Majority in Poll Back Employees in Public Sector Unions  —  As labor battles erupt in state capitals around the nation, a majority of Americans say they oppose efforts to weaken the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions and are also against cutting the pay or benefits …

Rep. Holt beats Watson the super-computer at ‘Jeopardy!’  —  There are a lot of smart people on Capitol Hill.  But none of them can claim quite the same brainy bragging rights as Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.).  —  On Monday, Holt beat IBM's super-computer, known as Watson, at a round of “Jeopardy! …

Speaker Boehner to Brody File: Preparing For “one giant fight over the future for our country.”  —  Speaker John Boehner tells The Brody File that when it comes to issue over the budget and raising the debt ceiling he is preparing for “one giant fight over the future for our country.”

Dem senator: Senate has accepted House GOP spending plan  —  As House and Senate leaders haggle over ways to avoid a government shutdown, a Democratic senator said the Republicans' short-term spending bill - including billions of dollars in cuts - has been largely accepted by upper-chamber Democrats.

Chatter grows over possible John Edwards indictment  —  Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) faces growing chatter about facing a possible indictment on campaign finance charges.  —  The New York Times reported Tuesday that Edwards may soon face charges stemming from his affair during his 2008 presidential campaign.

Natalie Portman Condemns Galliano  —  The actress Natalie Portman, who has an endorsement contract with Dior for its Miss Dior Cherie fragrance, has strongly condemned its chief designer, John Galliano, for anti-Semitic remarks after a video surfaced of Mr. Galliano appearing to deliver a tirade in a Paris bar.

Barbour: ‘RomneyCare’ bad for states  —  Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) on Tuesday piled on the Massachusetts healthcare program critics have dubbed “RomneyCare.”  —  Barbour, a possible Republican candidate for president, said in congressional testimony that while it was the right …

The New Normal  —  We're going to be doing a lot of deficit cutting over the next several years.  The country's future greatness will be shaped by whether we cut wisely or stupidly.  So we should probably come up with a few sensible principles to guide us as we cut.

Frank Rich Joins New York Magazine  —  Frank Rich is joining New York Magazine, beginning in June.  Rich will be an essayist for the magazine, writing monthly on politics and culture, and will serve as an editor-at-large, editing a special monthly section anchored by his essay.

Consumer Reports: GM's Volt 'doesn't really make a lot of sense'  —  Washington — Consumer Reports offered a harsh initial review of the Chevrolet Volt, questioning whether General Motors Co.'s flagship vehicle makes economic “sense.”  The extended-range plug-in electric vehicle is on the cover …

Iran threatens London boycott over ‘racist’ Olympic logo  —  Iran is threatening to boycott of the 2012 London Olympics because it claims the official logo for the games resembles the word “Zion,” which is a biblical term for Jerusalem.  —  Bahram Afsharzadeh, the secretary-general …

Low-flow toilets cause a stink in SF  —  San Francisco's big push for low-flow toilets has turned into a multimillion-dollar plumbing stink.  —  Skimping on toilet water has resulted in more sludge backing up inside the sewer pipes, said Tyrone Jue, spokesman for the city Public Utilities Commission.

Billions in Bloat Uncovered in Beltway  —  The U.S. government has 15 different agencies overseeing food-safety laws, more than 20 separate programs to help the homeless and 80 programs for economic development.  —  These are a few of the findings in a massive study of overlapping …

Darrell Issa probes staff; spokesman Kurt Bardella at center of controversy  —  Rep. Darrell Issa, the Republican chairman of the powerful Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has launched an inquiry into whether spokesman Kurt Bardella improperly shared e-mails from other reporters …

Southern Decadence protest leader booked with masturbating at Metairie park  —  The Rev. Grant Storms, the Christian fundamentalist known for his bullhorn protests of the Southern Decadence festival in the French Quarter, was arrested on a charge of masturbating at a Metairie park Friday afternoon.

Democrats call for an investigation of law firm, 3 tech companies  —  A group of House Democrats is calling on Republican leaders to investigate a prominent Washington law firm and three federal technology contractors, who have been shown in hacked e-mails discussing a “disinformation campaign” …

PJ Tatler Exclusive: Was the U.S. a victim of an economic 9/11 in 2008?  —  Bill Gertz has an article running in this morning's Washington Times, “Financial terrorism suspected in '08 economic crash,” on a report prepared by the Department of Defense in June 2009.

Tim Pawlenty courts the tea party  —  Tim Pawlenty is making a major play for the tea party vote.  —  The latest gambit?  A slickly-produced web video released Tuesday morning calling the movement a “welcome, helpful, energetic and forward-leaning organization.”