Democrats Skip Town Halls to Avoid Voter Rage  —  BEL AIR, Md. — The reception that Representative Frank Kratovil Jr., a Democrat, received here one night last week as he faced a small group of constituents was far more pleasant than his encounters during a Congressional recess last summer.

U.S. Intelligence Analyst Arrested in Wikileaks Video Probe  —  Federal officials have arrested an Army intelligence analyst who boasted of giving classified U.S. combat video and hundreds of thousands of classified State Department records to whistleblower site Wikileaks, Wired.com has learned.

Barack Obama Ignores D-Day Anniversary - Goes to Theatre Party Instead  —  On June 6, 1944, the D-Day invasion of Europe took place during World War II as Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France.  America lost 2,499 of its finest men that day.  —  (Enterprise News)

Helen Thomas agrees to bow out as commencement speaker at Walt Whitman High  —  Veteran journalist Helen Thomas, who recently made controversial comments about Israel and Palestine, agreed Sunday not to appear as commencement speaker at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda.

Bernie Madoff, Free at Last  —  In prison he doesn't have to hide his lack of conscience.  In fact, he's a hero for it.  —  Last August, shortly after his arrival at the federal correctional complex in Butner, North Carolina, Bernard L. Madoff was waiting on the evening pill line …

Iowa Poll: Terry Branstad's camp covers most sectors of GOP  —  Majorities of born-again Christians, supporters of the tea party movement and first-time Republican primary voters say they back Terry Branstad to be the GOP nominee for governor, according to the latest Iowa Poll.

Can the astonishing popularity of Indiana's penny-pinching governor carry him to the White House in 2012?  —  When Mitch Daniels ran for governor of Indiana in 2004, a friend and videographer got the idea of filming the candidate in vidéo vérité style as he traveled around the state in his Indiana-made RV.

White House and Allies Set to Build Up Health Law  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama and his allies, concerned about deep skepticism over his landmark health care overhaul, are orchestrating an elaborate campaign to sell the public on the law, including a new tax-exempt group that will spend millions …

Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price  —  SAN FRANCISCO — When one of the most important e-mail messages of his life landed in his in-box a few years ago, Kord Campbell overlooked it.  —  Not just for a day or two, but 12 days.  He finally saw it while sifting through old messages …

Elton John Sings at Rush Limbaugh's 4th Wedding  —  Talk about an odd couple: conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh and outspoken gay-marriage advocate Elton John.  —  But, according to a News Corporation (which owns Fox News) wire report, the Rocket Man, 63, serenaded the 400 guests …

Obama Asks Supreme Court to Overturn Napolitano-Endorsed Immigration Law  —  I've convinced the federal government has no intention of enforcing immigration laws against illegal aliens from Mexico.  —  But that isn't the worst.  The government wants to give illegal aliens from Mexico amnesty and a “path” to citizenship.

The No-Stimulus Economy  —  If fiscal stimulus is so great, then why hasn't the Obama administration's massive stimulus program helped improve the economy?  Well, via Mark Thoma, the answer is that there hasn't been any net fiscal stimulus, all the Obama administration's efforts plus …

More Obama change to believe in: Americans now see him as a partisan Democrat  —  One of the 2007-08 Obama presidential campaign's changes that Americans believed in by the many millions was his oft-repeated promise to work with all sides no matter what and change the harsh political tone of Washington.

China's ‘cancer villages’ reveal dark side of economic boom  —  Polluting factories in rural communities are forming a deadly toxic cocktail for villagers, leading to surging rates of cancer  —  Zheng Gumei thought she was down with a cold until the doctor told her to wait outside the room so he could talk to her son alone.

Apple's Magic Trackpad revealed?  —  Of all the surprises we expected to hear about in the WWDC keynote, a multitouch trackpad peripheral didn't exactly pop into our brains.  But — whoomp — here it is.  What we appear to be looking at is a brand new input device that Apple has dreamed …

Damage Will Go On After Well Is Plugged, Admiral Says  —  HOUSTON — The Coast Guard commander in charge of the federal response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico warned on Sunday that even if the flow of crude was stopped by summer, it could take well into autumn — and maybe much longer …

The End for Rangel Appears Greatly Exaggerated  —  The 40-year Congressional career of Representative Charles B. Rangel seemed to come apart over the last year and a half, amid an unrelenting swirl of accusations that he dodged taxes, hoarded rent-stabilized apartments and accepted corporate-sponsored junkets to the Caribbean.

Clinton warns of Iran “stunt”  —  (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned on Sunday of Iran “stunts” ahead of a visit to Latin America where regional powerhouse Brazil opposes the U.S. drive for new U.N. sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program.

Gates may get lift from tea parties  —  As Defense Secretary Robert Gates takes on General Electric, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and other “powerful people” in seeking cuts to major weapons programs, he may get help from an unexpected ally — the tea party movement.