Data Show Bin Laden Plots; C.I.A. Hid Near Raided House  —  WASHINGTON — After reviewing computer files and documents seized at the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed, American intelligence analysts have concluded that the chief of Al Qaeda played a direct role for years …

Herman Cain makes splash at first 2012 GOP debate  —  To get an idea of the strangeness of the first debate of the 2012 presidential cycle - the unofficial kickoff to the 2012 GOP race - consider this: Based on the Fox News focus group conducted immediately following the event, Herman Cain is about to run away with the GOP nomination.

A Motivational Poster for George W. Bush's Library  —  A motivational poster, sent in from a reader:  —  In case the font is too small, the words at the bottom are: “VINDICATION: When the loudest critic of your policies achieves his greatest success because of them.”

Pawlenty Hopes 'I'm Sorry' Is Enough  —  It's a question every candidate faces: how to deal with political liabilities.  Do you face them head-on and try to get them out of the way, or try to work around them in the hope that voters will lose interest?  —  Last night, at the first Republican …

WTF at WTC?  Obama Has American Flag Removed From Ground Zero Site Moments Before Photo Shoot!  [Updated: or Perhaps Tapper Just Confused All of Us]  —  ABC's Jake Tapper was on the scene.  He disbelievingly tweeted:  —  Here's his photo of the take-down.

Judge Files Complaint against Merkel over Bin Laden Comments  —  A Hamburg judge has filed a criminal complaint against Chancellor Angela Merkel for “endorsing a crime” after she stated she was “glad” that Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces.  Meanwhile a new poll reveals that a majority …

Bills banning bestiality, baggy pants pass in Fla.  —  Legislation awaits Gov. Rick Scott's signature  —  Below:  —  NBCMIAMI.com  —  Floridians are going to have to start pulling up their pants and stop having sex with animals soon.  —  It's up to Gov. Rick Scott to sign off …

Fears and Failure  —  From G.D.P. to private-sector payrolls, from business surveys to new claims for unemployment insurance, key economic indicators suggest that the recovery may be sputtering.  —  And it wasn't much of a recovery to start with.  Employment has risen from its low point …

New statement from al-Q'idah: “You Lived Benevolent and Died a Martyr: Statement on the Death of Usmah Bin Lden”  —  Update 5/6 8:39 AM: Via CNN, here is an English translation of the below statement:  —  Al-Qaeda statement calls the day " a historic day of the days of the great Islamic umma …

Greece Considers Exit from Euro Zone  —  A protest against austerity measures in Athens.  Greece is considering leaving the euro zone, according to sources in the German government.  —  The debt crisis in Greece has taken on a dramatic new twist.  Sources with information …

Cats of War  —  The Pentagon's top-secret feline special-operations program, revealed.  —  RECOMMEND...  The American commando team that killed Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, reportedly included a dog, sparking furious speculation about the dog's identity and discussion of the role of canines in war.

G.O.P. Medicare Plan Shakes Up Race for House Seat  —  Only weeks ago, top Democrats appeared to have all but written off a special election for a Congressional seat in the suburbs of Buffalo.  After all, Republican voters vastly outnumber Democrats in the district, and the Republican candidate …

Ramesh Ponnuru Tries To Lead The Right Out Of The Dark Age, Neil Ferguson Tries To Drag Us Deeper In  —  Alongside complaints about the dark age of economic understanding into which monetary policy cranks like Paul Ryan have led the right, it's worth hailing the efforts of those like Ramesh Ponnuru …

Correcting the Picture on Jobs  —  11:29 a.m. |  Updated This is one of those months when it's impossible to tell a consistent story about the jobs report.  —  Job growth was unexpectedly strong last month.  The unemployment rate rose to 9 percent, from 8.8 percent, its biggest one-month increase in more than a year-and-a-half.

Morning Jay: If Our ‘Food Stamp Recovery’ Persists, Obama Will Lose Big  —  I have noticed something unsettling in my own life lately: I know a lot of people who are on food stamps or some kind of extraordinary government assistance.  The count right now stands around 10 people, which is a lot for a small town denizen such as myself.

Obama's ‘Gangster Politics’  —  The president is about to order companies that do business with the federal government to disclose their political donations.  —  President Obama has officially kicked off his 2012 re-election campaign, and don't Republicans know it.

Bloomberg to Lay Off Thousands of Teachers  —  Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg intends to eliminate 4,278 teaching jobs through layoffs, and about 1,500 through attrition, marking the first significant layoffs of teachers since the fiscal crisis of the 1970s.  —  The slashing of jobs are part …

DNC Whacks The Weekly Standard, Calls Obama Gloating Story Bogus … WASHINGTON — The Weekly Standard put up a blog post on Thursday questioning why, at a time when the White House was pushing for humility following Osama bin Laden's death, the website gutsycall.com was suddenly redirecting to the president's campaign site.