Can Palin ever come back?  —  A closer look at the words of Obama, Depeche Mode and U2.  Plus: Why do straight actresses make the best lesbo porn?  —  Dear Camille,  —  Just wondering.  Do you still think Sarah Palin is ready for the big stage?  —  James L. Somers  —  Good question!

Pool Boots Kids Who Might “Change the Complexion”  —  Campers sent packing after first visit to swim club  —  More than 60 campers from Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from a private swim club and left to wonder if their race was the reason.  —  “I heard this lady, she was like …

White House threatens veto over intel disclosure  —  The White House said Thursday that if the intelligence authorization bill contains language broadening who the president must inform on covert activities, President Obama would be advised to veto the bill.

Henry Waxman: GOP ‘rooting against’ USA  —  Waxman: GOP ‘rooting against’ USA  —  Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who has had an eventful couple of weeks to say the least, believes House Republican opposition to climate change legislation and the stimulus indicates they're cheering against the good ol' US of A.

Madigan Declines Senate, Gov Bids  —  Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) will run for re-election to her current post in 2010, according to a Democratic source aware of the decision, ending months of speculation about whether she might make the leap to a Senate or gubernatorial bid.

Democratic Leader Laughs at Idea That House Members Would Actually Read Health-Care Bill Before Voting On It  —  Washington (CNSNews.com) - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Tuesday that the health-care reform bill now pending in Congress would garner very few votes if lawmakers actually …

Under Pressure, Blanche Lincoln Shifts On Public Plan  —  Looks like pressure from the left might be getting results, albeit limited ones, in the case of “centrist” Dem Senator Blanche Lincoln, who has been resisting any commitment to backing a public health care option.

Mass. challenges federal Defense of Marriage Act  —  Massachusetts, the first state in the nation to legalize gay marriage, has become the first to challenge the constitutionality of a federal law that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman, saying Congress intruded into a matter that should be left to individual states.

Introducing the Google Chrome OS  —  It's been an exciting nine months since we launched the Google Chrome browser.  Already, over 30 million people use it regularly.  We designed Google Chrome for people who live on the web — searching for information, checking email, catching up on the news …

Hampton speaks publicly, says Ensign paid severance  —  Doug Hampton spoke publicly for the first time today about the affair his wife had with Sen. John Ensign, saying the Nevada Republican continued his pursuit even after intermediaries tried to get him to stop.

Unpersons  —  One of the mysteries of the way issues are covered in much of the news media is how certain views get ruled “out of the mainstream” and just don't get covered — even when many well-informed people hold those views.  —  The most notorious example was during the buildup to the Iraq war …

Jeb Bush: The Future of the Republican Party  —  With no obvious candidate to lead the Republican party (and one having just stepped down), some are looking to Jeb Bush.  Which is news to him.  —  Jeb Bush interview, Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, Florida. … I'm waiting for the next iteration.

Morgan Stanley Plans to Turn Downgraded Loan CDO Into AAA Bonds  —  Morgan Stanley plans to repackage a downgraded collateralized debt obligation backed by leveraged loans into new securities with AAA ratings in the first transaction of its kind, said two people familiar with the sale.

Socialized Medicine  —  Here's some historical data on female life expectancy in Russia:  —  My understanding is that the post-Soviet collapse had more to do with lifestyle factors (vodka got cheaper) than problems in the health care system.  But the point, broadly speaking …

Developing Nations Rebuff G-8 on Curbing Pollutants  —  L'AQUILA, Italy — The world's major industrial nations and newly emerging powers failed to agree Wednesday on specific cuts in heat-trapping gases by 2050, undercutting an effort to build a global consensus to fight climate change, according to people following the talks.

The Place of Women on the Court  —  In late February, three weeks after she had an operation for a recurrence of cancer, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg went to Barack Obama's first address to Congress.  Given the circumstances, it wasn't an event anyone expected her to attend.

The Obama justice system  —  (updated below - Update II - Update III)  —  Spencer Ackerman yesterday attended a Senate hearing at which the DOD's General Counsel, Jeh Johnson, testified.  As Ackerman highlighted, Johnson actually said that even for those detainees to whom the Obama administration deigns …

Risking Israel's ire, US takes 1,350 Palestinian refugees  —  The US is generally reluctant to resettle Palestinians, but these are refugees from Iraq who have been targeted since the invasion.  —  ATLANTA -  —  The State Department confirmed today that as many as 1,350 Iraqi Palestinians …

The Barry Archives Voicemails reveal depths of councilmember's obsession with girlfriend.  —  Listen: Recorded voicemails left by Marion Barry for Donna Watts-Brighthaupt.  (Transcripts)  —  Clip 1:  —  Get the Flash Player to see the podcast player.  —  Clip 2:  —  Clip 3:  —  Clip 4:

What The Riots In China Really Mean  —  Ethnic conflict has exposed the Communist Party's vulnerabilities.  —  This week, rioting left scores dead in Urumqi, the capital of China's troubled Xinjiang region.  The latest official death toll is 156, but that number undoubtedly understates the count of those killed.

New York Times Magazine Withdraws Altered Photo Essay  —  UPDATE, 5:57 p.m. ET: The New York Times has published a new editors' note about the altered photo essay that was published in Sunday's Times Magazine.  The newspaper says “most of the images did not wholly reflect the reality they purported to show.”