Romney Praises 2008 Bank Bailout  —  Credits Bush, not Obama for saving the country from a Great Depression.  A big policy statement on a tough day.  —  US Presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks at his Illinois primary night party March 20, 2012 in Schaumburg, Illinois.  —  (Getty Images / DON EMMERT)

French Slaying Suspect Dead After Police Raid Hideout  —  TOULOUSE, France —A 23-year-old Frenchman who claimed responsibility for the killings of four men and three children died on Thursday after jumping from a balcony as security forces stormed the apartment where had been holed up for more than 30 hours …

How Paul Ryan sold his budget plan  —  The Paul Ryan budget was a political disaster last year for Republicans.  This year the GOP had a much more methodical, careful rollout.  —  The party polled on Medicare in 50 battleground districts.  It vetted the plan with a dozen conservative groups.

AUDIO: NOM confronts Starbucks on marriage equality; gets smacked down to great applause  —  NOM gets SMACKED DOWN!  Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Shultz says the company's support for marriage equality “was not something that was a difficult decision for us”:

Jason Mattera Still Hasn't Found What He's Looking For  —  As part of the promotional rollout for his new book, Hollywood Hypocrites, Jason Mattera yesterday unveiled an ambush interview he conducted with U2 lead singer Bono.  Or at least, that's who Mattera thought he had ambushed.

Americans Favor Keystone XL Pipeline  —  Republicans twice as likely as Democrats to say the government should approve it  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — A solid majority of Americans think the U.S. government should approve of building the Keystone XL pipeline, while 29% think it should not.

Please Stop Apologizing  —  THIS week, Robert De Niro made a joke about first ladies, and Newt Gingrich said it was “inexcusable and the president should apologize for him.”  Of course, if something is “inexcusable,” an apology doesn't make any difference, but then again, neither does Newt Gingrich.

Keller city manager lays himself off  —  KELLER — Keller City Manager Dan O'Leary decided that someone from the top management ranks at City Hall had to go.  So the person he laid off was himself.  —  He told the City Council of his decision during a closed session Tuesday, then announced it Wednesday morning.

Linda McMahon pins Christopher Shays, Connecticut poll says  —  A majority of Republican voters prefer former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon to former Rep. Christopher Shays in the Connecticut senatorial primary, according to a new survey.

How al-Qaeda tried to control the media  —  Among the last known images of Osama bin Laden is a video seized at his compound the night he was killed, which shows the al-Qaeda leader hunched before a television screen studying a video of himself.  It's testimony to bin Laden's obsession …

Occupy Protester Dumped Tub of Feces: Police  —  Police said Occupy Wall Street protesters were captured on surveillance video dragging a large receptacle of human urine and feces into a public space in Lower Manhattan  —  This is raw surveillance video of Occupy Wall Street protesters …

AP Fact Check: In 36 Years Of Data, Not A Shred Of Evidence That Drilling Reduces Gas Prices  —  Experts deny that drilling brings down gas prices, despite how often Republicans claim to have the “silver bullet.”  Now, the Associated Press reports that an analysis of 36 years …

Chinese coup watching  —  Last week, controversial politician Bo Xilai, whose relatively open campaigning for a seat on China's top ruling council shocked China watchers (and possibly his elite peers, as well), was removed from his post as Chongqing's party secretary.  He hasn't been seen since.