Sotomayor backers urge reporters to probe New Haven firefighter  —  WASHINGTON — Supporters of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor are quietly targeting the Connecticut firefighter who's at the center of Sotomayor's most controversial ruling.  —  On the eve of Sotomayor's Senate confirmation hearing …

Leaders in House Seek to Tax Rich for Health Plan  —  WASHINGTON — House Democrats will ask the wealthiest Americans to help pay for overhauling the health care system with a $550 billion income tax increase, the chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee said Friday.

David Brooks Recounts GOP Senator Who “Had His Hand On My Inner Thigh” At Dinner Party  —  You can view this video right here by getting the latest version of Flash Player!  —  DOWNLOADS: (291)  —  PLAYS: (825)  —  Think Progress has more: … This is one of those bizarre moments …

The new Report on illegal spying is not a real investigation  —  The Bush-era torture regime might have been that administration's most flamboyant act of criminality, but its illegal NSA warrantless eavesdropping program (and other still-unknown surveillance programs) has always been the clearest.

The Stumbles That Led to an Ethics Blunder  —  The Washington Post's ill-fated plan to sell sponsorships of off-the-record “salons” was an ethical lapse of monumental proportions.  —  Publisher Katharine Weymouth and Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli have now taken full responsibility …

Administration Considers Bailout Funds for Small Businesses  —  Proposal Would Take Money From $700B Program for Banking System  —  The Obama administration is developing an initiative to take money from the $700 billion program for the banking system and make it available to millions of small businesses …

Why We Don't Want a Nuclear-Free World  —  The former defense secretary on the U.S. deterrent and the terrorist threat.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Maclean, Va.  —  'Nuclear weapons are used every day.  " So says former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger, speaking last month …

What Would More Stimulus Look Like?  —  Paul Krugman and Brad DeLong both had good items yesterday discussing the desirability of additional stimulus.  The politics still aren't there yet, but in the interests of moving the ball forward it's worth thinking about what additional stimulus might look like.

Band of House centrists offers support for ‘robust’ public health insurance plan  —  A band of 22 New Democrat and Blue Dog lawmakers say they support a “robust” government-run health plan, boosting chances of moving healthcare reform with a public insurance plan through the House.

Obama's African journey: ‘Promise’  —  President Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the United States, founded with the slavery of Africans and perpetuating legalized racial discrimination well into the 20th Century, addressed the parliament of Ghana today in his first journey to Africa as president.

Two gay men kicked out of Chico's Tacos restaurant for kissing  —  EL PASO — Two gay men kissed at a Chico's Tacos restaurant, prompting guards to eject them and a police officer to endorse their ouster.  —  Civil-rights lawyers say the security staff was out of line.

on the other hand  —  John mines a few laughs and a salient point from a story about the attempt to regulate yoga.  And, it's true, that story's pretty funny, and I think John is on the right track with his implied complaints.  —  Let's look at a less laugh-inducing example, though: personal trainers.