A gaffetastic new Miss USA  —  She nearly tripped over her gown.  —  She called birth control a “controlled substance.”  —  She argued that contraceptives should be covered by health insurers because they are “expensive” — and then said you could get them for “free” from your OB/GYN's office.

Specter-Sestak Dem Primary Down To The Wire, Quinnipiac University Pennsylvania Poll Finds; Onorato Leads Dem Governor Primary  —  The Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary goes down to the wire with U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak taking 42 percent of likely primary voters to Sen. Arlen Specter's 41 percent …

The Failure of the American Jewish Establishment  —  In 2003, several prominent Jewish philanthropists hired Republican pollster Frank Luntz to explain why American Jewish college students were not more vigorously rebutting campus criticism of Israel.  In response, he unwittingly produced …

Court: Sexually dangerous can be kept in prison  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal officials can indefinitely hold inmates considered “sexually dangerous” after their prison terms are complete.  —  The high court reversed a lower court decision that said Congress overstepped …

Iran to resume uranium enrichment  —  (CNN) — Iran appeared to make a concession in its long-running dispute with the international community Monday, only to throw a potential spoiler into the mix soon after.  —  Tehran said it had agreed to send thousands of pounds of low-enriched uranium …

Too Far?  Family Guy's Vietnam Veterans Memorial ‘Joke’  —  It's not a secret that Family Guy is famous for its offensiveness and tendency to cross the politically correct line.  That said, I suspect they may be called upon to issue some sort of apology after tonight's episode (not that they will …

Obama doesn't take questions at Freedom of Press Act signing  —  Obama declined to answer questions at bill signing for the Freedom of Press Act.  —  Washington (CNN) - After the signing of the Freedom of Press Act on Monday, President Obama declined to take any questions from the press.

Why Does Academia Treat Its Workforce So Badly?  —  A piece on adjuncts in Inside Higher Ed has been attracting a lot of attention among academics of my acquaintance.  Its description of academic life is shockingly brutal—shocking even to me, who knows enough PhDs to be acquainted with the dismal facts:

The Great Consolidation  —  This feels like a populist moment.  Americans are Tea Partying.  Greeks are rioting.  Incumbents are being thrown out; the Federal Reserve is facing an audit; Goldman Sachs is facing prosecution.  In Kentucky, Ron Paul's son might be about to win a Republican Senate primary.

Woody Allen says President Obama should be granted dictatorial powers (seriously)  —  Woody Allen and wife Soon-Yi Previn.  (AP)  —  Woody Allen has a strange take on the democracy that allowed him to become rich and famous.  —  The “Scoop” director said it would be a cool idea …

Interior official who oversees offshore drilling for MMS resigns  —  The top Interior Department official who oversees offshore oil and gas drilling for the Minerals Management Service will retire on May 31, The Washington Post has learned.  —  Chris Oynes, who oversaw oil and gas leasing …

Anti-Qaeda Sunni imams slaughtered in Iraq: military  —  BAQUBA, Iraq — Two Sunni Arab imams were brutally killed on Monday in Iraq, including one who was decapitated and had his head planted on a power pole, in attacks blamed on Al-Qaeda, military officials said.

The President & Vice President's Financial Disclosure Forms  —  Today, the President and Vice President released their 2009 financial disclosure reports.  —  The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires high-level federal officials to publicly disclose their personal financial interests.

Texas teacher singles out Latino student during SB-1070 discussion, says Mexicans always ‘expect handouts.’  —  The San Antonio News reports that a Jefferson High School English teacher has been “removed from the classroom” for singling out a Latino student wearing a Mexican soccer jersey and publicly insulting him.

Andrew Breitbart's empire of bluster.  —  On Sunday, March 21st, the day that the House voted to pass health-care reform, Andrew Breitbart, the conservative Internet entrepreneur, was thousands of miles away, at home in Westwood, a neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Palin Calls Huntsman Out  —  Even though Jon Huntsman, Jr. stopped pretending not to run for president to become President Obama's ambassador to China, associates of the former Utah Governor say that he will return to the U.S. as a proud Republican and will probably try to position himself for a 2016 run.

Birthers v. Truthers, Again — By: Jonah Goldberg  —  As I wrote last year, I find it amazing that the “Birthers” are considered more dangerous and evil than the “Truthers.”  The Birthers believe that an ambitious man who travelled a lot as a kid has concealed the circumstances of his birth so he could be eligible for the presidency.

Bat fellatio causes a scandal in academia  —  University College Cork in Ireland is coming under international pressure to lift a punishment meted out to one of its academics.  Dylan Evans, a psychologist at the university's school of medicine, has been saddled with a two-year period …

Orrin Hatch Pretends To Be Outsider  —  My colleague Matt Corley flagged this remarkable exchange between longtime Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and talk radio host Laura Ingraham, during which the guy who's been a Senator longer than I've been alive tries to somehow deny being part of Washington:

Romney Outraises Obama In NYC  —  Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R) held a fundraiser in Manhattan last week and outperformed Pres. Obama's own cash grab a day later on behalf of the DCCC, another sign of trouble brewing for Dems this cycle in all corners of the country.