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 …

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.

Murkowski opposes Planned Parenthood, Title X cuts  —  Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has come out in opposition to the House's attempts to defund Planned Parenthood, making her the first Republican senator to specifically support the beleaguered organization.

Today's tsunami: This is what climate change looks like  —  Update: The intent of this piece isn't to attribute today's tragedy to climate change.  Apologies to those whom I misled with the headline.  It was meant literally, as in: Tsunamis are inundations of shorelines and therefore …

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 …

Walker signs bill removing most bargaining rights from public unions  —  Democrats immediately file suit to halt changes  —  By Jason Stein, Don Walker and Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison — In just his third month in office, Gov. Scott Walker rewrote Wisconsin history Friday …

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.

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 …

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.

Chris Matthews Sees Japan Earthquake an ‘Opportunity’ for Obama to Remind People He Was Born in Hawaii  —  Hundreds if not thousands of people are dead due to a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.  But at least it gave Barack Obama an avenue to remind everyone he was born in Hawaii.

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?)

NFL players decertify their union  —  After two weeks of mediation with the league, the players decertify their union and become a trade association, which means the league probably won't be able to stage a lockout.  —  New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees arrives for negotiations …

Same-Sex Marriage Bill Falls Short in Maryland  —  ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Lawmakers in Maryland on Friday failed to gather enough votes to pass a bill that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry, withdrawing it from consideration after hours of emotional debate and effectively killing the bill's chances for passage this year.

Ex-judge Camp sentenced to 30 days in prison  —  After telling him he has “a scarlet letter chiseled on his forehead the rest of his life,” a federal judge sentenced disgraced ex-jurist Jack Camp to 30 days in prison for committing repeated crimes with a stripper.

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.

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.

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.

Rick Santorum: Sharia ‘is evil’  —  DURHAM, N.H. — Rick Santorum on Friday asserted that Sharia law has no place in America.  —  “Jihadism is evil and we need to say what it is,” he said at the Strafford County Lincoln-Reagan dinner, remarks that show how the former Pennsylvania senator continues …

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 …