Palin's “Exploratory” Campaign: A Nationwide Bus Tour  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — In a move designed to propel her closer to a presidential run, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will set out on a bus tour of the country on Sunday, making stops at symbolic sites along the way.

DNC chairwoman doesn't drive American  —  The chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) appears to drive a foreign car, despite criticizing Republican presidential candidates for supposedly favoring foreign auto manufacturers.  —  Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) …

The Dreamer Goes Down For The Count  —  I had never thought there were many similarities between the pleasure-loving Charles II of England and the more upright Barack Obama until this week.  Listening to his speeches on the Middle East at the State Department, US-Israel relations …

Disaster aid under new scrutiny  —  While much of Joplin, Mo., is still under rubble from a devastating tornado, conservatives in Congress are starting to argue for a tougher approach to disaster aid, demanding that any funding be offset by cutting federal money elsewhere.

Mitt Romney Sends Leftover Pizza to Obama Chicago HQ  —  ABC's Emily Friedman (@abcemily) reports: After spending the day in Chicago fundraising, Mitt Romney sat down with small business owners at Gino's East, a pizza joint famous for their deep-dish pizza.  —  Not wanting any of the leftover slices …

GOP forces Senate pro-forma session, blocking Warren recess appointment  —  GOP opposition is preventing the Senate from completely adjourning for the Memorial Day recess.  —  GOP opposition is preventing the Senate from completely adjourning for the Memorial Day recess.

Mark Zuckerberg's new challenge: Eating only what he kills (and yes, we do mean literally...)  —  Last year Mark Zuckerberg set out to learn Chinese.  Now he's determined to get in touch with his food.  If the goats, lobsters and chickens of Silicon Valley aren't trembling, they should be.

Judge Voids Wisconsin Law Curbing Unions  —  Ruling that Republicans in the State Senate had violated the state's open meetings law, a judge in Wisconsin dealt a blow to them and to Gov. Scott Walker on Thursday by granting a permanent injunction that voided a law curbing collective bargaining rights for many state and local employees.

$500 Million Obama Administration Program Will Help Kids ‘Sit Still’ in Kindergarten  —  (CNSNews.com) - Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told CNSNews.com on Wednesday that the administration's new $500 million early learning initiative is designed to deal with children …

Pakistan shuts down U.S. ‘intelligence fusion’ cells  —  Pakistan also tells the U.S. to cut back its troops in the country, in a move amid deepening mistrust after the U.S. raid to kill Osama bin Laden and a CIA contractor's shooting of two Pakistani men.  Joints Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen heads to Pakistan for talks.

House defeats effort to scale down Afghan war in close 204-215 vote  —  The House on Thursday narrowly shot down an amendment to scale back military operations in Afghanistan.  —  In a close 204-215 vote, the House rejected a bipartisan amendment from Reps. James McGovern (D-Mass.) …

Pawlenty Says If He Were President He Would Sign Paul Ryan's Budget  —  ABC News' Matthew Jaffe (@JaffeMatt) reports:  —  After facing criticism in recent days for sidestepping the issue, Tim Pawlenty today in New Hampshire said if he were president and Rep. Paul Ryan's budget proposal came to his desk, he would sign it.

Vermont's Road to Single Payer: HHS Waivers Required; You Can Help … Today Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed a truly historic law that will put Vermont on the path towards being the first state in America with a progressive and unified health care system.

Allen West Suggests Anti-War Congressmen Should ‘Get Shot At A Few Times’  —  In the wake of the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the House came closer than it ever has to voting for an end to the war in Afghanistan today when a bipartisan amendment that would have required President Obama …

John Edwards Meets Privately with Bunny Mellon, Potential Witness in Cover Up Case  —  ABC's James Hill reports: John Edwards, while facing looming criminal indictment, spent the afternoon in Upperville, Virginia, visiting one of the key players in the alleged scheme to cover-up his affair.

The Greatest Achievement of the Settlers  —  The settlers of the West Bank have accomplished a great many things: They have built entire towns on previously-barren hilltops; they have created a network of schools, religious institutions and cultural centers that rival their counterparts in Israel proper.

The Growth And Success Of Post-Jewish Zionism  —  Tanya Somanader has a post about a curious op-ed from Joe Walsh (R-IL) in which he castigates “most American Jews” for our insufficiently hawkish views on Israel.  And over the weekend Dan Webster (R-FL) offered a plausible rebuttal …

Goodwin Liu Withdraws … Like This Story … - The Real Reason the GOP Blocked Goodwin Liu's Nomination: He's Too Young- Authorities Have Four Months To Make Loughner Mentally Fit for Trial.  How Will They Do It?  - Having a Real Hangover Is More Fun Than Watching The Hangover 2- Pop-Up Video Is Making a Comeback.

Clinton walks back debt remarks  —  Though many in his party have been furiously warning about the dire consequences of failing to raise the debt ceiling, former President Bill Clinton isn't so sure.  —  “If we defaulted on the debt once for a few days, it might not be calamitous,” …

Gross Domestic Product, First Quarter 2011 (second estimate); Corporate Profits, First Quarter 2011 (preliminary estimate)  —  Real gross domestic product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States — increased at an annual rate of 1.8 percent …