Obama's Gloves Are Off — And May Need to Stay Off  —  Unable once again to score a knockout, Sen. Barack Obama is likely to make his new negative tone even more negative — with a sharp eye on trying to end the Democratic presidential nomination fight after the May 6 primaries in Indiana and North Carolina.

RNC CALLS WRIGHT AD ‘NOT APPROPRIATE’  —  From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann  —  Update to NC Gop anti-Obama ad that references the Rev. Jeremiah Wright...  Per the RNC, the national leadership of the Republican Party has been in contact this morning with the North Carolina GOP, urging them to refrain from running the “Extreme” ad.

More People Have Voted For Hillary Than Any Other Candidate  —  After last night's decisive victory in Pennsylvania, more people have voted for Hillary than any other candidate, including Sen. Obama.  —  Estimates vary slightly, but according to Real Clear Politics, Hillary has received 15,095,663 votes …

‘Basic Instinct’ Director Paul Verhoeven: Jesus Was Son of Mary and a Roman Rapist  —  In his upcoming biography of Jesus, “Basic Instinct” director Paul Verhoeven will make the shocking claim that Christ probably was the son of Mary and a Roman soldier who raped her during the Jewish uprising in Galilee …

Election 2008: Nevada Presidential Election  —  Nevada: McCain 48% Obama 43%  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Nevada shows John McCain leading both potential Democratic opponents in the race for the state's Electoral College.  McCain has a five-point edge over Barack Obama …

Terrorist Fundraisers for Obama  —  Two years ago, Hatem El-Hady was the chairman of the Toledo, Ohio-based Islamic charity, Kindhearts, which was closed by the US government in February 2006 for terrorist fundraising and all its assets frozen.  Today, El-Hady has redirected his fundraising efforts …

Hagee Says Hurricane Katrina Struck New Orleans Because It Was ‘Planning A Sinful’ ‘Homosexual Rally’  —  On September 18, 2006, Pastor John Hagee — whose endorsement Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said this past Sunday he was “glad to have” — told NPR's Terry Gross that “Hurricane Katrina was …

Bill: Stop selling Playboy, Penthouse on base  —  Concerned that the military is selling pornography in exchange stores in spite of a ban, one lawmaker has introduced a bill to clean up the matter.  —  “Our troops should not see their honor sullied so that the moguls behind magazines …

$100 fill-ups arrive at gas pumps  —  COALINGA, California (CNN) — Noel Bosse and Ken Davis watch as the numbers keep spinning at the gas pump — 70 bucks, 80 bucks.  Gulp, guzzle, then it stops: $101 for about 25 gallons.  —  The $100 fill-up has arrived in the United States.

Edwards Backers Team Up With Obama  —  No, John Edwards has not yet endorsed a candidate.  —  But nearly 50 of his most prominent backers lined up behind Senator Barack Obama today, in a gesture designed to give Mr. Obama a heavy boost of support less than two weeks before the North Carolina primary on May 6.

Inmate Count in U.S. Dwarfs Other Nations'  —  The United States has less than 5 percent of the world's population.  But it has almost a quarter of the world's prisoners.  —  Indeed, the United States leads the world in producing prisoners, a reflection of a relatively recent …

Times columnist pied in face by activist  —  Male accomplice threw political pamphlets  —  A female audience member ran on stage last night and threw a green pie at New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, who had just begun a lecture on environmentalism in Salomon 101.