Republicans Threaten Filibuster Over 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'  —  Armed Services Republicans threatened Wednesday to filibuster the defense authorization bill if it comes to the floor with Democrat-backed language repealing the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy.

Time for Sestak to clean up his mess  —  Senate Republicans are now calling for a special prosecutor to look into Joe Sestak's claim that the White House offered him a job in order to drop his primary challenge to Arlen Specter.  On the merits, this seems silly: Good government experts …

Simmons ‘sorry’ for ripping McMahon  —  Former Rep. Rob Simmons apologized for telling a conservative news outlet that he didn't think Senate candidate Linda McMahon, who won the GOP's backing over him at the party's convention last week, can win the Connecticut general election and saying that he was too …

US money supply plunges at 1930s pace as Obama eyes fresh stimulus  —  The M3 money supply in the United States is contracting at an accelerating rate that now matches the average decline seen from 1929 to 1933, despite near zero interest rates and the biggest fiscal blitz in history.

‘Top kill’ effort succeeds in blocking oil leak, Coast Guard admiral says  —  Thad Allen, who is coordinating the government response, says the well still has low pressure, but cement will be used to cap the well permanently as soon as the pressure hits zero.

Rand Paul faces possible challenge, staff shake-up  —  FRANKFORT, Ky. — A week after a come-from-behind victory over the GOP's establishment candidate in a Kentucky Senate primary, Rand Paul is facing a possible challenge by the Libertarian Party and is shaking up his staff after comments …

Wexler for Israel?  —  Former Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) is being courted to be Obama's ambassador to Israel, three Washington Middle East hands tell POLITICO.  —  Wexler, a strong pro-Israel ally for the Obama White House going back to the 2008 presidential campaign …

Making Control Simple  —  When we started Facebook, we built it around a few simple ideas.  People want to share and stay connected with their friends and the people around them.  When you have control over what you share, you want to share more.  When you share more, the world becomes more open and connected.

47% Now Hold Unfavorable View of Kagan  —  Voters have an increasingly unfavorable opinion of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan but are more convinced than ever that she will be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.  —  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of U.S. voters …

Poll: Majority give Obama, feds failing grade on oil spill response  —  The oil spill off the Gulf Coast is staining more than Louisiana's beaches.  —  The response to the disaster by energy giant BP, President Obama and the federal government all get terrible grades from Americans in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll.

US troops won't be used to stop illegal immigration: US  —  US National Guard troops being sent to the Mexican border will be used to stem the flow of guns and drugs across the frontier and not to enforce US immigration laws, the State Department said Wednesday.

Obama to Extend Drilling Moratorium  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to announce Thursday that he is extending the moratorium on permits to drill new deepwater wells for six more months and will delay or cancel specific projects off the coasts of Alaska and Virginia and in the western Gulf of Mexico, a White House official said.

GOP NARRATIVES VS. PUBLIC NEEDS.... House Democrats are ready to move forward on a package of economic policies — jobless benefits, temporary health care subsidies, job creation investments — that would bolster the ongoing recovery.  But it's struggling, not because of its merits …

Feds Issue Terror Watch for the Texas/Mexico Border  —  The Department of Homeland Security is alerting Texas authorities to be on the lookout for a suspected member of the Somalia-based Al Shabaab terrorist group who might be attempting to travel to the U.S. through Mexico, a security expert who has seen the memo tells FOXNews.com.

Justice Scalia Praises Elena Kagan's Lack of Judicial Experience  —  ABC News' Teddy Davis reports:  —  Obama Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan has been criticized by some Republican senators for lacking judicial experience.  But Justice Antonin Scalia, the High Court's most outspoken conservative …

BP Used Riskier Method to Seal Oil Well Before Blast  —  WASHINGTON — Several days before the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, BP officials chose, partly for financial reasons, to use a type of casing for the well that the company knew was the riskier of two options, according to a BP document.

Wisconsin Veteran Must Remove Flag After Memorial Day, Wife Says  —  Charlie Price, a 28-year-old Army veteran, will be allowed to fly this flag in his Wisconsin apartment only until Memorial Day, his wife told FoxNews.com.  —  An Army veteran in Wisconsin will be allowed to display …

Obama Nominee: Sexual Sadism Should be a ‘Mitigating Factor’  —  President Obama's nominee to the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Robert N. Chatigny, has quite the judicial record.  He saved Michael Ross, known as the ‘roadside strangler’, by keeping him off death row …

Colombian beauty queen arrested  —  A Colombian beauty queen has been arrested in Argentina on charges of leading a drug trafficking ring.  —  Angie Sanclemente Valencia, 31, is accused of persuading young women to smuggle cocaine from Argentina to Europe via Mexico.

GOP candidate explains TARP vote in TV ad: ‘As a leader, I made a decision’  —  In 2009, Rep. J. Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) took the stage at a tea party in South Carolina and faced a deafening chorus of boos.  Barrett had voted for the Troubled Assets Relief Program in September 2008.