Palin fakes out reporters at Gettysburg hotel  —  Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (CNN) - Sarah Palin pulled a clever bait and switch on reporters in Gettysburg on Tuesday, as her “One Nation” bus tour rolls into its third day.  —  The Palin family and a few members of her staff sneaked out of their hotel early …

Too many coincidences in Weiner's tale  —  In the New York of the late 1800s, Boss Tweed famously complained about Thomas Nast cartoons: Though many immigrants in the city couldn't read, even the illiterate could understand “those damn pictures.”  Rep. Anthony Weiner and his staff now face a similar problem.

Egyptian general admits ‘virginity checks’ conducted on protesters  —  Cairo (CNN) — A senior Egyptian general admits that “virginity checks” were performed on women arrested at a demonstration this spring, the first such admission after previous denials by military authorities.

Cyber Combat: Act of War  —  Pentagon Sets Stage for U.S. to Respond to Computer Sabotage With Military Force  —  WASHINGTON—The Pentagon has concluded that computer sabotage coming from another country can constitute an act of war, a finding that for the first time opens the door for the U.S …

‘Birther’ book soars  —  (CNN) - A new book, now number six on the New York Times' Best Sellers list, is putting the so-called “birther” issue back on the national stage.  —  “Where's the Birth Certificate?” by Jerome Corsi, which debuted on the list out Sunday, argues President Obama …

Exploring the Hollywood Propaganda Machine  —  Hollywood matters.  —  It matters because we watch Hollywood product day in and day out.  Your children spend six or seven hours at school, and couple of hours with their friends, and a couple of hours with you.  They spend a full three hours with the television.

Kloppenburg concedes election to Prosser  —  Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg said Tuesday that she was conceding the Supreme Court race to Justice David Prosser, ending what had been a contentious campaign that culminated in a rare statewide recount.

Bachmann Signs Top Pollster  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., is taking another step toward making her presidential bid official, signing a prominent Republican pollster to conduct surveys for her campaign, sources tell The Hotline.  —  Bachmann will work with Ed Goeas, president of The Tarrance Group, several sources said.

Growth Slowdown Becomes a Concern  —  Weakness in First Quarter Now Showing Signs of Persisting  —  The world's largest economy may be facing a growth problem.  —  After a disappointing first quarter, economists largely predicted the U.S. recovery would ramp back up as short-term disruptions …

Reelecting Obama  —  We are beginning to see the contours of the upcoming 2012 reelection campaign of Barack Obama.  Whether always officially sanctioned or not, Obama's campaign will focus on three general themes: a) the 2008 meltdown of the economy on Bush's watch; b) …

It's Not About You  —  Over the past few weeks, America's colleges have sent another class of graduates off into the world.  These graduates possess something of inestimable value.  Nearly every sensible middle-aged person would give away all their money to be able to go back to age 22 and begin adulthood anew.

Counterprotesters confront Westboro Baptist Church at Arlington  —  Washington (CNN) — Protesting members of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church were met with an unlikely group of counterprotesters Monday at Arlington Cemetery.  —  Hours before President Barack Obama led the nation's Memorial …

Doctor-Assisted Suicide Is Moral Issue Dividing Americans Most  —  Pornography, gay relations produce biggest generational gaps  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Doctor-assisted suicide emerges as the most controversial cultural issue in Gallup's 2011 Values and Beliefs poll, with Americans divided 45% vs. 48% …

‘Double-Dip’ in Housing Prices Even Worse Than Expected  —  U.S. single-family home prices dropped in March, dipping below their 2009 low, as the housing market remained bogged down by inventory and weak demand, a closely watched survey said Tuesday.  —  The S&P/Case Shiller composite index …

The Numbers Are Grim  —  A month ago, when an initial gauge of first-quarter economic growth came in surprisingly weak, many policy makers and economists expected the bad news to prove fleeting.  But when revised data were released last week, the growth estimate remained stuck at an annual rate …

Does V.A. Have a ‘Jesus Prayer’ Problem?  —  A Texas pastor who was told he could not pray in the name of Jesus during a Memorial Day ceremony at Houston National Cemetery has been granted a temporary restraining order.  —  U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes issued the order preventing the Dept …

Medicare Plan for Payments Irks Hospitals  —  WASHINGTON — For the first time in its history, Medicare will soon track spending on millions of individual beneficiaries, reward hospitals that hold down costs and penalize those whose patients prove most expensive.

Are Taxes in the U.S. High or Low?  —  Bruce Bartlett has served as an economic adviser in the White House, the Treasury Department and Congress.  —  Historically, the term “tax rate” has meant the average or effective tax rate — that is, taxes as a share of income.