …

Churchill, Torture, and Britain's Finest Hour  —  Over on his blog, Andrew Sullivan posts a quote from Edward R. Murrow about the British during World War II.  It reads, in part: … I salute Andrew's harsh and frequent condemnations of torture, and I respect the point he is trying to make.

Morning Fix: A New Republican Leader?  —  Dispirited Republicans looking for national leaders amid a wash of scandals that have dominated national news over the last fortnight got a bit of good news on Sunday with an inspired performance on “Meet the Press” by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R).

Will Biden's plan come back to haunt him?  —  While I am thinking about the intersection of personnel and policy, I wonder what to make of this bit of news: apparently VP Biden will be tapped as the “unofficial envoy to Iraq.”  This appears not to be the same role as that filled by General Lute …

NKorea criticizes US missile defense for Hawaii  —  SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea criticized the U.S. on Monday for positioning missile defense systems around Hawaii, calling the deployment part of a plot to attack the regime and saying it would bolster its nuclear arsenal in retaliation.

Cap-and-trade Tea Party at Rep. Mark Kirk's office  —  Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) is one of the eight “cap-and-tr8ters” who crossed the line and voted for the Waxman-Markey Bill, generally known as cap-and-trade, but in fact is a national energy tax.  —  Today at Noon a Tea Party protest took place at Kirk's district office in Northbrook.

STONEWALL PLUS FORTY  —  The most improbable of America's mass movements for civil rights—improbable at the time, inevitable in retrospect—got its start at a most improbable hour in a most improbable place.  The hour: two in the morning, forty years ago.  The place: the sidewalk in front …

Obama's Obsolete Iran Policy  —  The audacity of hope gives way to the timidity of realism.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  President Obama's Iran policy is incoherent and obsolete.  Maybe David Axelrod should take note.  —  On Sunday, Mr. Obama's consigliere was asked about Iran …