President Obama questions Sarah Palin's nuclear acumen  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday made clear he was not going to take advice from Republican Sarah Palin when it comes to decisions about the U.S. nuclear arsenal.  —  Palin, the former vice presidential candidate …

Republicans convene in New Orleans, with no mention of Katrina  —  Five years after President Bush's failed response to a natural disaster in New Orleans deeply damaged his party's credibility and helped sweep them from power, top Republicans speaking to supporters in New Orleans tonight made no mention of Hurricane Katrina.

Democratic Party Image Drops to Record Low  —  Favorable images of Democratic, Republican Parties now tied  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans' favorable rating of the Democratic Party dropped to 41% in a late March USA Today/Gallup poll, the lowest point in the 18-year history of this measure.

BREAKING: Obama Administration Denies Visas to Israeli Nuclear Scientists  —  The Obama administration is now denying U.S. visas to Israeli scientists who work at that nation's Dimona nuclear reactor.  This startling reversal of traditional policy was reported April 7, 2010 …

It's War: SEIU Starting Third Party In North Carolina  —  In a shot across the bow of Dems, the labor powerhouse SEIU is starting a new third party in North Carolina that hopes to field its own slate of candidates, part of an effort to make the Democratic Party more reliable on issues important to labor, I'm told.

AP: Rep. Bart Stupak Retiring After 18 Years in Congress  —  Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan tells The Associated Press he'll retire from Congress rather than seek a 10th term this year.

Big U.S. Banks Mask Risk Levels  —  Quarter-End Loan Figures Sit 42% Below Peak, Then Rise as New Period Progresses; SEC Review  —  Major banks have masked their risk levels in the past five quarters by temporarily lowering their debt just before reporting it to the public, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Breaking: Stupak Will Retire  —  Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) plans to annnounce his retirement today, Democrats briefed on his decision said.  Stupak, the leader of a pro-life faction within his party, had received death threats and was under intense political pressure after he agreed to support …

Anger over health-care reform spurs rise in threats against Congress members  —  Anger over the health-care overhaul has led to a nearly threefold increase in recent months in the number of serious threats against members of Congress, federal law enforcement officials said.

The Methane Apocalypse  —  Some very frightening news from the world of climate science, as an international scientific team discovers that the Arctic permafrost in Siberia may be starting to leak huge amounts of methane into the atmosphere.  —  And if this proves to be true, my friends …

Power Struggle: Inside The Battle For The Soul Of The Democratic Party (Print Version)  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Raúl Grijalva is sitting quietly with a few of his staffers at one end of the bar, a bottle of Bud and a shot of whiskey in front of him, while his fellow Democratic members …

CIA spies and Dartmouth deans  —  Ishmael Jones is the pseudonymous former Central Intelligence Agency case officer who focused on human sources with access to intelligence on terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.  His assignments included more than 15 years of continuous overseas service under deep cover.

Why So Glum?  History Suggests a Strong Recovery  —  The American economy appears to be in a cyclical recovery that is gaining strength.  Firms have begun to hire and consumer spending seems to be accelerating.  —  That is what usually happens after particularly sharp recessions …

What makes NPR (and the Economist) so special?  —  I've been thinking a bit about this NPR graph that's been floating around.  I wish it included another data point: The Economist magazine.  Their explosive growth over the last decade is well known, but consider that the publication had a record year in 2009.

Two Nevada Republicans Call for Ensign to Bow Out  —  WASHINGTON — Senator John Ensign's political troubles worsened Thursday as more Republican colleagues from his home state of Nevada said that the ethics investigations surrounding him have threatened to damage the party statewide.

Matthews and Buchanan Gush Over the ‘Dazzling’ ‘Rodeo Queens’ Palin and Bachmann  —  Matthews and Buchanan both seriously need to get a room here...ugh.  They both were just gushing over Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin and their appearance together at a rally to raise money for Bachmann.