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,” …

GOP struggles to land punches at ObamaCare insurance hearing  —  Republicans struggled to land punches against ObamaCare in a hearing Wednesday as responses from insurance companies deflated several lines of questioning.  —  Democratic lawmakers were emboldened to defend the Affordable Care Act …

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.

Putin Announces Pullback from Ukraine Border  —  MOSCOW — In an apparent attempt to halt the spiraling violence in southeastern Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin said on Wednesday that Russia was pulling troops back from the border, and he urged Ukrainian separatists to call off a referendum …

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 …

A Minute With: Megyn Kelly on Fox News and foe Jon Stewart  —  (Reuters) - A decade ago Megyn Kelly was practicing law and moonlighting as a local TV reporter before Fox News Channel came calling, starting a relationship that would take her career from newbie legal correspondent to the host of her own prime-time gig.

FEC chair warns that conservative media like Drudge Report and Sean Hannity face regulation —  like PACs  —  WASHINGTON SECRETS SUPREME COURT FEC MEDIA CONSERVATISM ELECTIONS CITIZENS UNITED ENDORSEMENTS DRUDGE REPORT JOHN PAUL STEVENS  —  Government officials, reacting to the growing voice …

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 …

Nine maps that show how climate change is already affecting the US  —  Climate change isn't just a problem for future generations — it's already affecting broad swaths of the United States.  —  That's the upshot of the National Climate Assessment, a massive new US government report detailing …

Why Resentment is Key to Conservative Politics  —  Jay Nordlinger raised an issue yesterday that The Corner that is really a fundamental part of American politics that people should make sure to understand: … Obviously, this came up during the 2012 presidential campaign.

Holocaust School Assignment Sheet Included Text Lifted From Holocaust Denial Website  —  A disputed essay assignment that asked students in a California school district to argue “whether or not you believe the Holocaust was an actual event in history” incorporated a source that dismissed gassings …

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.

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.