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.

The Crisis  —  Was Obama's confrontation with Israel premeditated?  —  JERUSALEM—Suddenly, my city feels again like a war zone.  Since the suicide bombings ended in 2005, life in Jerusalem has been for the most part relatively calm.  The worst disruptions have been the traffic jams resulting …

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.

Oberstar will back final bill  —  Minnesota Rep. James Oberstar, an ardent backer of the House abortion restrictions, will vote for the final package after a further review of the Senate's language, giving top Democrats a critical endorsement as they lean on their rank-and-file to back the Senate bill.

Rahm, vindicated?  —  Greg Sargent notes a new poll today indicating that liberal voters are totally unified behind passing the health care plan.  A mere three percent oppose it.  That's a public sentiment that makes it a whole lot easier for even Dennis Kucinich to come along.

No CBO score Wednesday night; Saturday healthcare vote unlikely  —  House Democratic leaders on Wednesday night said the long-awaited Congressional Budget Office score of the reconciliation bill will not come out until Thursday, forcing an acknowledgement that a Saturday healthcare vote is likely off the table.

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 …

UPDATED EXCLUSIVE: New England Journal of Medicine says it didn't publish or produce health care “survey”  —  Right-wing media have seized on a dubious, three-month old email “survey” that purports to show that physicians are concerned about health care reform and that 46 percent …

Unions flex muscle with bank protests  —  Labor unions are flexing their muscle this month in scores of protests against the country's largest banks, which are lobbying heavily to influence financial overhaul legislation.  —  Unions will hold roughly 200 events by March 26 aimed at Bank of America …

Rock Bottom  —  Take a good look around, Democrats, this is likely to be as bad as it's going to get.  As Kate Pickert and I note in a story out today on time.com, the 24-hour cable net cycle has been stuck on ugly process maneuverings in the vacuum of no score from the Congressional Budget Office and no bill.

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 …

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 …

The Kucinich Switch And The Whip Count  —  Dennis Kucinich's reversal and decision to support the health care bill changes the dynamic around the vote, but the ultimate question of whether or not the bill will pass was always going to be decided by the right flank of the caucus.

Rep. Mike Pence: What Dems Are Doing Is Unconstitutional; I Did It Too  —  Indiana Congressman Mike Pence, the number 3 Republican in terms of leadership in the House, told The Daily Caller he thinks the self-executing rule is unconstitutional, and then admits he used it himself three times (via Steve Benen)

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 …

ABC and Amanpour Close to Deal for ‘This Week’  —  ABC News is close to concluding a deal to install the longtime CNN foreign correspondent Christiane Amanpour as the new host of its Sunday political discussion show “This Week.”  —  The network's interest in Ms. Amanpour …

Attackers kill 12 in latest Nigeria fighting  —  LAGOS, Nigeria - Attackers killed 12 people Wednesday morning in a small Christian village in central Nigeria, officials said, cutting out most of the victims' tongues in the latest violence in a region where religious fighting already has killed hundreds this year.

The Troubled Asset Relief Program  —  Today CBO released the third of its statutory reports on transactions undertaken as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).  This report discusses CBO's estimate of the costs of those transactions initiated as of February 17, 2010 …

Historians blast proposed Texas social studies curriculum  —  Historians criticized proposed revisions to the Texas social studies curriculum Tuesday, saying that many of the changes are historically inaccurate and that they would affect textbooks and classrooms far beyond the state's borders.

The GOP health care count: 209 no, 204 yes, 18 undecided  —  There are two ways to count votes for the Democrats' national health care plan.  The first is to tally the lawmakers who are definitely yes or leaning yes.  The second is to count the ones who are definitely no and leaning no.

Top al Qaeda Operative Is Killed in U.S. Drone Attack  —  WASHINGTON—A drone strike last week in Pakistan apparently killed a top al Qaeda trainer who helped supervise December's suicide bombing at a Central Intelligence Agency post in Afghanistan, U.S. officials said.

Feinstein Insurance Reform Kicked Out Of Health Care Bill  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  The Senate parliamentarian told Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Wednesday afternoon that her proposal to create a National Insurance Rate Authority runs afoul of reconciliation rules, Feinstein told HuffPost after the conversation.

New Poll Finds Americans Really, Really Do Not Want ObamaCare (PJM Exclusive)  —  A national poll, conducted by the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest Advance with PJM, shows massive opposition to the bill during its final week.  (Click here for poll results.)

Santorum: Democrats are Worried Obama May Go to Indonesia and Bow to More Muslims  —  Oh here we go again.  Man-on-dog Rick Santorum with more of this “bow-gate” nonsense on Greta Van Susteren's show.  They just can't stop themselves, can they? … Yeah, no sarcasm meant there, huh Rick?

Guilty of Practicing Good Government  —  It's Wednesday morning.  House leaders have indicated they want to vote on both the Senate health care bill and amendments to it by Saturday night.  But, as you may have noticed, they still haven't said precisely what the wording of those amendments will be.

Hawaii Birthers Bill: State May Start Ignoring Requests For Obama Citizenship  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  HONOLULU — Birthers beware: Hawaii may start ignoring your repeated requests for proof that President Barack Obama was born here.  —  As the state continues to receive e-mails …

Another Paul nettles GOP  —  Senior Republicans in Kentucky and Washington are deeply concerned about Senate candidate Trey Grayson's campaign as he struggles to narrow the gap against GOP primary rival Rand Paul.  —  Two months before the election, the libertarian-leaning Paul …