Obama to open Alaska petroleum reserve to new drilling  —  The broad energy plan, coming as gas prices continue to rise, would also fast-track environmental assessment of petroleum exploration elsewhere.  —  Reporting from Washington— President Obama will open Alaska's national petroleum reserve …

Huck: I've made '12 decision  —  Mike Huckabee said that he's now “sure” about what he's going to do for 2012, and that he'll “explain all about what went into” his decision Saturday night on his cable TV talkshow.  —  Huckabee made the comments Saturday morning on “Fox and Friends,” …

Porn stash found in bin Laden's lair  —  It wasn't just plots to kill Americans that got a rise out of him.  —  It turns out that terror titan Osama bin Laden had a stash of smut to liven up his lair.  —  Investigators poring over the tons of files, computer drives and other recordings hauled …

Four Dems vote ‘present’ on honoring Bin Laden mission  —  After more than a week of deliberation, the House overwhelmingly approved a measure honoring the intelligence community for the mission that killed Osama bin Laden.  —  The vote wasn't unanimous, however.

Disney seeks SEAL Team 6 trademark  —  Disney has filed an application to trademark the name of the U.S. commando unit credited with dispatching Osama bin Laden.  —  The paperwork filed this week at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office puts The Walt Disney Company subsidiary Disney Enterprises …

Ron Paul And The Civil Rights Act  —  I watched Ron Paul on Hardball yesterday afternoon talking about his opposition to the Civil Rights Act and while this of course reminds you of his troubling racist associations, I think that's actually the least significant part of the story.

Beyond parody  —  We'll probably learn later today whether Mike Huckabee is running for president, but while we wait, it's worth appreciating what else for the former Arkansas governor is up to.  —  This week, Huckabee launched a new educational company called Learn Our History.

Donors to G.O.P. Are Backing Gay Marriage Push  —  As gay rights advocates intensify their campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, the bulk of their money is coming from an unexpected source: a group of conservative financiers and wealthy donors to the Republican Party …

As Baghdad Erupts in Riot of Color, Calls to Tone It Down  —  BAGHDAD — In downtown Baghdad, a police headquarters has been painted two shades of purple: lilac and grape.  The central bank, a staid building in many countries, is coated in bright red candy cane stripes.

How We Can Fly to Mars in This Decade—And on the Cheap  —  The technology now exists and at half the cost of a Space Shuttle flight.  All that's lacking is the political will to take more risks.  —  SpaceX, a private firm that develops rockets and spacecraft, recently announced it will field …

Health Insurers Making Record Profits as Many Postpone Care  —  The nation's major health insurers are barreling into a third year of record profits, enriched in recent months by a lingering recessionary mind-set among Americans who are postponing or forgoing medical care.

Pakistan's parliament condemns U.S. raid, threatens sanctions  —  Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) — Pakistan's parliament threatened Saturday to cut off access to a facility used by NATO forces to ferry troops into Afghanistan, signaling a growing rift that began when U.S. commandos killed Osama bin Laden during …

South Carolina Republican Named ‘Legislator of the Year’ For Writing A Bill That Disenfranchises Voters  —  Governor Nikki Haley (R-SC) is expected to soon sign a Voter ID bill passed by both chambers of the South Carolina Legislature.  When she does, South Carolina will become the second state …

What If the U.S. Treasury Defaults?  —  'People aren't going to wonder whether 20 years ago we delayed an interest payment for six days.  They're going to wonder whether we got our house in order.'  —  'A financial crisis is surely going to happen as big or bigger than the one we had in 2008 …

Bill Maher: If You Celebrated Bin Laden's Death, You're Not Really A Christian  —  Reaction to Osama bin Laden's death was overwhelmingly not just positive, but gleeful - and let's face it, it's not tough to see why.  Bill Maher, though, tonight pointed out on Real Time that Christians …

Gingrich promises to slash taxes, calls Obama ‘food stamp president’  —  MACON, Ga. — Newt Gingrich opened his presidential campaign here Friday night by introducing a jobs plan that would slash taxes and repeal an array of bureaucratic regulations.  —  Returning to the state where he launched …