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.

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.

The dangerous new Obama book  —  Months before Barack Obama knew Mitt Romney would be his political opponent in 2012, the president knew the identity of his foremost literary challenger: Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Maraniss, who had been reaching out to Obama's old friends, classmates and lovers for the past several years.

Jindal: 'I've got the job that I want'  —  (CNN) - Republican Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Thursday vaguely responded to questions about him serving as vice president on the Republican presidential ticket in 2012.  —  “I've got the job that I want,” Jindal said on CNN's “Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien.”

On Hannity, Michelle Malkin Tears Into Juan Williams' Comparing Occupy Violence To Tea Party ‘Racism’  —  Sean Hannity brought in Michelle Malkin and Juan Williams to discuss the Occupy movement on Wednesday night.  As Hannity and Malkin criticized the movement's violence, Williams defended it …

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 …

Ann Romney's Reed Krakoff Bird T-Shirt Costs $990  —  Today Mitt and Ann Romney appeared on CBS's This Morning to talk about Barack Obama, Osama bin Laden, and a slew of other political things.  Sharp eyes over at The Cut noticed that Ann was wearing a bird-printed t-shirt by Reed Krakoff.

Bachmann to endorse Romney  —  (CBS News) Former GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., plans to endorse the party's presumptive nominee Mitt Romney at a campaign event in Portsmouth, Va., on Thursday, Romney campaign officials say.  —  As competitors on the stump …

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 …

Catholics' Presidential Pick Differs by Ethnicity, Religiosity  —  Catholics overall are evenly split between Obama and Romney  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Catholic voters in the United States are evenly split in their support for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney for president, mirroring the national trend.

Dubious donations (gangster government edition)  —  We have published a series of posts on Obamae's “dubious donations” — i.e., the Obama campaign's invitation of fraudulent and illegal giving through the disabling of basic credit card/debit card verification devices.

Progress Is Seen in Advancing a Final Volcker Rule  —  A major new rule that has drawn the ire of Wall Street is on track for completion sooner than some bankers had expected, dashing the hopes of financial industry lobbyists, who have pressed for a delay.  —  Regulators are making significant progress …

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.

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 …

My Grandfather Had High Cheekbones ‘Like All the Indians Do’  —  Speaking to a reporter on a local news station in Boston, Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts cited her ancestor's “high cheekbones” (quoting an aunt) as evidence of her Native American heritage:

GOPers flock to Ailes's Fox office  —  When politicians head to New York, it's often to fill their campaign coffers with Wall Street cash.  —  But there's another important stop for Republicans in the Big Apple: the second floor office of Fox News chief Roger Ailes.

Readers React: Sloganeering on the Road to the White House  —  U.Va. Center for Politics  —  In 2008, Barack Obama used the phrase “Yes We Can” as part of his effort to energize millions of voters to support his presidential bid.  On Monday, the Obama campaign revealed its 2012 slogan …