‘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.

Senate Panel Votes to Repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday voted to let the Pentagon repeal the ban on gay men, lesbians and bisexual people from serving openly in the military, a big step toward dismantling …

BREAKING: We Know Who Did It  —  Who paid Will Folks?  He was allegedly offered money.  A LOT of money.  In fact, RedState now confirms through a whole heap of sources that he's been trying to sell this story for a year.  —  We know who bit.  —  We know who didn't bite.

Rove Finally Admits That Bush Really Blew It During Katrina  —  Today in the Wall Street Journal, Karl Rove pens an op-ed titled: “Yes, the Gulf Spill is Obama's Katrina.”  He predictably places blame on Obama for a “lethargic,” “slow,” and “unacceptable” response to the BP oil spill.

Here comes impeachment  —  What's at stake in the elections this fall?  Energy/climate?  Tax cuts?  Management of the economy?  —  Well, sure, all those things.  It's worth pointing out, however, that what's also at stake is the impeachment of Barack Obama.

Kenneth Starr Charged With Running $30 Million Ponzi Scheme  —  [Somewhere, Bill Clinton is smiling.  One-time special prosecutor who uncovered the dirty details of the former President's affair with intern Monica Lewinsky has been engaged in some bad behavior of his own …

Clinton: ‘The rich are not paying their fair share’  —  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a rare foray into domestic politics today, offering her view that — given America's high unemployment — wealthy Americans don't pay enough taxes.  —  “The rich are not paying their fair share …

Easy Money, Hard Truths  —  ARE you worried that we are passing our debt on to future generations?  Well, you need not worry.  —  Before this recession it appeared that absent action, the government's long-term commitments would become a problem in a few decades.

KY-Sen: A real race in red territory  —  Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 5/24-26.  Likely voters.  MoE 4% (5/10-12 results)  —  Rand Paul (R) 44 (42)  —  Jack Conway (D) 41 (39)  —  Undecided 9  —  Favorable/Unfavorable  —  Paul 53/33 (56/27)  —  Conway 48/43 (46/44)

Mass. Senate passes crackdown on illegal immigrants  —  With one lawmaker citing President Lincoln's respect for the rule of law, the Massachusetts Senate passed a far-reaching crackdown this afternoon on illegal immigrants and those who would hire them, going further, senators said …

'Obama's Katrina' — By: Yuval Levin  —  I think it's actually right to say that the BP oil spill is something like Obama's Katrina, but not in the sense in which most critics seem to mean it.  —  It's like Katrina in that many people's attitudes regarding the response to it reveal completely unreasonable expectations of government.

Palin neighbor sought author as tenant  —  Sarah Palin's next-door neighbor sought out author Joe McGinniss as a tenant, McGinniss's son said.  —  “No one is stalking anyone,” Joe McGinniss, Jr., a novelist whose father is the non-fiction writer, wrote in response to an email from a Palin supporter …

Twitter's fake BP spokesman too slick for the oil company  —  As if the all-too-real BP oil spill weren't enough of a circus, a satirical Twitter account called @BPGlobalPR adds some dark humor to a sludgy situation.  —  The fake BP Twitter page was created a week ago and already has 42,000 followers …

Counterterror Adviser Defends Jihad as ‘Legitimate Tenet of Islam’  —  White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan speaks to reporters in the White House Jan. 7.  (AP Photo)  —  The president's top counterterrorism adviser on Wednesday called jihad a “legitimate tenet of Islam,” …

Oil Spill Alters Views on Environmental Protection  —  Majority now favors protecting environment over developing energy supplies  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Between March and today, with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill intervening, Americans' preferences for prioritizing between environmental protection …