McDonnell's Confederate History Month proclamation irks civil rights leaders  —  RICHMOND — Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, reviving a controversy that had been dormant for eight years, has declared that April will be Confederate History Month in Virginia, a move that angered civil rights leaders Tuesday …

Reporter's notebook: What really happens at Tea Party rallies  —  (CNN) — When it comes to the Tea Party movement, the stereotypes don't tell the whole story.  —  Here's what you often see in the coverage of Tea Party rallies: offensive posters blasting President Obama and Democratic leaders …

U.S. Approves Targeted Killing of American Cleric  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has taken the extraordinary step of authorizing the targeted killing of an American citizen, the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who is believed to have shifted from encouraging attacks …

AP sources: FBI arrests man for threatening Pelosi  —  WASHINGTON — The FBI arrested a northern California man Wednesday for allegedly making threatening phone calls to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over health care reform, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.

Five things we learned about Obamacare after it passed  —  “[W]e have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.”  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., famously said that about President Obama's health care reform package.  She was right.

Rep. Wasserman Schultz Insists Health Care Law Doesn't Require Individuals to Buy Insurance  —  (CNSNews.com) - Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D.-Fla.) is insisting that the new health care law she voted for last month does not mandate that individuals buy health insurance, despite language in the law that plainly says otherwise.

FIRST THOUGHTS: THE GOP'S VOID  —  The GOP's leadership void... The hits keep on coming for Steele, though the RNC reported raising $11.4 million in March... But that is less than the $13 million-plus the DNC is reporting... Is Bart Stupak going to call it quits?... Obama heads to Prague this evening …

GOP will win House, Senate  —  Stanley Greenberg and James Carville claim that the Republican Party has peaked too soon.  —  Stanley Greenberg and James Carville claim that the Republican Party has peaked too soon.  Incredibly, Greenberg says that “when we look back on this, we're going to say Massachusetts is when 1994 happened.”

Voters Issue Strong Rebuke of Incumbents in Congress  —  Fewer than half (49%) would re-elect own member, 28% for most members  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A record-low percentage of U.S. voters — 28% — say most members of Congress deserve to be re-elected.  The previous low was 29% in October 1992.

Nearly half of US households escape fed income tax  —  Recession, new tax credits have nearly half of US households paying no federal income tax  —  FILE - In this April 5, 2010 file photo, Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman gestures while speaking at the National Press Club in Washington.

Upheaval in Kyrgyzstan as Leader Flees  —  MOSCOW — The president of Kyrgyzstan was forced to flee the capital, Bishkek, on Wednesday after bloody protests erupted across the country over his repressive rule, a backlash that could pose a threat to the American military supply line into nearby Afghanistan.

Behind Obama's Cool  —  In 2004, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois attended a White House event wearing the campaign pin of her state's candidate for the United States Senate.  When she saw President Bush do a double take at the one word on her pin, she assured him that it spelled “Obama,” not “Osama.”

Obama weighs new peace plan for the Middle East  —  Despite recent turbulence in U.S. relations with Israel, President Obama is “seriously considering” proposing an American peace plan to resolve the Palestinian conflict, according to two top administration officials.

STORMY STUNT IRKS GOP  —  Stormy Daniels and her team may not have come to a conclusion about her Senate candidacy over the past few months (and we'd be surprised if they ever do!), but she's nonetheless managed to be a thorn in the side of Louisiana Republicans.

Fear of Falling  —  There are a lot of things out there to be afraid of, and there seem to be phobias named for each one.  For example, you may not be familiar with bathmophobia, which is an abnormal and persistent fear of stairs or steep slopes, or a fear of falling.

Federal Reserve Gets Political, Sends Congress Veiled Message  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Facing perhaps the biggest loss of power in the institution's nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve fought back today with a little-noticed move that seemed to send a message to Congress …

For the wealthy, less in taxes is not always more  —  You thought only conservatives got mad about taxes?  —  Tea partiers, eat your hearts out: A group of liberals got together Tuesday and proved that they, too, can have a tax rebellion.  But theirs is a little bit different: They want to pay more taxes.

55% Say Media Bias Bigger Problem in Politics Than Big Contributions  —  Voters agree that big money talks in politics but apparently not as loudly as big media.  —  Fifty-five percent (55%) of U.S. voters continue to think that media bias is a bigger problem in politics today …

Health care overhaul spawns mass confusion for public  —  WASHINGTON — Two weeks after President Barack Obama signed the big health care overhaul into law, Americans are struggling to understand how — and when — the sweeping measure will affect them.  —  Questions reflecting confusion …

New Duke Policy Renders Students Unwitting Rapists; Removes Protections for Those Accused of Sexual Misconduct  —  Duke University has instituted a new “sexual misconduct” policy that can render a student guilty of non-consensual sex simply because he or she is considered “powerful” on campus.

Spitzer acknowledges he has toyed with political comeback  —  For the first time, Eliot Spitzer is acknowledging in an interview with Fortune what The Post first reported last year — that he is itching for a way back into politics and, even at this late date, hasn't totally closed the door on a race this year.