Police: Zimmerman says Trayvon decked him with one blow then began hammering his head  —  With a single punch, Trayvon Martin decked the Neighborhood Watch volunteer who eventually shot and killed the unarmed 17-year-old, then Trayvon climbed on top of George Zimmerman and slammed his head …

President Obama Asks Medvedev for ‘Space’ on Missile Defense — ‘After My Election I Have More Flexibility’  —  SEOUL, South Korea — At the tail end of his 90 minute meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev Monday, President Obama said that he would have “more flexibility” …

Argument recap: Moving on to the mandate (FINAL UPDATE)  —  When Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., commented at the end of Monday's first day of hearings on the health care law, “We'll continue argument on this case tomorrow,” it seemed to have a secondary meaning even if he did not intend it.

Newt Gingrich loses his print reporters  —  Newt Gingrich has lost his last embedded print reporters, reporters on the trail confirm.  —  The last two print reporters covering Gingrich full-time on the trail — from POLITICO and the Atlanta Journal Constitution — pulled out on Friday.

Strauss-Kahn charged in alleged prostitution ring  —  (CNN) — Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was charged in France on Monday with “aggravated pimping” for his alleged participation in a prostitution ring, prosecutors said.  —  He is not allowed to have contact …

Racist Hunger Games Fans Are Very Disappointed [Hunger Games]  —  The good news?  The Hunger Games made $155 million at the box office its opening weekend, making it the third-best debut in North American box office history.  The bad news, however, reflects a level of idiocy that we weren't really expecting.

Obama's health law proving successful  —  Just in time for the two-year anniversary of the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the law's constitutionality this week.  —  This is a political column.

Catholic Bishops Lose a Big Battle Over Contraception  —  For the past several months, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has been waging war on the Obama administration over reproductive health care, declaring it no less than a battle over religious freedom.

Gohmert: Liberals should fear ‘redneck president’ if court upholds mandate  —  Liberals should be concerned about what a future “redneck president” could impose on them if the Supreme Court upholds the healthcare reform law's mandate that everyone have insurance, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said Monday.

Models Based on ‘Fundamentals’ Have Failed at Predicting Presidential Elections  —  The 1988 presidential election was a victory for political science.  Michael Dukakis had led George Bush in the polls for much of the spring and summer.  But Mr. Bush had some fundamental advantages …

Mitt: I Won't Detail Plans, Because Then I'd Lose  —  You'll have to wait until I'm elected.  —  Mitt Romney has embraced a budget plan that would entail cutting federal programs other than defense and Social Security by more than half.  It does raise the question of how he plans to carry out such a sweeping goal.

The silly 2016 speculation game  —  It may be impossible to make any serious predictions about a far-off race, but that has never stopped a pundit  —  Being that it's still March 2012 and we have no way of knowing who will actually be president by the end of January 2013 (besides “not Ron Paul …

It's Not Just a “War on Women.”  It's Worse.  —  I bumped into a friend I'll call Kim four or five days ago on my way to the chairlift for some afternoon skiing.  She was on her snowboard and riding single for a few hours before her evening shift at a local restaurant.

EXCLUSIVE: The Story Behind Cheney's Heart Transplant Surgery  —  It was a call from the cardiology department at Inova Fairfax Hospital; he was told to come to the hospital quickly - a donor heart was likely to become available within hours.  —  “His response was to say, 'Sure.  What time?

Pennsylvania representative asks if female co-sponsors of state ultrasound bill are ‘men with breasts’  —  Pennsylvania State Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Philadelphia, picked up the political hand grenade that is the state's ultrasound bill today when she wondered aloud at a Capitol rally …

Jane Fonda to play Nancy Reagan in ‘Butler’  —  Actress will portray former First Lady in Lee Daniels pic  —  In the midst of recruiting an all-star ensemble for his long-gestating passion project “The Butler,” director Lee Daniels has tapped Jane Fonda to play Nancy Reagan.

Non-Conundrum of the Prius Fallacy  —  This is the most recent in CO2Scorecard's ongoing analytical series on Energy Rebound and its misplaced centrality in the climate change discussion.  For previous research notes on the topic, please click here and here.  —  Corresponding author: Kendyl.Salcito@CO2Scorecard.org

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