Japan Orders Evacuation Near 2nd Nuclear Plant  —  Japanese officials on Saturday issued broad evacuation orders for people living in the vicinity of two separate nuclear power plants that had experienced breakdowns in their cooling systems as a result of the earthquake …

Today's tsunami: This is what climate change looks like  —  So far, today's tsunami has mainly affected Japan—there are reports of up to 300 dead in the coastal city of Sendai—but future tsunamis could strike the U.S. and virtually any other coastal area of the world with equal or greater force, say scientists.

The State Department spokesman and the Prisoner in the Brig  —  I just heard an extraordinary remark from State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley.  He was speaking to a small audience at MIT on “the benefits of new media as it relates to foreign policy”, an event organised by the Center for Future Civic Media.

GOP spending plan plays better with Dems than conservatives  —  House Republicans unveiled a three-week continuing resolution Friday that funds the government through April 8 and cuts $6 billion in spending.  —  Senate Democrats immediately signaled that they could accept the measure …

Five charged in alleged plot to kidnap or kill troopers, judge  —  FAIRBANKS: Scheme targeted judge and state troopers, officials say.  —  Five people in the Fairbanks area were arrested Thursday by state and federal law enforcement on charges connected with an alleged plot to kidnap …

Darkness Falls  —  Barack Obama's policy toward the Libyan struggle for freedom is no longer a muddle.  It is now a disgrace.  —  Here is what his administration and its allies have told the world, and the Libyan dictator, and the Libyan rebels, in recent days.

Gang Rape Story Lacked Balance  —  The exterior of an abandoned trailer where an 11-year-old girl was assaulted.  Numerous readers shared their concerns over how The Times handled the coverage.  —  The story quickly climbed The Times's “most emailed” list but not just because of the sensational facts of the crime involved.

Calif. man swept out to sea taking tsunami pics  —  CRESCENT CITY, Calif.—The Coast Guard searched for a man Friday who was swept out to sea by powerful waves generated by the tsunami in Northern California while taking photos near the mouth of the Klamath River in Del Norte County.

Walker signs budget-repair bill, judge denies TRO request  —  Gov. Scott Walker signed the bill Friday that repeals most collective bargaining by public employee unions.  He will hold a ceremony and news conference later in the day to tout the signing.  Meanwhile, a judge decides …

Japan's Strict Building Codes Saved Lives  —  From seawalls that line stretches of Japan's coastline, to skyscrapers that sway to absorb earthquakes, to building codes that are among the world's most rigorous, no country may be better prepared to withstand earthquakes than Japan.

Rep. Giffords Talking in Full Sentences  —  Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is talking in full sentences, doctors say, and has been told about the Tucson, Ariz., shooting that killed six people and injured 12 others.

Dumbing Deficits Down  —  Like anyone who writes regularly about what passes for economic and fiscal debate in American politics, I've developed a strong tolerance for nonsense.  After all, if I got upset every time powerful people were illogical and/or dishonest, I'd spend every waking hour in a state of raging despair.

The Cook Report: Trend or Fluke?  —  A new poll that shows independents warming to the role of government could signal an important shift.  —  I only get to celebrate special days like my birthday, wedding anniversary, Thanksgiving, and Christmas once a year, but I can rejoice every month …

My Sign-Off From Politics Daily … True to form, I was too busy to go to the meeting and missed my own firing yesterday; don't you hate it when that happens?  (All my life, my mom has been saying I'd be late to my own funeral, so could we please not tell her she was right?)

Bill Clinton: Drilling delays ‘ridiculous’  —  Former President Bill Clinton said Friday that delays in offshore oil and gas drilling permits are “ridiculous” at a time when the economy is still rebuilding, according to attendees at the IHS CERAWeek conference.

DOES RAW VIDEO OF NPR EXPOSE REVEAL QUESTIONABLE EDITING & TACTICS?  —  On Wednesday, The Blaze posted a lengthy report looking at the ethics of undercover journalism.  The comments on the post show a lively debate and wide-ranging views on what is considered ethical and acceptable in pursuit of a scoop.

Hammertime: Moore's National Resources  —  This week, Michael Moore offered a simple and elegant solution to our debt problem.  —  Calling the assets of wealthy Americans a “national resource,” he suggested our problems would all be solved if we could just have access to all that money.

Suggestion on Visas From Putin Catches Biden by Surprise  —  MOSCOW — When Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. sat down for his meeting with Vladimir V. Putin this week, the Russian prime minister opened with a curveball.  —  Rather than reiterating the joint projects on the table …

Letter indicates Rep. Richardson ethics probe  —  A letter of resignation sent by a former staffer to Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Cali.) appears to indicate that ethics investigators are probing the Los Angeles-area Congresswoman — a fact Richardson has denied to local reporters.