Famed crime boss James ‘Whitey’ Bulger arrested in Santa Monica  —  Legendary Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger, who has been on the run for more than a decade, was arrested Wednesday in Santa Monica, multiple law enforcement sources told The Times.  —  Bulger, 81, has been the subject …

Senate Republicans moving closer to saying ‘I do’ to gay marriage in New York State  —  ALBANY - Senate Republicans on Wednesday were close to signing off on a religious protection provision that could boost the chances that gay marriage will pass in New York.

Cantor Pulls Out of Biden-Led Budget Talks  —  WASHINGTON—House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Thursday said he was pulling out of the bipartisan budget talks headed by Vice President Joe Biden for now because the group has reached an impasse over taxes that only President Barack Obama and Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) could resolve.

W.H. to release 30M barrels of oil  —  The Obama administration will release 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to offset oil supply disruptions in the Middle East, the Energy Department announced Thursday morning.  —  Other International Energy Agency countries …

Geert Wilders Verdict: Not Guilty All Counts!  Eureka!  “Today is a victory for freedom of speech”  —  UPDATE: “I am delighted with this ruling,” says Geert Wilders.  “It is a victory, not only for me but for all the Dutch people.  Today is a victory for freedom of speech.

Why Obama Is Likely to Lose in 2012  —  Even a small drop in the share of black voters would wipe out his winning margin in North Carolina.  —  President Barack Obama is likely to be defeated in 2012.  The reason is that he faces four serious threats.  The economy is very weak and unlikely …

Liberal Dems slam Obama for ‘pursuing wrong mission’ in Afghanistan  —  A number of liberal Democrats expressed dissatisfaction with President Obama's plan to expedite the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.  —  They said the administration's nation-building strategy is destined to fail …

EXCLUSIVE — Herman Cain: Jon Stewart Attacked Me 'Because I'm Black'  —  ThinkProgress filed this report from Iowa Falls, Iowa.  —  Earlier this month, ThinkProgress reported that GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain told an audience in Pella, Iowa that he would not sign a bill longer than three pages.

The Haunting of Rick Perry  —  Should Gov. Rick Perry of Texas enter the 2012 presidential race, he would enjoy a strange and remarkable escort — the irrepressible ghost of Cameron Todd Willingham.  —  Charged with the horrific crime of intentionally torching his home and leaving …

Ryan Medicare Plan Would Make Americans Worse by 57%-34%, Poll Shows  —  Representative Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman who has become a star in the Republican Party with his plan to overhaul Medicare, is emerging as a polarizing figure among Americans.

Jobless claims point to weak labor market  —  (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose last week, suggesting little improvement in the labor market this month after employment stumbled in May.  —  Initial claims for state unemployment benefits climbed 9,000 …

A Strange Time For A Deficit Panic  —  Deficits can impede economic growth.  No borrower is safer than the government.  So when the government wants to borrow a lot of money and investors start charging it a high interest rate, the borrowing costs for everyone else go up.

I Liked the ‘Chinese Professor’ Ad, But This Is Stupid and Offensive  —  (See update below.)  Unlike many people, I admired the panache and artistry of the “Chinese Professor” ad used during last fall's campaign to warn about the self- destructive tendencies of America's borrow-and-spend era.

Drafting Rubio  —  The Republican nomination for president is completely up for grabs, but there's a lot of agreement on who the vice presidential pick should be: freshman senator Marco Rubio.  —  The Republican nomination for president is completely up for grabs, but there's a lot of agreement …

Has O.J. Simpson confessed murder to Oprah?  Huge TV interview planned in which convict ‘will admit he killed Nicole in self-defence as she pulled a knife on him’  —  O.J Simpson has confessed to Oprah Winfrey that he murdered his former wife, it has been reported.

The Interpretation-Construction Distinction  —  Constitutional Commentary, Vol. 27, pp.  95-118, 2010  —  Abstract:  —  The interpretation-construction distinction, which marks the difference between linguistic meaning and legal effect, is much discussed these days.

Some of Tim Pawlenty's top aides working for little or no pay, source says  —  At least five top advisers to former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty have been working for little or no pay for several months, a campaign source said Wednesday.  —  The news establishes with more certainty …

Democrats Blue as Senate Acquires a Reddish Tinge  —  Larry J. Sabato and Kyle Kondik, U.Va. Center for Politics  —  As we take a fresh look at next year's Senate races, one thing is clear: Barring an unexpected reelection landslide by President Obama, Republicans are at least slightly favored to take the Senate.

Inside the Anonymous Army of ‘Hacktivist’ Attackers  —  HOOGEZAND-SAPPEMEER, Netherlands—In this sleepy Dutch town last December, police burst into the bedroom of 19-year-old Martijn Gonlag as he hurriedly pulled on jeans over his boxer shorts.  He was hauled away on suspicion of taking part …

So much for real victory - unless, that is, it's merely a political one  —  So now we know: After 10 years, billions of dollars and thousands of American casualties, victory in Afghanistan come 2014 will consist of having killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.  The rest is process …

Private emails detail Obama admin involvement in cutting non-union worker pensions post-GM bailout  —  New emails obtained by The Daily Caller contradict claims by the Obama administration that the Treasury Department would avoid “intervening in the day-to-day management” of General Motors post-auto bailout.

Marine reservist charged in D.C.-area military shootings  —  A 22-year-old Alexandria man has been charged with shooting at military buildings in the D.C. region last fall, and federal officials said in court papers that he videotaped himself shouting “Allah Akbar” after he fired shots at the U.S. Marine Corps museum in October.

New Hampshire: Lawmakers Override Veto of Abortion Consent Bill  —  The State Legislature on Wednesday overrode Gov. John Lynch's veto of a bill that requires abortion providers to notify parents of minors 48 hours before performing the procedure.  The House overrode the veto by a 266-102 vote; the Senate vote was 17-7.