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.

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.

Big 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.

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.

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.

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.

Learning From Greece  —  The debt crisis in Greece is approaching the point of no return.  As prospects for a rescue plan seem to be fading, largely thanks to German obduracy, nervous investors have driven interest rates on Greek government bonds sky-high, sharply raising the country's borrowing costs.

Netanyahu cancels trip to U.S. nuclear summit  —  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a planned trip to Washington, where he was scheduled to participate in a nuclear security summit hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama, government officials said.  —  Intelligence and Atomic Energy …

Romney: Grassroots intensity increasing  —  MANCHESTER - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said yesterday that on his 19-state book tour, he is seeing “a growing passion and intensity on the grassroots level” prompted by outrage over the huge federal deficit and “too intrusive a government.”

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 …

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.

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 …

Crist among well-known candidates keeping first-quarter totals private  —  Several prominent 2010 candidates have yet to release their first quarter fundraising totals, prompting questions about how much they've banked.  —  Senate candidates Charlie Crist, the GOP governor of Florida …