CNN Exclusive: Bachmann to form exploratory committee in June, possibly earlier  —  Washington (CNN) - CNN has exclusively learned that Rep. Michele Bachmann will form a presidential exploratory committee.  The Minnesota Republican plans to file papers for the committee in early June, with an announcement likely around that same time.

President Barack Obama gets locked out of White House  —  Staff wasn't ready for his return  —  Last Updated: 1 hour and 48 minutes ago  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Barack Obama had to try a couple of doors at the White House before finally gaining access to the Oval Office on Wednesday.

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL  —  White House: Libya fight is not war, it's ‘kinetic military action’  —  In the last few days, Obama administration officials have frequently faced the question: Is the fighting in Libya a war?  From military officers to White House spokesmen up to the president himself …

Top Ten Accomplishments of the UN No-Fly Zone  —  1. The participation of the Muslim world in the United Nations no-fly zone over Libya has been underlined.  The measure was called for by the Arab League, which has not in fact changed its mind about its desirability.

Introducing the $184.27 Donald J. Trump Challenge  —  Donald J. Trump, star of a ratings-challenged primetime show that has become the “dumping ground” for washed-up reality television talent, wants us to believe that he's ready to pump $600 million of his own money into a campaign for president.

Liberal Bias at NPR?  —  Surveys show that millions of conservatives choose NPR, even with powerful conservative alternatives on the radio.  —  On the day NPR chief executive Vivian Schiller lost her job, I was reporting from Egypt.  That evening, I had dinner with employees from NPR's Cairo bureau.

'I'm through whining about a liberal press,' says Sarah Palin  —  Sarah Palin insists she's done complaining about the liberal media.  —  Speaking to Greta Van Susteren on Fox News Wednesday night, the former Alaska governor shrugged off what she contends is a double standard in the way conservative women are treated.

Rights Are Curtailed for Terror Suspects  —  New rules allow investigators to hold domestic-terror suspects longer than others without giving them a Miranda warning, significantly expanding exceptions to the instructions that have governed the handling of criminal suspects for more than four decades.

Unsustainable budget threatens nation  —  Repeated battles over the 2011 budget are taking attention from a more dire problem—the long-run budget deficit.  —  Divided government is no excuse for inaction.  The bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform …

Romney Aims for Fund-Raising Edge  —  Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has quietly launched a 15-city push to secure financial commitments from big-money “bundlers,” hoping to reveal a fund-raising network that would establish him as the prohibitive frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president.

Assad offers freedoms after forces kill 37  —  (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad made a rare public pledge to look into granting Syrians greater freedom on Thursday as anger mounted following attacks by security forces on protesters that left at least 37 dead.

Paglia on Taylor: “A luscious, opulent, ripe fruit!”  —  Camille Paglia considers the “volcanic” Elizabeth Taylor — and all the unworthy starlets who could never match up … I remember reading your essay on Elizabeth Taylor from Penthouse in 1992 (it appeared in the collection “Sex, Art …

Rand Paul presidential run may hinge on dad's decision  —  Rand Paul talks about Lybia, Presidential run, oth...  Rand Paul's opening remarks to Louisville Rotary C...  U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., appeared to inch closer to a 2012 presidential run Thursday morning.

Dept. of ingratitude  —  The dreaded Koch family gave the DSCC $30,000 last cycle, but that's no defense from this, in a fundraising email from Harry Reid, headlined “Koch Brothers”: … Full email after the jump.  —  Dear xxxx,  —  We should be trying to put Americans back to work, not trying to put public radio out of business.

Forced Into Medicare  —  A federal judge tells seniors to take it or lose Social Security.  —  This week marks the first anniversary of ObamaCare, and if you are wondering where that coercive law is headed, we'd point to a case in federal court.  That's where Judge Rosemary Collyer has ruled …

Worldwide Approval of U.S. Leadership Tops Major Powers  —  U.S. also remains top desired destination for potential migrants  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States continues to achieve higher global approval ratings than China, Russia, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

Clarity on Libya eludes some potential 2012 GOP presidential candidates  —  Mark Wilson/ GETTY IMAGES - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) participates in a news conference at the National Press Club, on March 18, 2011 in Washington, DC.  —  Prospective Republicans presidential candidates …

Census: Nation Now 16% Hispanic  —  The Hispanic population surged 43% in the last decade and Hispanics now make up more than 16% of the nation's population, according to just-released Census figures.  —  The surge in Hispanics' share of the population, larger than demographers initially had expected …