Democrats' defection from Pelosi is historic  —  How divided are Democrats' right now?  —  With 19 Democrats withholding support from Nancy Pelosi for House speaker on Wednesday, it represented the largest defection from a party's speaker nominee in nearly a century.

Retracted autism study an ‘elaborate fraud,’ British journal finds  —  Editor's note: Watch Anderson Cooper's interview with the author of the discredited study, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, on “AC360°” at 10 p.m. ET tonight.  —  (CNN) — A now-retracted British study that linked autism …

The Constitution (as amended), The Schumer Model, Fast Break on GOP Backtracking, Crown Shots at Andy's Bar, Pelosi's Historic Loss of Support, Trivia  —  By Jonathan Allen (with an assist from Jake “Fast Break” Sherman)  —  THE READING OF THE CONSTITUTION, AS AMENDED …

CBO's Preliminary Analysis of H.R. 2, the Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act  —  The House of Representatives is planning to consider a bill (H.R. 2) to repeal the major health care legislation enacted last March—that is, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) …

Exclusive: Volcker to step down from White House panel  —  (Reuters) - Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker plans to leave his role as head of a panel of experts advising President Barack Obama on the economy, sources familiar with the decision said on Wednesday.

Blue Shield of California seeks rate hikes of as much as 59% for individuals  —  Insurer says the increases result from fast-rising healthcare costs and other expenses resulting from new healthcare laws.  The move comes less than a year after Anthem Blue Cross tried and failed to raise rates as much as 39%.

McCain says he'll make 'Don't ask' repeal work  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Thursday he would work to help implement the repeal of the military's “Don't ask, don't tell” policy, despite his opposition to that legislation.  —  McCain signaled he had made peace with the lame-duck bill …

The Man Who Spilled the Secrets  —  The collaboration between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the Web's notorious information anarchist, and some of the world's most respected news organizations began at The Guardian, a nearly 200-year-old British paper.  What followed was a clash of civilizations …

Elizabeth Edwards' will leaves everything to her children  —  (CNN) — Elizabeth Edwards left everything to her children, with no mention of her estranged husband, John Edwards, in her will.  —  “All of my furniture, furnishings, household goods, jewelry, china, silverware and personal effects …

Why Progressives Find It Difficult to Take the “Fiscal Responsibility” Movement Seriously  —  Portrait of the Deficit Hawk as a Liberal Democrat from Massachusetts  —  Yesterday was the presentation of the “Fiscy Awards,” which go to politicians that the fiscal responsibility movement likes:

Journal's Paper on ESP Expected to Prompt Outrage  —  One of psychology's most respected journals has agreed to publish a paper presenting what its author describes as strong evidence for extrasensory perception, the ability to sense future events.  —  The decision may delight believers …

U.S. teenager tortured in Kuwait and barred re-entry into the U.S.  —  Gulet Mohamed is an 18-year-old American citizen whose family is Somalian.  His parents moved with him to the U.S. when he was 2 or 3 years old, and he has lived in the U.S. ever since.  In March, 2009, he went to study Arabic …

No Pity for Robert Gibbs and His ‘Modest’ Salary  —  Perhaps it was the long flight back from Hawaii.  But President Obama's first full day back on the job suggested a slight case of tone deafness.  —  In bidding a sort-of farewell to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, he noted the …

President Obama's motorcade: A seatbelt-free zone?  —  Does President Obama wear a seatbelt in his presidential limo?  He is supposed to, but there are indications that he doesn't.  —  After then-New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) was seriously injured in a car accident in 2007 …

Steve King unveils birthright bill  —  Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) isn't wasting any time with his immigration agenda, dropping a bill on the first day of Congress that goes after birthright citizenship.  —  King's measure would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act, ending automatic citizenship for anyone born in the country.

A Goldman Unit Is Said to Have Rejected Facebook  —  Before Goldman Sachs bought a stake in Facebook and started offering shares to wealthy clients, a powerful investment group within the firm turned down the chance to buy a piece of the social networking site, according to several people briefed on the internal discussions.

U.S. Boosts Afghan Surge  —  Pentagon Plans to Send 1,400 Extra Marines to Supplement Spring Campaign  —  U.S. and Afghan soldiers prepared for patrol in Kandahar province on Wednesday.  —  WASHINGTON—Defense Secretary Robert Gates has decided to send an additional 1,400 Marine combat forces …