Two taken into custody as FBI conducts searches in Times Square probe  —  Watertown, Brookline locations may be tied to Faisal Shahzad  —  Two people have been taken into custody on possible immigration violations following a sweep today in Watertown and at other locations across the Northeast …

Kagan Was ‘Not Sympathetic’ as Law Clerk to Gun-Rights Argument  —  Elena Kagan said as a U.S. Supreme Court law clerk in 1987 that she was “not sympathetic” toward a man who contended that his constitutional rights were violated when he was convicted for carrying an unlicensed pistol.

Voters Shifting to GOP  —  Republicans have solidified support among voters who had drifted from the party in recent elections, putting the GOP in position for a strong comeback in November's mid-term campaign, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

Fact Check: New York's Homeland Security Funding Is Rising  —  Rep. Peter King: “The fact that the Obama Administration would cut New York's homeland security funding just 11 days after the Times Square car bomb attempt is dangerous and unconscionable.  —  Rep. Anthony Weiner …

The New Poor: The Economy Shifts, Leaving Some Behind  —  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Many of the jobs lost during the recession are not coming back.  —  Period.  —  For the last two years, the weak economy has provided an opportunity for employers to do what they would have done anyway …

Dicks bent on appropriations gavel  —  In today's Politico, Jonathan Allen covers Rep. Norman Dicks's desire to assume the chairmanship of the House Appropriations Committee.  Dicks seeks to succeed the retiring David Obey as chairman of the committee.  Allen reports that Dicks began burning …

Cuomo Is Said to Question Banks' Influence on Ratings  —  The New York attorney general has started an investigation of eight banks to determine whether they provided misleading information to rating agencies in order to inflate the grades of certain mortgage securities, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation.

L.A. council bans most official travel to Arizona  —  Members, arguing that the new immigration law could lead to racial profiling, also vote to bar future city contracts with companies in that state.  —  Councilman Ed Reyes meets with supporters after the council voted to ban most city travel …

I Don't Like Roger Ebert  —  I love Twitter.  I use it all the time.  When I say use, hear it the way an addict would say it.  I use Twitter.  I'm pretty good at it too.  Not in the sense of having lots of followers, or being really popular, or anyone knowing who I am.

EXCLUSIVE: Miss USA Contestant is Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah Supporter, Used Pageant Name to Promote Muslim Female Subjugation; Hezbo Taqiyyah Allows Bikinis?  —  A couple of years ago, I told you that Donald Trump moved the Miss Universe pageant, which he owns, from Dubai because it would not allow Miss Israel …

Barack Obama, Campaign Manager: How The 2008 Playbook Passed Health Care  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Shortly before 11 a.m. on a Sunday in mid-December, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was driving through Washington D.C. when he received a nervous phone call from one of his trusted deputies, Sen. Chuck Schumer.

Sources: Dems Seek To Protect Lincoln By Delaying Action On Wall Street Reform  —  One of the most far-reaching pieces of the Senate's Wall Street reform bill has powerful enemies.  The White House doesn't like it.  FDIC chief Sheila Bair doesn't like it.  Obama adviser Paul Volcker …

USNA reconsiders greasy-statue climb  —  The Herndon Climb is a signature annual event at the United States Naval Academy.  Each May, a thousand first-year midshipmen surge to the top of a 21-foot granite obelisk coated with 200 pounds of lard.  The first mid to the top plants a midshipman's cap.

Arizona lawmaker laughs at McCain's border fence ad  —  Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) couldn't contain himself Thursday when he saw footage of Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) latest campaign ad.  —  The 2008 GOP presidential nominee is facing a tough primary challenge this cycle from former Rep. J.D. Hayworth …

FIRST THOUGHTS: THE MORE THINGS CHANGE  —  Our new NBC/WSJ poll finds that the more things change, the more they stay the same... Obama approval at 50%... GOP maintains enthusiasm advantage... 60% back offshore drilling... 64% favor Arizona's immigration law... GOP is now winning key demographic groups …

UC Berkeley ends hunger strike over immigration  —  (05-12) 21:23 PDT BERKELEY — With the blessings of ceremonial dancers, a group of UC Berkeley students ended a 10-day hunger strike Wednesday while negotiators met with the chancellor over the status of illegal immigrants and student demonstrators.

In Kentucky's Senate race, ties to Mitch McConnell could be helpful or harmful  —  MONTICELLO, KY. — When Senate candidate Rand Paul told a lunchtime crowd at Shearer's Buffet that “we have to do things differently” in Washington and “bring 'em home and send some different Republicans,” …

Jupiter loses one of its stripes and scientists are stumped as to why  —  Jupiter has lost one of its iconic red stripes and scientists are baffled as to why.  —  The largest planet in our solar system is usually dominated by two dark bands in its atmosphere, with one in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere.

Oil spill: BP had wrong diagram to close blowout preventer  —  WASHINGTON — In the days after an oil well spun out of control in the Gulf of Mexico, BP engineers tried to activate a huge piece of underwater safety equipment but failed because the device had been so altered that diagrams BP got …

Rogue General Seh Daeng Is Shot During Thai Protests  —  BANGKOK — A renegade Thai general was shot in Bangkok on Thursday as the military planned to encircle the barricaded encampment of antigovernment demonstrators.  —  Gen. Khattiya Sawatdiphol, 59, better known as Seh Daeng, was allied with the protesters.

‘Birther’ measure signed into law  —  Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday signed into law the so-called “birther” bill that is intended to limit the number of requests for President Obama's Hawai'i birth certificate.  —  Hawai'i state officials receive dozens of requests for Obama's birth certificate each month …