Democrats Say C.I.A. Deceived Congress for Years  —  WASHINGTON — The director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Leon E. Panetta, has told the House Intelligence Committee in closed-door testimony that the C.I.A. concealed “significant actions” from Congress from 2001 until late last month, seven Democratic committee members said.

Key Reason Palin Gave For Quitting May Be False  —  One of the chief reasons Sarah Palin has given for resigning as Governor of Alaska is that her state's taxpayers are being forced to spend money defending her government against ethics complaints that would otherwise fund teachers, cops, and road repair.

White House spells Obama's name wrong  —  Someone might want to look into whether an impostor took President Obama's place during his trip to Russia  —  In a release touting an agreement between Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev over how to craft a follow-up to the START arms reduction treaty …

Senate Democrats Still Seeking GOP Support  —  Balance of Power Not Changed Much By Supermajority  —  Senate Democrats spent their first full day holding 60 votes just as they have spent the previous 2 1/2 years without such a supermajority: scrambling to find Republican support …

Brian Kilmeade Would Like Species and ‘Ethnics’ to Remain Pure  —  To stave off dementia!  Yes, today the befuddled screech owls on Fox & Friends were discussing a study that states that those that stay married fend off Alzheimer's and dementia better than lonely divorcees.  Brian Kilmeade took issue with this.

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 …

Subprime Returns as Housing Woe  —  In Atlanta, a Foreclosure Dichotomy Threatens Homes Values  —  The U.S. housing market is facing new downward pressure as holders of subprime-mortgage bonds flood the market with foreclosed homes at prices that are much lower than where many banks are willing to sell.

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.

Glad He Cleared That Up  —  We've gotten an explanation from Rep. Steve King (R-IA) for why he was the lone vote against acknowledging the role of slaves in building the U.S. Capitol.  He did it to protest “a several year effort by liberals in Congress to scrub references to America's Christian heritage from our nation's Capitol”:

Sarah Palin is not attractive to Chris Christie's N.J. Gov campaign  —  New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie's campaign has no interest in help from Sarah Palin after the former vice presidential candidate stepped down as governor of Alaska, in part to help Republican candidates across the country.

White House Ponders Bernanke's Future  —  As the White House begins to ponder whether to reappoint or replace Ben Bernanke when his term expires in January, the Federal Reserve chairman's standing on Wall Street is on the rise while attacks on him from Congress mount.

Illinois political floodgates open after Madigan passes on governor, Senate bids  —  The floodgates in Illinois politics opened Wednesday after Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan passed on running for governor or U.S. Senate, a decision that also improves the chances of un-elected Gov. Pat Quinn …

The Republicans' dwindling options  —  With Sarah Palin and Mark Sanford out of the running, the GOP has to hope that Mitt Romney shows his good side in 2012.  —  Americans adore irresponsible, flashy celebrities.  But they do not vote for them.  Michael Jackson's funeral crashed the Internet.

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.”

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.

Genome project leader is selected to head NIH  —  Dr. Francis Collins is named to run vast research agency.  He guided the government's drive to map the human genetic code.  —  Dr. Francis S. Collins, the geneticist who discovered the causes of half a dozen diseases, oversaw the government's efforts …

Billions in aid go to areas that backed Obama in '08  —  WASHINGTON — Billions of dollars in federal aid delivered directly to the local level to help revive the economy have gone overwhelmingly to places that supported President Obama in last year's presidential election.

Cities Lose Out on Road Funds From Federal Stimulus  —  Two-thirds of the country lives in large metropolitan areas, home to the nation's worst traffic jams and some of its oldest roads and bridges.  But cities and their surrounding regions are getting far less than two-thirds of federal transportation stimulus money.

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.

Mexican Army Using Torture to Battle Drug Traffickers, Rights Groups Say  —  Army Using Brutality To Fight Trafficking, Rights Groups Say  —  PUERTO LAS OLLAS, Mexico — The Mexican army has carried out forced disappearances, acts of torture and illegal raids in pursuit of drug traffickers …

G8 leaders claim historic breakthrough on new deal to tackle global warming  —  President Obama and other leaders backed historic new targets for tackling global warming last night in an agreement designed to pave the way for a world deal in the autumn.  —  For the first time …