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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

‘Complex’ task for Afghan force  —  The US military's top officer has warned that the months ahead in Afghanistan will be challenging.  —  Adm Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Afghan war strategy would remain unchanged under the new head of multinational forces, Gen David Petraeus.

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 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.

Sharron Angle's Fringe Third Party Sponsored Virulently Anti-Gay Flier In '90s  —  The far-right third party that Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle called home in the 1990s supported abolishing “the debt money system” and ran a vitriolic anti-gay insert in state newspapers that portrays LGBT people …

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.

Sarah Palin is toxic  —  Commentators keep telling us how influential Sarah Palin's endorsements are, and even if the whole “mama grizzly” meme is clearly overstated, there's no quibbling with the fact that Palin has pull among GOP primary voters.  —  But the more interesting point …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

House passes campaign finance bill  —  Overcoming opposition from within their own ranks, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Democratic leaders pushed through a controversial campaign finance reform bill on Thursday on a 219 to 206 vote.  —  The DISCLOSE Act - Democracy is Strengthened …

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 …

White House Picks Critic of Local Immigration Enforcement for Key Role at ICE  —  Harold Hurtt, a former police chief in Houston and Phoenix, has been hired as the director for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of State and Local Coordination.

Senate Dems vow action on energy bill  —  Moved by photos of the devastation from the Gulf oil spill, Democratic senators emerged this afternoon from a caucus-wide meeting determined to tackle a comprehensive energy bill this summer — regardless of legislation's ability to win the 60 votes needed to pass.