Designer of Ann Romney's $1K Shirt Says It's Off The Rack  —  CHANTILLY, Va. — The fashion house that makes the nearly $1,000 blouse worn by Ann Romney on morning television earlier this week tells ABC News that they had nothing to do with the wardrobe choice, remarking that they'd prefer to stay out of politics.

Activist Chen Guangcheng: Let Me Leave China on Hillary Clinton's Plane  —  In an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast's Melinda Liu, blind dissident Chen Guangcheng says he's been abandoned by American officials at a Chinese hospital and begs to leave the country on Hillary Clinton's plane.

Barry's Imaginary Girlfriend  —  There has been a lot of hilarity today over the revelation that the “New York girlfriend” who plays a significant role in Barack Obama's autobiography Dreams From My Father did not, strictly speaking, exist.  Rather, she was a composite or “compression” …

Video: The freaky quadruple deaky “tanning mom” clip  —  It's come to this.  —  Via Mediaite, I've been looking around all day for a palate cleanser.  And now, at last, I've found it.  Trust me: Whatever you have on your news palate right now, this'll clean it right out.  Doesn't matter how important it is.

Gilbert mass killing: Border militia leader identified as shooter  —  A border militia leader on Wednesday shot and killed four people at a Gilbert home, including a toddler, before committing suicide, sources said.  —  Sources identified the shooter as Jason “J.T.” Ready …

Behind Richard Grenell's Departure, a Right-Wing Storm  —  It was the biggest moment yet for Mitt Romney's foreign policy team: a conference call last Thursday, dialed into by dozens of news outlets from around the globe, to dissect and denounce President's Obama record on national security.

FRIENDLY FIRE: OCCUPIER HITS OCCUPIER WITH BRICK TO FACE  —  Yesterday afternoon, San Francisco protesters returned to 888 Turk Street, a vacant building they briefly occupied last month.  After re-occupying the vacant building Tuesday, some members of the group climbed onto the roof …

OWS bums are a big joke  —  MELEE: A cop, facing a threat from behind him, wields his club at OWS protesters in Greenwich Village yesterday amid rallies that were far from crippling.  —  Occupy Wall Street's call for May Day mayhem largely fizzled yesterday — but at least provided a good laugh …

Senators urge Village Voice to pull online sex ads  —  A group of senators has introduced a resolution urging Village Voice Media to take down the “adult entertainment” section of its classified-ads site, Backpage.com.  —  In a statement released Wednesday, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) …

Is Obama More Popular Than He Should Be?  —  It's well known that presidential approval ratings are a powerful predictor of election outcomes.  President Obama's current 47 percent approval rating would be among the lowest approval ratings of any incumbent president who went on to be re-elected.

GOP seeks to portray President Obama as nation's divider-in-chief  —  Republicans are seeking to portray President Obama as the divider-in-chief, arguing the presidential candidate who trumpeted hope and change four years ago is now running an increasingly negative campaign.

Treasury: Tax receipts not changing deadline on $16.4T debt limit  —  Lawmakers will not have to re-fight their epic battle over raising the debt ceiling until after the November elections, according to the Treasury Department.  —  April tax receipts have not moved Treasury's debt-ceiling target date …

MAY DAY PROTESTORS CANNOT EXPLAIN THEIR SIGNS OR THEIR CAUSE  —  Yesterday at Chicago's Union Park for the May Day march, I found group of protesters from the Asociación de Vendedores Ambulantes (Street Vendors Association) holding signs from the Chicago Community and Workers' Rights.

Spike that football, Dogeater-in-Chief.  Spike it as hard as you can.  —  Neil Munro reports: … Well, yeah, but other than that.  —  And why was Obama in Afghanistan?  To remind everybody that one year ago today, he climbed through Osama Bin Laden's window with a knife between his teeth and took the bastard out personally.

The state both parties want  —  The verdict is in: Barack Obama's 2008 victory in Virginia was not a fluke.  For the once reliably Republican state, competitive presidential elections are the new normal.  —  Just look at the candidates' schedules.  President Obama will make Richmond …

Warren: I used minority listing to make friends  —  Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, fending off questions about whether she used her Native American heritage to advance her career, said today she enrolled herself as a minority in law school directories for nearly a decade …

Newt Gingrich drops out: ‘Truly wild ride’ is over  —  ARLINGTON, Va. — Newt Gingrich finally called it quits.  —  For all intents and purposes, his campaign was over months ago.  —  In a crowded hotel ballroom steps from a Washington, D.C.-area subway stop Wednesday afternoon …