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.

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 …

Criminal charges likely from Gulf oil spill, legal experts say  —  WASHINGTON — Federal investigators are likely to file criminal charges against at least one of the companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico spill, raising the prospects of significantly higher penalties than a current $75 million 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 latest campaign ad.  —  Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) couldn't contain himself Thursday when he saw footage of Sen. John McCain's (R) latest campaign ad.

White House pushes back against criticism of NYC anti-terror funding  —  The White House rejected criticism of cuts to some New York City anti-terror programs Thursday, saying that overall funding for the city is higher than it was under President George W. Bush.

Selig ignores pleas to move game  —  NEW YORK — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig is ignoring calls to move next year's All-Star Game from Phoenix because of Arizona's new immigration law.  —  Asked about such demands at a news conference Thursday following an owners meeting …

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 …

A Hidden History of Evil  —  In the world's collective consciousness, the word “Nazi” is synonymous with evil.  It is widely understood that the Nazis' ideology—nationalism, anti-Semitism, the autarkic ethnic state, the Führer principle—led directly to the furnaces of Auschwitz.

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.

Sestak Surges Against Toomey In November Matchup, Quinnipiac University Pennsylvania Poll Finds; Corbett Has Small Lead In Governor's Race  —  U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, who has narrowed the gap against Sen. Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary, also is surging …

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 …

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.

Three detained in FBI sweep from Times Square probe  —  Watertown, Brookline locations connected to Faisal Shahzad  —  Three men were taken into custody on immigration violations today after raids in Watertown, Brookline and in other parts of the Northeast in connection with the attempted …

U.S. SENATE RACE: Tea Party power fuels Angle  —  Ex-Reno assemblywoman moves up in crowded GOP primary field  —  Fueled by a burst of support from the Tea Party, Sharron Angle has rocketed into a near dead heat with Sue Lowden in the white-hot U.S. Senate Republican primary …

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,” …

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.

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.

Pentagon rethinking value of major counterinsurgencies  —  WASHINGTON — Nearly a decade after the United States began to focus its military training and equipment purchases almost exclusively on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. military strategists are quietly shifting gears …

Rogue General in Thailand Is Shot During Protests  —  BANGKOK — A renegade Thai general was shot in Bangkok on Thursday as the military prepared to encircle the barricaded encampment of antigovernment protesters.  —  The general, Khattiya Sawatdiphol, 58, was struck in the head by a bullet during …

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.

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 …

Dodd: Amendments could kill bill  —  Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd warned Thursday that an open-ended amendment process could threaten final passage of Wall Street reform, just hours before a Democratic Caucus meeting in which the party is expected to lay out its final moves on the bill.

How Badly Will the Democrats Do?  —  A few trends to watch ahead of November.  —  The 2010 midterm elections will be bad for Democrats.  But the question is, will their losses be worse than the post-World War II average of 24 House and four Senate seats lost by the party that holds the White House?