CNN Poll: Trump tied for first in GOP horserace  —  Washington (CNN) - Donald Trump is now tied with Mike Huckabee for first place when Republicans are asked who they support for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, according to a new national poll.  —  But while a CNN/Opinion Research …

Obama turns to his bipartisan deficit commission's blueprint for reducing debt  —  Video: White House press secretary Jay Carney reiterated Monday that President Obama “regrets” his vote in 2006 as a senator against raising the debt ceiling.  (April 11)  —  President Obama plans this week …

Obama prevents budget cuts to favorite programs  —  WASHINGTON - A close look at the government shutdown-dodging agreement to cut federal spending by $38 billion reveals that lawmakers significantly eased the fiscal pain by pruning money left over from previous years, using accounting sleight …

Bad news for Congressional Republicans  —  PPP's newest national poll finds that after a little more than 3 months in charge House Republicans have fallen so far out of favor with the American public that it's entirely possible Democrats could take control of the House back next year.

Japan rates nuclear crisis at highest severity level  —  TOKYO — Japanese authorities raised Tuesday their rating of the severity of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis to the highest level on an international scale, equal to that of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

AOL, Arianna Huffington Hit with Class Action Suit  —  Jonathan Tasini.  Image via Wikipedia  —  Huffington Post bloggers who think they ought to get paid for their volunteer writing have been litigating their case in the court of public opinion.  Now they're taking it to a real one.

There Is No Male-Female Wage Gap  —  A study of single, childless urban workers between the ages of 22 and 30 found that women earned 8% more than men.  —  Tuesday is Equal Pay Day—so dubbed by the National Committee for Pay Equity, which represents feminist groups including the National Organization …

Republicans and the Civil War  —  Given the demographics of the GOP, as well as its regional base, this isn't particularly surprising: … From voters to elected officials, the Republican Party is dominated by white Southerners, particularly those from the Deep South.

Our Structural Disadvantage  —  The intertubes are clogged with the choral wailing of frustrated liberals.  Digby provides a good example, but the same is available pretty much anywhere else you'd think to look. … This is exactly right.  But what's strange is that it almost seems to come as a surprise to people.

What Impact Has The New York Times Paywall Had on Traffic?  [STATS]  —  The New York Times paywall has now been up for two weeks.  What impact has it had on the popular website's traffic?  More importantly, is the paywall working as intended or is it taking a bite out of The New York Times's revenues?

How America conducts foreign policy  —  This piece originally appeared on TomDispatch.  —  It is a commonplace of American politics: when the moving van pulls up to the White House on Inauguration Day, it delivers not only a closetful of gray suits and power ties, but a boatload of expectations.

Blaska Blogs the smoking gun of the teachers union's illegal sick-out  —  Only a fool would think that the sick out that closed down Madison schools for five days in February was anything but an illegal, union-coordinated, illegal strike.  —  But there are a lot of fools in Madison, aren't there?

Ask Not What Your Country Could Do To Reduce Health Care Costs  —  As a fan of the school nurse I think there's a lot to be said in favor of Paul Krugman's idea of launching a government administered public health service (or “civilian VA” as he puts it) but I also think it's a bit of a misframing …

House liberal DeFazio: Obama should start acting like a Democrat  —  President Obama needs to start acting like a Democrat by not caving for a second time and allowing the George W. Bush-era tax rates on the wealthy to expire, according to a founding member of the House Progressive Caucus.

1,000 attack non-Muslim village in Nigeria  —  Armed with machetes and guns, 1,000 militants attacked the village of Bar Arewa in the northern Nigerian state of Bauchi on April 7.  “Almost every home in the village was destroyed, and some elderly people were reported to have been burnt …

Chicago school bans homemade lunches, the latest in national food fight  —  Students who attend Chicago's Little Village Academy public school get nothing but nutritional tough love during their lunch period each day.  The students can either eat the cafeteria food—or go hungry.

France and Britain Urge Stronger NATO Action in Libya  —  PARIS —France and Britain urged NATO on Tuesday to intensify airstrikes against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's forces and called on the alliance to do more to shield noncombatants from loyalist attacks.  —  The remarks could well embolden rebels …

Gang of Six closes in on deficit deal  —  Gang of Six negotiators are close to striking a deal on a deficit-reduction package, according to Senate sources.  —  White House officials and Democrats are pressing for the six negotiators to wrap up their talks by the Easter recess beginning on April 16.