An apology to my readers  —  I'm a member of an off-the-record list-serv called “Journolist,” founded by my colleague Ezra Klein.  Last Monday, I was deluged with angry e-mail after posting a story about Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) that was linked by the Drudge Report with a headline intimating …

House and Senate in Deal on Financial Overhaul  —  WASHINGTON — Nearly two years after the American financial system teetered on the verge of collapse, Congressional negotiators reached agreement early Friday morning to reconcile competing versions of the biggest overhaul of financial regulations since the Great Depression.

Dem county supervisor: Arizona's law might have been justifiable if it was a border state  —  Via Innocent Bystanders, high drama from today's board hearing in Milwaukee about whether to boycott the new reich in Phoenix.  Meet Peggy West: … Yeah, that's a gallant try at damage control …

House ‘shreds our constitution for raw, ugly, partisan gain’ by vote of 219-206  —  The DISCLOSE Act is the Democrats big legislative “fix” to pushback against the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision that eliminated a number of campaign finance restrictions on first amendment grounds.

The Culture of Exposure  —  The most interesting part of my job is that I get to observe powerful people at close quarters.  Most people in government, I find, are there because they sincerely want to do good.  But they're also exhausted and frustrated much of the time.

Congress Fails to Pass an Extension of Jobless Aid  —  WASHINGTON — Legislation to extend unemployment subsidies for hundreds of thousands of Americans who have exhausted their jobless benefits teetered on the edge of collapse on Thursday, as Senate Democrats and Republicans traded bitter accusations …

In 2010, Conservatives Still Outnumber Moderates, Liberals  —  Last year's increase in conservatism among independents is holding  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Conservatives have maintained their leading position among U.S. ideological groups in the first half of 2010.

National Enquirer says it decided not to pay for Gore sex story interview  —  The executive editor of the National Enquirer says that the Oregon masseuse who made a sexual assault allegation against Al Gore asked the tabloid for $1 million but that the Enquirer did not pay her or anyone else in reporting the story.

Obama Is Missing in Action on Gay Rights  —  Ted Olson is on the right side of history.  When will the president step up?  —  President Obama celebrated Gay Pride Month earlier this week by telling guests at a White House reception that he still favors full equality for gays and lesbians.

Iranian aid flotilla cancelled, won't sail to Gaza  —  Organizers cite ‘Israeli threats’ as the reason for canceling the flotilla; separate Iranian ship heads to Gaza via Caspian Sea.  —  One of the organizers of an Iranian aid flotilla that was to said to Gaza in efforts to break Israel's naval blockade …

Barack Obama is refusing to listen to reason on economic policy  —  President Barack Obama could learn from the old-fashioned German habit of saving money before spending it, argues Jeremy Warner.  —  Rarely has the dismal science of economics inflamed such passions.

I like Obama... and he's right to have a go at us for polluting his country  —  THE shocking images of oil-covered wildlife and ruined beaches across the Gulf of Mexico have horrified millions.  —  But passionate green campaigner Sir Paul McCartney believes the environmental disaster …

The Renminbi Runaround  —  Last weekend China announced a change in its currency policy, a move clearly intended to head off pressure from the United States and other countries at this weekend's G-20 summit meeting.  Unfortunately, the new policy doesn't address the real issue …

All eyes on Kagan's support of Barak  —  Conservative groups that oppose Solicitor General Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination are hoping that her statement of support for Israeli Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak will become a flash point in her confirmation hearings, which start Monday.

Judge Faces Death Threats After BP Gulf Oil Drilling Moratorium Ruling  —  New Orleans—While many Americans undoubtedly agree with the decision of U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman to overturn the Obama administration's moratorium on deep water drilling, not everyone is happy.

Obama losing Hill liberals on war  —  As President Barack Obama reaffirms his Afghanistan policy, he's also emboldening critics in Congress who think he should use a shakeup in commanding generals to change the course of what they believe is an intractable war.

Across From White House, Coffee With Lobbyists  —  WASHINGTON — There are no Secret Service agents posted next to the barista and no presidential seal on the ceiling, but the Caribou Coffee across the street from the White House has become a favorite meeting spot to conduct Obama administration business.

UPDATE Exclusive: Antonio Villaraigosa free tickets are worth $50,000 to $100,000.  Full list here of 80 free events; corruption laws ignored  —  By Tibby Rothman and Jill Stewart  —  L.A. Weekly is publishing below its exclusive ticket price list for the 80 events to which Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa accepted free seats.