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  —  Supreme Court says federal officials can indefinitely hold sexually dangerous prisoners  —  The Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal officials can indefinitely hold inmates considered “sexually dangerous” after their prison terms are complete.

Pawlenty budget a GOP model  —  Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty's final budget, completed early Monday morning over the protests of angry Democrats and passed in a special session of the state legislature later in the day, positions the 2012 Republican presidential hopeful as the embodiment …

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 …

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 …

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.

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:

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.

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.

The Revenue Limits of Tax and Spend  —  Whether rates are high or low, evidence shows our tax system won't collect more than 20% of GDP.  —  The Greeks have always been trendsetters for the West.  Washington has repudiated two centuries of U.S. fiscal prudence as prescribed by the Founding Fathers …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

Before He Hired an Escort, Rekers Tried to Spank the Gay Away  —  What do you do with a little boy who likes cross-dressing and playing with dolls?  If you're George Alan Rekers, you “extinguish” the boy's feminine behavior with a sometimes violent Pavlovian regimen while your scientific team observes through a one-way mirror.

Politics as Entertainment  —  One of the most disturbing trends in American politics has been the increasing rise of conservative pundits who I don't think are honestly mistaken or lying for tactical political advantage, but rather just making stuff up because they don't really care …

Big Ten Conference likely seeking universities that fit its identity in expansion talks  —  By Bill Glauber of the Journal Sentinel  —  It was an exciting time in college sports, an era of great change and large dreams.  —  Faculty delegates from the big conference of the Midwest gathered …

TAKE ACTION: Obama appoints self-proclaimed ‘proud homophobe’, who refers to gays as ‘sodomites’, and denies climate change, to fix oil spill  —  Please sign our public letter to the President urging that this homophobe be fired immediately.  —  UPDATE: He's a climate change denialist as well:

TX Textbooks Proposal: Students Must Discuss Gutting Social Security, Explain How U.N. Undermines U.S.  —  With the long-running Texas history textbooks standards fight scheduled to end with a final vote by the State Board of Education Friday, arch-conservative board member Don McLeroy …