Ryan calls for ending oil subsidies  —  House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan called for ending oil subsidies Thursday, further complicating Republican efforts to stay on message about rising gas prices.  —  The Wisconsin Republican told constituents at a Waterford, Wis. …

CBS Reporter Recounts A ‘Merciless’ Assault  —  Lara Logan thought she was going to die in Tahrir Square when she was sexually assaulted by a mob on the night that Hosni Mubarak's government fell in Cairo.  —  Ms. Logan, a CBS News correspondent, was in the square preparing a report for …

Donald Trump Bristles at Claim He's a Racist  —  Donald Trump says it's “terrible” the host of CBS' “Face the Nation” accused him of racism.  —  Trump tells TMZ ... “That is a terrible statement for a newscaster to make.  I am the last person that such a thing should be said about.”

A new era of innuendo  —  President Barack Obama's appearance Wednesday in the White House briefing room to present a documented rebuttal of suspicions that he was not born on U.S. soil was more than just a surprise.  It was a decisive new turn in the centuries-long American history of political accusation and innuendo.

Frank Gaffney Accuses General David Petraeus Of ‘Submission’ To Sharia Law  —  This afternoon, President Obama announced a shakeup of his national security team, with CIA Director Leon Panetta tapped to head the Department of Defense and Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, to take his vacated intelligence spot.

Rand Paul has ‘birther’ demand for Trump: Prove you're a Republican  —  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Thursday took a swipe at billionaire businessman Donald Trump, demanding to see his “Republican registration.”  —  While speaking at a breakfast with New Hampshire Republicans one day after …

Oklahoma GOP Lawmaker Sally Kern: ‘Blacks’ Don't Work As Hard As White People (Updated)  —  The Republican-controlled Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a proposed constitutional amendment yesterday that would eliminate Affirmative Action in state government.

Calling animals ‘pets’ is insulting, academics claim  —  Animal lovers should stop calling their furry or feathered friends “pets” because the term is insulting, leading academics claim.  —  The researchers say ‘pet’ is demeaning  —  Domestic dogs, cats, hamsters or budgerigars should be rebranded as …

McConnell pledges to force Senate vote on president's budget  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday pledged that the upper chamber would hold a vote on President Obama's budget proposal in an effort to divide Democrats.  —  The move came in response to Majority Leader Harry Reid's …

Shiloh Baptist Church receives threats after comments from Sean Hannity  —  Shiloh Baptist Church in the District said it has received threatening phone calls and e-mails after an Easter visit from President Obama and a conservative television commentator's subsequent playing of a videotape …

How America Must Respond to the Massacre in Syria  —  It's time for President Obama to back up his rhetoric with firm action.  The first step: Recall the U.S. ambassador from Damascus.  —  In recent days, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has used its army to murder hundreds …

U.S. Economic Growth Slows to 1.8% Rate in Quarter  —  The American economy slowed to a crawl in the first quarter, but economists are hopeful that the setback will be temporary.  —  Total output grew at an annual pace of 1.8 percent last quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday …

Eric Bolling And The Case Of The Time Traveling Doctor  —  Last night on Fox Business, Eric Bolling hosted Pamela Geller to discuss in all seriousness whether Obama's long-form birth certificate was “photoshopped.”  Geller has been making a fool of herself over Obama's birth certificate for three years now …

Citigroup Drops Ben Stein Speech After Complaint Jokes Disparaged Women  —  Citigroup Inc. (C) canceled a planned keynote speech by writer, actor and TV personality Ben Stein after getting a complaint that he told jokes disparaging women at a private-equity conference in Dallas earlier this year.

Several Tossed From Congressman's Town Hall Meeting  —  Heated Debate Stems From West's Position On Medicaid  —  BOCA RATON, Fla. — Police escorted a number of people out of a town hall meeting Wednesday night — the second night in a row that U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., held what became a heated event.

Populism is Not Conservatism  —  BEGIN TRANSCRIPT  —  RUSH: Libby in Miami.  Great to have you.  I'm glad you waited.  —  CALLER: Hey, Rush.  A pleasure speaking to you.  Thanks for taking my call.  —  RUSH: Yes, sir.  —  CALLER: Rush, I have to make a quick comment getting back to Trump.

Wal-Mart: Our shoppers are ‘running out of money’  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Wal-Mart's core shoppers are running out of money much faster than a year ago due to rising gasoline prices, and the retail giant is worried, CEO Mike Duke said Wednesday.  —  “We're seeing core consumers under a lot of pressure …

4/28: Obama's Handling of the Economy at All-Time Low  —  Registered voters nationally are not satisfied with how President Barack Obama is handling the nation's economy.  According to this McClatchy-Marist Poll, four in ten voters — 40% — approve of how the president is dealing …

Matthews: You'd never say that about a white person!  —  Chris Matthews was talking up the birther thing tonight as if it just started yesterday, arguing that birthers are nothing more than petty racists.  He brought Trump into the conversation, of course, noting that Trump was now suggesting …