Apocalypse not right now: ‘Rapture’ end of world fails to materialise  —  Reports of the end of the world appeared to have been exaggerated today.  —  Inhabitants of New Zealand, scheduled to be among the first to meet the apocalypse according to a US fundamentalist preacher …

Obama's Peace Tack Contrasts With Key Aide, Friend of Israel  —  WASHINGTON — Five days ago, during a closed-door meeting with a group of Middle East experts, administration officials, and journalists, King Abdullah II of Jordan gave his assessment of how Arabs view the debate within …

Tucson SWAT Team Defends Shooting Iraq Vet 60 Times  —  A Tucson, Ariz., SWAT team defends shooting an Iraq War veteran 60 times during a drug raid, although it declines to say whether it found any drugs in the house and has had to retract its claim that the veteran shot first.

Tough week for Tea Party ends with fizzling rally  —  The Columbia Tea Party went from Donald Trump to jilted chump after the celebrity businessman canceled his appearance at Thursday's State House rally, and state legislators approved tax breaks and spending that the group opposed.

Krauthammer: C'mon, Herman Cain's candidacy is for entertainment purposes only  —  Via the Right Scoop, I'm not nearly as sure as Kraut is that this is true.  If Palin surprises everyone by staying out, Iowa will be wide open for a “true conservative” to emerge.

White House on War Powers Deadline: ‘Limited’ US Role in Libya Means No Need to Get Congressional Authorization  —  In an effort to satisfy those arguing he needs to seek congressional authorization to continue US military activity in accordance with the War Powers Resolution …

GOP Response To Town Hall Backlash: Ban Recording Devices And Censor Citizen Journalists  —  The premier political story of the past few months has been the Republican plan to dismantle Medicare and the resulting voter backlash.  In town halls across the country, voters are expressing …

Prosser wins recount in Wisconsin Supreme Court race  —  Vote margin still at 7,000 plus; Kloppenburg camp considers legal challenge  —  By Patrick Marley, Larry Sandler and Mike Johnson of the Journal Sentinel  —  With the weeks-long recount complete, unofficial numbers confirm …

Keep the Briefs Brief, Literary Justices Advise  —  WASHINGTON — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose writing is clear but dry, said her style owed something to Vladimir Nabokov, the author of “Lolita.”  —  Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, whose opinions can meander, said he aspired …

Harry Reid: ‘Foolish’ for Democrats to offer budget plan  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speaks on Capitol Hill Tuesday.  (Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images)  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it would be “foolish” for Democrats to propose their own federal budget for 2012 …

Mitch Daniels hurt, gets 16 stitches to forehead  —  Indiana Republican governor Mitch Daniels was hit in the forehead by a swinging door after concluding a workout Friday afternoon, prompting an injury that required 16 stitches.  —  “Governor Mitch Daniels received 16 stitches …

Islands in the stream: The extraordinary homemade dams holding back the Mississippi as desperate residents try to save their homes  —  We've all undertaken home improvements but these residents in flood-stricken Mississippi have had to embark on major construction projects just to protect their houses and livelihoods.

GOPers embrace unorthodox tax plans  —  In this Republican primary season, no economic or monetary policy is too unorthodox for an electorate hungry for change.  —  The Republican field is filled with potential candidates who have called for radical overhauls of the tax code …

Profiling CEOs and Their Sociopathic Paychecks  —  The Wall Street Journal reported last week that “Executives and other highly compensated employees now receive more than one-third of all pay in the US.  Highly paid employees received nearly $2.1 trillion of the $6.4 trillion in total US pay in 2007, the latest figures available.”