House Votes to Allow Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Law  —  WASHINGTON — The House voted Thursday to let the Defense Department repeal the ban on gay and bisexual people from serving openly in the military, a major step toward dismantling the 1993 law widely known as “don't ask, don't tell.”

Sestak says his brother, White House met about alleged job offer  —  Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) said Thursday his brother has spoken with White House officials about the congressman's allegation that he was offered an Obama administration job if he would stay out of a Democratic Senate primary.

‘Top Kill’ Effort Seems to Be Working, U.S. Says Cautiously  —  HOUSTON — The latest effort to plug a gushing underwater oil well in the Gulf of Mexico appeared to be working, officials and engineers said on Thursday morning, though definitive word on its success was still hours away.

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 …

GOP moves to repeal healthcare law  —  House Republican leaders introduced a bill Thursday to repeal and replace the sweeping healthcare law adopted in late March.  —  According to Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the measure would repeal the current law and replace it with the alternative …

DNC Pushes Sex Scandal Story  —  The DNC, the political wing of a president who launched his campaign decrying slash-and-burn campaign tactics, is highlighting new stories about a sex scandal rocking a GOP primary.  —  Earlier today, the DNC sent around a report from WSPA, the Spartanburg …

Crist switches on 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy on gays in the military  —  TALLAHASEE — Gov. Charlie Crist's switch on the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy Thursday left the no-party Senate contender caught in a crossfire of criticism from his Democratic and Republican opponents.

U.N. Official Set to Ask U.S. to End C.I.A. Drone Strikes  —  WASHINGTON — A senior United Nations official is expected to call on the United States next week to stop Central Intelligence Agency drone strikes against people suspected of belonging to Al Qaeda, complicating …

Pediatricians now reject all female genital cutting  —  On Thursday the AAP withdrew a policy statement on female genital cutting released in April.  The statement suggested genital “pricking.”  —  (CNN) — The American Academy of Pediatrics has rescinded a controversial policy statement raising …

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 …

Joe McGinniss's Latest Rationale: The Palins' Neighbor Made Me Do It.  —  Many of you have probably heard the latest in the evolving tale of Joe McGinniss, Governor Palin's new “neighbor”.  For those who missed it, the saga took a rather peculiar turn today when Ben Smith wrote the following on his blog:

ABC NEWS 4 Exclusive Interview with Nikki Haley  —  Columbia, SC - An exclusive one on one interview with Nikki Haley who is vowing to make a final primary push.  The GOP Hopeful talks about the claims, her family and the race to the finish line.  —  It's been a roller coaster ride on the campaign trail.

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.

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 …

New York Subway System Is Getting a New Map  —  In a city of world-class art museums and an instantly recognizable skyline, no image is more closely examined than the New York City subway map, the ubiquitous blue-and-taupe rectangle scrutinized by millions.  —  Now the subterranean icon is poised to get a spruce-up.

Senate fails to reach deal on unemployment; benefits to expire June 2  —  Senate Democratic leaders conceded late Thursday that an effort to extend unemployment benefits and other expiring provisions through the end of the year will fail.  —  A nearly $200 billion package of unemployment benefits …

'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.

Folks Releases “Haley-gate” Phone Records  —  FITSNews founding editor Will Folks on Thursday released cell phone records to several local media outlets in Columbia, S.C. related to the ongoing “Haley-gate” scandal.  —  Folks released the information without comment.  —  Additional information to follow ...

Landrieu: Obama will pay politically  —  Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said Thursday that President Barack Obama will pay a political price for his lack of visibility in the Gulf region during the catastrophic BP oil spill.  —  “The president has not been as visible as he should have been on this …