Appeals court fires back at Obama's comments on health care case  —  (CBS News) In the escalating battle between the administration and the judiciary, a federal appeals court apparently is calling the president's bluff — ordering the Justice Department to answer by Thursday whether …

Anti-Evolution ‘Monkey Bill’ Poised To Become Law In Tennessee  —  Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) announced yesterday that he will “probably” sign a bill that attacks the teaching of “biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning” …

Scarborough: ‘No One’ In GOP Establishment Thinks Romney Will Beat Obama  —  Unemployment stubbornly over 8%.  His landmark piece of legislation in dire peril of being dumped by the Supreme Court.  The “flexibility” moment with Putin's pawn.  Does that sound like an invincible incumbent to you?

Sarah Palin's ‘rogue’ pick for VP: Allen West  —  Sarah Palin says there's one name at the top of her list if the Republican Party wants to “go rogue” in its pick for the vice presidential nominee: Rep. Allen West.  —  The former vice presidential candidate told Fox News's Sean Hannity …

First Thoughts: The writing is on the wall  —  After last night's sweep, the writing's on the wall: Romney, unless the extraordinary occurs, is going to be the GOP nominee... And Santorum isn't going to win... Updated delegate count: Romney 573, Santorum 212, Gingrich 137, Paul 34 …

Obama gets laughs and ‘amens’ at prayer breakfast  —  President Obama spoke strongly about his faith at an Easter Prayer Breakfast at the White House on Wednesday, at one point getting laughs while quoting Jesus as saying, “in this world you will have trouble.”

Obama Alienates Canada And Mexico At Three Amigos  —  At the U.S.-Mexico-Canada summit, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, left, panned Obama for Fast and Furious, and Canadian PM Stephen... View Enlarged Image  —  Diplomacy: Most summits are mush-mouthed affairs full of pleasantries.

The President's Speech Distorts the Truth to Distract From His Failed Record  —  In today's disappointing speech, the President made a series of claims that are simply false.  —  The President's attacks began with an admission that his assumptions reflect White House spin, not our budget's substance …

Wide Racial, Partisan Gaps in Reactions to Trayvon Martin Coverage  —  Most Republicans See ‘Too Much’ Coverage  —  OVERVIEW  —  The Trayvon Martin shooting is the public's top story for the second consecutive week.  But interest in the teenager's death is deeply divided along partisan, as well as racial, lines.

Top Romney Surrogate: In General Election, Women Will See Romney's ‘Real Views’  —  Tonight on CNN, Robert Ehrlich, Mitt Romney's Maryland campaign chair, suggested that voters — particularly women — would not be exposed to Romney's “real views” until the general election.

Top Romney Surrogate Donald Trump Offers To Expose His ‘Very Very’ Impressive Genitals  —  Politico's Mike Allen reported last month that reality star/businessman/attention seeker Donald Trump is building his political stature as a top surrogate for Mitt Romney.

Calling Radicalism by Its Name  —  President Obama's fruitless three-year search for compromise with the Republicans ended in a thunderclap of a speech on Tuesday, as he denounced the party and its presidential candidates for cruelty and extremism.  He accused his opponents of imposing on the country a …

NBC issues apology on Zimmerman tape screw-up  —  NBC has completed its investigation into the mishandling of the police dispatcher's conversation with George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case.  And the process ends with a finding of error, plus an apology.  Here is the statement just issued by the network:

Wisconsin Lt. Gov.: Recall message is national  —  'We're a harbinger.  We're a canary in a coal mine,' Kleefisch said.  AP Photo  —  Close  —  Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who faces a recall in June along with Gov. Scott Walker, said Wednesday that the election's outcome …

Marine veteran Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. killed after clash with police who responded to his medical emergency  —  Exclusive: White Plains police came to ‘help,’ but shot 68-year-old with stun gun and beanbag gun  —  Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. holds photo of his father, Kenneth Sr. …

Harry Reid loses procedural ruling on budget vote  —  The Senate's chief referee has issued a key ruling against Majority Leader Harry Reid, POLITICO has learned — a move expected to bring unwanted election-year pressure on the Nevada Democrat to act on politically dicey budget bills.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz: Mormonism off limits  —  Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz fired back Wednesday at Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch's claim that Democrats would attack Mitt Romney's Mormon faith in the fall election, saying the charge was “nonsense” and that the issue of religion was off-limits.

DeLaSalle kids have a few words with archdiocese at marriage talk  —  When DeLaSalle senior Matt Bliss heard rumors that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis planned to hold a mandatory school assembly to talk about marriage, and potentially gay marriage, he remembers thinking, “This is not going to end well.”

Solyndra's Loan Guarantee ‘Was Rushed,’ Treasury Audit Says  —  The U.S. Treasury Department was given one day to complete its review of the government's $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra LLC, the bankrupt solar-panel manufacturer, to accommodate an Energy Department press release, according to a Treasury audit.

Voters reject sexual orientation initiative  —  Anchorage voters rejected a proposed ordinance to add legal protections for gay, lesbian and transgender people in a chaotic municipal election fraught with ballot shortages and high voter turnout in many precincts.