Rand Paul may not be a racist, but he is an extremist  —  Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy  —  It's safe to say Rand Paul's first few days as the Republican nominee for the open Senate seat in Kentucky are not going well.

Exclusive: President Obama To Replace Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair*  —  ABC News has learned that President Obama will replace the Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Dennis Blair (ret.) His resignation will come as soon as tomorrow, sources tell ABC News.

Little Girl Who Challenged First Lady Is Right: Obama Is Deporting More Immigrants Than Ever  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  A little girl became the face of the nation's immigration debate on Wednesday, when she told First Lady Michelle Obama about her mother's fear.

Senate clears way to vote on financial reform  —  The Senate voted Thursday afternoon to end its three-week debate on a bill to rewrite the nation's financial regulations, paving the way for a final vote on the landmark legislation.  —  The 60-to-40 vote — the minimum required to end debate …

And The Winner of The Everybody Draw Mohammad Contest is...  To remind readers of the stakes: In recent months, a Swedish cartoonist that sketched Mohammed as a “roundabout dog” as part of a planned street installation was assaulted during a lecture and, the following week, two extremists attempted to burn his house down.

Gibbs mum on Sestak job offer  —  Don't ask the White House if Obama aides tried to force Joe Sestak out of the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary by offering him a job.  They are keeping mum on the controversy.  —  Press Secretary Robert Gibbs deflected a barrage of questions about reports …

Scientists make ‘artificial life’  —  The synthetic cell looks identical to the “wild type”  —  Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first synthetic living cell.  —  The researchers constructed a bacterium's “genetic software” and transplanted it into a host cell.

Wall Street Power Play: Bankers In Bizarre Showdown With Auto Dealers  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Wall Street has found itself battling auto dealers in a last-ditch effort to block an amendment opposed by big banks from coming to the Senate floor.  The bank lobbyists are working to persuade …

The New Term for the War on Terror  —  If you blinked, you might have missed it.  The Obama administration has unofficially rebranded “war on terror” phrase that dominated public discourse throughout the Bush administration.  The replacement phrase, carefully chosen, is “CVE” — Countering Violent Extremism.

Op-Ed Contributor: The Rush Limbaugh Victory  —  THERE are many theories for why very conservative Republicans seem to be doing so well lately, taking their party's Senate nominations in Florida, Kentucky and Utah, and beating Democrats head-to-head in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia.