Burning the Beret  —  WASHINGTON — Monica Lewinsky says she would meet me for a drink.  —  I'm game.  —  In her new meditation in Vanity Fair, Monica mashes Hawthorne and Coleridge, proclaiming that she's ready to rip off her “scarlet-A albatross,” “reimagine” her identity and reclaim her narrative.

Gowdy: Benghazi probe could run into '16  —  Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) said the special committee he'll lead on Benghazi could continue into the 2016 campaign, when Hillary Clinton might be running for the White House.  —  Asked about that posibility Wednesday on MSNBC's “Morning Joe,” …

Putin Says Russia Forces Withdraw From Ukraine Border  —  MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said Wednesday that Russian troops had pulled back from the Ukraine border, and he urged separatists in eastern Ukraine to postpone a referendum planned for Sunday.

Clay Aiken has slim edge in North Carolina primary  —  (CNN) - Clay Aiken, the American-Idol star-turned congressional hopeful, holds a razor-thin margin over opponent Keith Crisco in North Carolina's Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat, but CNN and other news organizations have not yet projected a winner.

Animated Debate in New York State Capital?  It's About Yogurt  —  The New York State Senate sometimes considers weighty matters like taxes and budgets.  —  On Tuesday, it focused its attention on yogurt.  —  Specifically, it took up a proposal to designate yogurt as the official state snack.

Nearly 80% of Americans think no one survived Flight 370, CNN poll finds  —  The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370  —  (CNN) — Most Americans believe the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 should continue, but roughly half the country thinks the arduous search …

Federal judge halts John Doe probe into Walker recall  —  By Daniel Bice and Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel  —  A federal judge ordered a halt Tuesdayto the John Doe investigation into campaign spending and fundraising by Gov. Scott Walker's campaign and conservative groups …

Crist: Race Motivates GOP Opposition to Obama  —  Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (D) says that a “big reason” why he left the Republican Party was because many in the GOP treated President Obama poorly due to his race.

Check Your Usage of “Check Your Privilege”  —  The phrase has become a weapon rather than a reminder  —  My freshman year in high school, the administration's diversity czars lined my whole class across the gym and read a series of statements, each accompanied by a command to step forward or backward.

NEWS TORONTO & GTA  —  TORONTO -  —  Mayor Rob Ford says his supporters need not worry because he'll be back in time for the election — and in fighting shape, too.  —  “Of course, I am coming back and I am going to kick butt,” he said.  —  While in self-imposed temporary exile, the mayor admitted he's in kind of a working rehab.

Exclusive: Sarah Palin's Views on Hillary Clinton, Donald Sterling and More!  —  “Extra's” Mario Lopez was invited to go behind the scenes of the Sportsman Channel show “Amazing America with Sarah Palin,” and sat down with Palin at her home in Wasilla, Alaska as she took on some recent headlines.

Nigeria's government defends its actions as more girls are abducted  —  CNN anchor Isha Sesay will be live from Abuja on CNN International, Monday to Thursday at 5, 7, 8.30 and 9 p.m. CET.  —  Abuja, Nigeria (CNN) — Nigeria defended its response to the kidnapping of hundreds of schoolgirls …

Russia Quietly Tightens Reins on Web With ‘Bloggers Law’  —  MOSCOW — Russia has taken another major step toward restricting its once freewheeling Internet, as President Vladimir V. Putin quietly signed a new law requiring popular online voices to register with the government, a measure that lawyers …

Poll: Few journos identify with GOP  —  Image courtesy of “The American Journalist in the Digital Age”  —  The number of journalists identifying themselves as Republican has experienced a significant drop in the past eleven years, a new survey found.  —  The percentage of full …