GOP plots Senate health roadblock  —  Democrats might like to think that health care reform is all but a done deal if it clears the House, but the Senate is where Republicans have been plotting for months to sentence it to a painful procedural death.  —  Republican aides have been mining …

President Barack Obama Talks to Bret Baier About Health Care Reform Bill  —  This is a rush transcript of “Special Report With Bret Baier” from March 17, 2010.  This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.  —  BRET BAIER, “SPECIAL REPORT” HOST: Welcome to Washington.

Stupak: It's been ‘a living hell’  —  Leading a revolt against President Barack Obama's healthcare legislation over abortion has been a “living hell” for Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.).  —  The telephone lines in his Washington and district offices have been “jammed” and he's gotten …

Steve Levy Plans Switch to G.O.P., Stirring Governor's Race  —  ALBANY — A governor's race that seemed all but settled is about to be upended again, by a popular Democrat from Long Island who is set to announce that he is switching parties.  The move is certain to excite Republican leaders pessimistic …

For Israel and America, a Disagreement, Not a Crisis  —  ISRAEL and America enjoy a deep and multi-layered friendship, but even the closest allies can sometimes disagree.  Such a disagreement began last week during Vice President Joseph Biden's visit to Israel, when a mid-level official …

Obama's pitch: Fate of presidency on the line  —  President Barack Obama had exhausted most of his health care reform arguments with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus during a White House meeting last Thursday when he made a more personal pitch that resonated with many skeptics in the room.

Field Poll: Campbell leads GOP Senate field; Boxer fades  —  WASHINGTON - Former Rep. Tom Campbell has a six-point lead over his closest challenger in the three-way Republican primary to face Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, whose popularity has significantly eroded in the past two months, according to a Field Poll released today.

Code Red Moves Cardoza and Costa to “Yes” Votes on Gov't Healthcare Takeover After Water Deal  —  Is this Another Backroom Deal to Force Obama's Bill Down the American People's Throats?  —  As a vote approaches on Obama and Pelosi's government takeover of healthcare, Code Red is now considering …

Walgreens: no new Medicaid patients as of April 16  —  Effective April 16, Walgreens drugstores across the state won't take any new Medicaid patients, saying that filling their prescriptions is a money-losing proposition — the latest development in an ongoing dispute over Medicaid reimbursement.

Alex Chilton, Rock Musician, Dies  —  Alex Chilton of the rock band Big Star performed at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple last November.  —  Alex Chilton, the mercurial if influential rock musician, whose work spanned an eclectic gamut from the soul songs of the Box Tops to the multiple incarnations …

Homeowner Kills Attempted Robber In Driveway Shootout  —  OCOEE — An Orange County man is recovering after a shootout in front of his home.  —  It happened around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 1800 block of Pomegranate Court.  —  Police said the homeowner, Dave Henry, had just returned home …

Driehaus against Senate health plan  —  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's sweeping health care legislation won precious support Wednesday from Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a longtime liberal holdout in the House, but it's close to losing Rep. Steve Driehaus of West Price Hill.

Early Morning Swim: Markos Moulitsas and Lawrence O'Donnell Discuss the Kucinich Capitulation  —  CNN: … Funny how the liberals are never “my-way-or-highway” kind of guys.

Germans Cringe at Hitler's Popularity in Pakistan  —  Germans are popular in India and Pakistan, but not always for the right reasons.  Many in South Asia have nothing but admiration for Adolf Hitler and still associate Germany with the Third Reich.  Everyday encounters with the love of all things Nazi makes German visitors cringe.

A Middle East Without American Influence? … - Spitzer: Only a Shareholder Revolution Can Fix Wall Street- I Want To Do Volunteer Work Abroad for My Vacation.  Will It Do Any Good?  - Shafer: The Most Bone-Headed Pharm-Party Article I've Ever Read- Why Won't Insurance Companies Cover Fertility Treatments for Single Women?

The Health-Care Wars Are Only Beginning  —  The president's health plan won't solve a problem.  It will be the start of bitter fights over funding and policy that will consume the nation for decades to come.  —  On Dec. 7, 1941, an announcement was made during the football game between …

Cuccinelli's office confirms Virginia will sue over health care  —  A spokesman for Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) said this afternoon that Virginia will file suit against the federal government if the Democratic health care reform bill is approved by the U.S. Congress.

The Beat Goes Online, Minus the Glitz  —  IN the magazine world, there has traditionally been no more glamorous place to work than Condé Nast.  Brandon Holley can attest to that.  —  When she was the editor in chief of Jane, Condé Nast's monthly for young single women …

Al-Qaeda crippled as leaders stay in hiding, CIA chief says  —  Relentless attacks against al-Qaeda in the Pakistan tribal region appear to have driven Osama bin Laden and other top leaders deeper into hiding, leaving the organization rudderless and incapable of planning sophisticated operations …

Muslims seeking female clerk can ‘line up again’  —  FAROOQ NAEEM/AFP/Getty Images “For a woman who is veiled with a niqab or a burka and comes to our office asking to be photographed by a woman, the answer is no,” says Quebec health-insurance board spokesman Marc Lortie.

Insurer targeted HIV patients to drop coverage  —  (Reuters) - In May, 2002, Jerome Mitchell, a 17-year old college freshman from rural South Carolina, learned he had contracted HIV.  The news, of course, was devastating, but Mitchell believed that he had one thing going for him …

AP IMPACT: Gov't bank auditors got big bonuses  —  WASHINGTON - Banks weren't the only ones giving big bonuses in the boom years before the worst financial crisis in generations.  The government also was handing out millions of dollars to bank regulators, rewarding “superior” …

Madoff Was Beaten in Prison  —  Ponzi Schemer Was Assaulted by Another Inmate in December; Officials Deny Incident  —  The Butner federal prison in July.  A man who served time with Bernard Madoff there says the financier gave him investment advice.  —  Bernard Madoff, who is serving …