How Prosecutors Fought to Keep Rosen's Warrant Secret  —  The Obama Administration fought to keep a search warrant for James Rosen's private e-mail account secret, arguing to a federal judge that the government might need to monitor the account for a lengthy period of time.

Fewer Americans Identify as Economic Conservatives in 2013  —  Thirty percent say they are liberal on social issues, a new high  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Forty-one percent of Americans now characterize their economic views as “conservative,” or “very conservative,” the lowest since President …

Gabriel Gomez calls Ed Markey ‘pond scum’  —  Massachusetts GOP Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez called his opponent, longtime Rep. Ed Markey, “pond scum” during an interview with an NPR reporter on Thursday.  —  “I don't think there's anything more offensive,” Gomez said …

California Will Be Spared the Obamacare Apocalypse  —  No sticker shock here—just affordable insurance premiums  —  Predictions of an Obamacare apocalypse seem a little less credible today, thanks to California.  —  On Thursday, officials in that state offered the first detailed glimpse …

Strassel: Conservatives Became Targets in 2008  —  The Obama campaign played a big role in a liberal onslaught that far pre-dated Citizens United.  —  The White House insists President Obama is “outraged” by the “inappropriate” targeting and harassment of conservative groups.

Medea Benjamin Surprised Obama Drones Speech Protest Worked  —  WASHINGTON — Even Medea Benjamin was surprised she managed to get into President Barack Obama's major national security address at National Defense University on Thursday.  The long-time Code Pink protestor (and HuffPost blogger) …

Nearly a Quarter of People in Greece and the U.S. Can't Afford Food  —  Hunger has grown dramatically in Europe since 2007  —  No matter where you're from, not having enough to eat is the ultimate signifier of economic distress.  Food is the base of Maslow's hierarchy.  It's the first concern in disaster zones.

Cars, drivers plunge into river after Wash. I-5 bridge collapse  —  Three people were rescued from water after a bridge along Interstate-5 in Washington State collapsed on Thursday evening, plunging cars into Skagit River below, according to Washington State Patrol.

Congressman: Women Should Be Forced To Give Birth To Fetuses With No Brain Function  —  At a congressional committee hearing to discuss a proposed measure to criminalize abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, a Texas lawmaker told a woman who made the difficult choice to terminate …

Laying Down My Pen  —  When an opportunity comes to do something good, one must grab it.  —  At 2 p.m. central time Thursday afternoon in Mobile, word spread that U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, a six-term Republican from a dark red district, would announce that he is resigning mid-term (Aug. 15) …

Senate Republicans Oppose Budget Blockade By Tea Party In Growing GOP Feud  —  WASHINGTON — A tea party rebellion by several U.S. senators blocking progress on the federal budget may be working for them, but not for their fellow Republican lawmakers — even ones who mostly agree with them.

Michelle Nunn actively preparing for Senate campaign in Georgia  —  Businesswoman Michele Nunn is actively preparing for a Senate campaign in Georgia and Democrats there expect an announcement early this summer, according to two sources with knowledge of the plans.

Obama met privately with Friedman, Ignatius, etc.  —  President Obama held a private meeting with top national security journalists on Thursday afternoon following his national security policy address at the National Defense University in Washington, POLITICO has learned.

Noonan: A Battering Ram Becomes a Stonewall  —  The IRS's leaders refuse to account for the agency's corruption and abuse.  —  “I don't know.”  “I don't remember.”  “I'm not familiar with that detail.”  “It's not my precise area.”  “I'm not familiar with that letter.”

Scores of TGI Fridays in New Jersey ‘busted for selling caramel-colored rubbing alcohol as top-shelf scotch’ in statewide crackdown dubbed Operation Swill  —  At one bar, a mixture that included rubbing alcohol and caramel coloring was sold as scotch.  In another, premium liquor bottles …

Budget Cuts Get Personal; Those Who Are Hurt, Holler  —  The federal budget sequester may be dampening a rise in economic optimism: Nearly four in 10 Americans now say sequestration has hurt them personally, up substantially since it began in March - and they're far less sanguine than others about the economy's prospects overall.

Yet Another Hulu Bidder!  Yahoo Is In, Too.  —  Add one more name to the Hulu bidding derby: Yahoo, which just announced plans to buy Tumblr for $1.1 billion, has made an offer on the video website as well.  —  The Web giant submitted a bid for the video site this morning, according to a person familiar with process.

No Wonder Republican Criticism of Obama Isn't Working  —  They're attacking the president where he's least vulnerable at a time when they have minimal credibility.  —  Henny Youngman, the late borscht belt comedian, told hundreds of politically incorrect jokes.  One of them was his response when asked, “How's your wife?”

China Tells North Korea to Return to Nuclear Talks  —  BEIJING — The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, bluntly told a North Korean envoy Friday that his country should return to diplomatic talks designed to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons, according to a state-run Chinese news agency.

EXCLUSIVE: Parents Of Underage Victim In Kate Hunt's Case Defend Actions  —  SEBASTIAN, Fla. — A local teen's family says she is being unfairly prosecuted for a same-sex relationship.  But now a new twist in the case that has gripped the nation.  —  The parents of the underage victim speak …

Man charged with making ‘racist or anti-religious’ Facebook comments about British soldier's death  — Police say people should be careful about what they write on twitter as the ‘consequences could be serious’  —  A 22-year-old man has been charged on suspicion of making malicious comments …

The Collapse Of Public Infrastructure Spending In One Chart  —  The big news today is that a bridge in Washington collapsed, throwing cars into the water.  Amazingly, nobody died.  —  This may revive debate about the need to spend more on infrastructure, which would have multiple positive effects.