U.N. Approves Airstrikes to Halt Attacks by Qaddafi Forces  —  UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations Security Council approved a measure on Thursday authorizing “all necessary measures” to protect Libyan civilians from harm at the hands of forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.

O'Keefe's Latest NPR Bombshell Instantly Falls Apart  —  Discredited conservative activist James O'Keefe is out with yet another NPR video, and its auteur took to Twitter to tease its SHOCKING REVELATION:  —  Yep, that's the big story, and in his narration to the tape O'Keefe delivers this breaking news …

During NPR Funding Debate, Rep. Jim McGovern Proposes No Federal Funding Should End Up At Fox News  —  Today, the House of Representatives will vote on a bill that would strip all federal funds from NPR.  Conservatives have long targeted NPR because they believe it has a liberal bias …

Palin trails Sheen with independents  —  We've found a lot of brutal poll numbers for Sarah Palin so far in 2011: down in South Dakota, down in South Carolina, down in Arizona, only up by 1 point in Texas, only up by 1 point in Nebraska to name a few.  But this has to be the worst- independent voters …

The Times Announces Digital Subscription Plan  —  The New York Times rolled out a plan on Thursday to begin charging the most frequent users of its Web site $15 a month in a bet that readers would pay for news they have grown accustomed to getting free.  —  Beginning March 28 …

House Budget Chairman Dismisses Social Security Reality: ‘That Just Boggles My Mind’  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) appeared on MSNBC last night, where he strongly rejected the idea that Social Security cuts should be on the table during current budget talks.

Cable reaches Japan nuclear plant  —  Engineers at Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant have managed to lay a cable to reactor 2, the UN's nuclear watchdog reports.  —  Restoring power should enable engineers to restart the pumps which send coolant over the reactor.

House passes bill to defund NPR  —  In the latest Republican attack on public broadcasting, the House passed a bill Thursday that would block federal funding from reaching NPR.  —  The vote — which passed 228 to 192, with one voting present — came a week after a video sting …

War  —  I got on a plane in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where I spent the morning trying to explain the war in Afghanistan to students and alumni of my high school — how the war started, why we are still there after nine years, how the war has changed since 2008, and where I see the war headed in 2011.

Anti-teacher climate humbles the conservative husband of a Cleveland educator: Connie Schultz  —  It's a question on a lot of parents' minds these days: How do we teach character?  —  New York Times columnist David Brooks was in Cleveland on Monday to talk about his new book, “The Social Animal …

Frustration With Obama Builds  —  President Barack Obama's laissez-faire approach to the ongoing spending debate is winning him few friends on Capitol Hill.  —  Republican and Democratic Members alike are becoming increasingly critical of the president and are demanding the White House immediately step …

Never Anger A Man Named Erskine  —  Erskine Bowles has harsh words for the left: … A couple points here.  First, I'm incredibly impressed that the reporter, Damian Paletta, transcribed Bowles' use of the word “dern,” rather than change it to “darn.”  But is it really spelled “dern”?

Union thuggery against Althouse and Meade: “We will hang up wanted posters of you everywhere you like to go.”  —  “We will picket on public property as close to your house as we can every day.  We will harrass the ever loving s**t out of you all the time.  Campus is OCCUPIED.  State street is OCCUPIED.

Sen. Paul Unveils 5-Year Budget Plan: Eliminates Four Federal Agencies  —  ABC News' Mary Bruce reports:  —  Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky., unveiled today his five-year path to a balanced budget, leaving several federal agencies behind.  Among the items on the cutting room floor are the Departments …

Mmm, mmm, mmm: NJ shuts down Barack Obama Elementary School  —  How fitting that a school named after our profligate, post-achievement president is shutting down thanks to fiscal mismanagement and non-achievement.  —  R.I.P., Barack Obama Elementary School (hat tip: reader Peter):

How Washington Ruined Your Washing Machine  —  The top-loading washer continues to disappear, thanks to the usual nanny state suspects.  —  It might not have been the most stylish, but for decades the top-loading laundry machine was the most affordable and dependable.