Why Trump Soars  —  Very few people have the luxury of being freely obnoxious.  Most people have to watch what they say for fear of offending their bosses and colleagues.  Others resist saying anything that might make them unpopular.  —  But, in every society, there are a few rare souls …

Economic anxiety threatens Obama in 2012, but in poll he edges GOP rivals  —  Deepening economic pessimism has pushed down President Obama's approval rating to a near record low, but he holds an early advantage over prospective 2012 rivals in part because of widespread dissatisfaction …

Brewer vetoes birther, campus gun bills  —  Also vetoes health care compact law  —  Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill Monday that would have required presidential candidates to provide their birth certificates to appear on the ballot, and another that would have allowed guns to be carried on school grounds.

Today's (Needless) Hysteria: the S&P Panic  —  I agree with Clive Crook's puzzlement about the S&P downgrade “bombshell” today: … And I like James K. Galbraith's derisive guffaw, as reported by Dave Lindorff: … I know that markets run on fear, greed, instinct, and panic as much as on logic.

Wall Street puts the squeeze on Washington with ‘negative’ outlook  —  Wall Street on Monday sent Washington officials a concrete signal that it's worried about long-term deficits, with Standard & Poor's unveiling a new “negative” outlook on U.S. debt.  —  The ratings agency's revision …

Rand Paul files for reelection race five years away  —  Barely into his first term, Sen. Rand Paul has already filed for reelection, signaling that he won't be running for president in 2012 but does plan to stick it out in Washington.  —  The Kentucky Republican filed for reelection …

Secret memos expose link between oil firms and invasion of Iraq  —  Plans to exploit Iraq's oil reserves were discussed by government ministers and the world's largest oil companies the year before Britain took a leading role in invading Iraq, government documents show.

Syria Meets New Defiance With Bullets and a Warning  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon — The beleaguered government in Syria bluntly warned its people to end more than a month of demonstrations Tuesday, just hours after it marshaled police, army and the other forces of an authoritarian state to crush …

Why P.J. Crowley went rogue  —  To friends, colleagues and even critics, there are few more unlikely candidates than P.J. Crowley to become a free speech martyr and a darling of the left.  A veteran of three decades in the Air Force public affairs division, Crowley was a notoriously tight-lipped spokesman …

Obama to make Easter Prayer Breakfast an annual event  —  President Obama hosted what he called the “second annual” Easter Prayer Breakfast today, and said he wants to make it a permanent part of White House life.  —  “I'm going to make it annual,” Obama told Christian leaders from across the country gathered in the East Room.

Molesting kids won't win war on terror  —  Frisking tots while neglecting the border undercuts seriousness of security  —  Our government has become a serial groper.  There's no part of our lives it won't touch.  It insists on putting its insatiable hands on everything from our health care …

Andres Serrano's Piss Christ destroyed by Christian protesters  —  • Intruders vandalise photo day after Christian protest  —  • Exhibitor blames Sarkozy speech for inflaming issue  —  When New York artist Andres Serrano plunged a plastic crucifix into a glass of his own urine …

2011 Pulitzer Prize Winners Announced  —  The New York Times won Pulitzer Prizes on Monday for its economics commentary and for its reporting on Russia in 2010, while The Los Angeles Times received the coveted public service Pulitzer.  —  The prizes, which are administered by Columbia University …

Krauthammer doubles down on the 'Trump is the GOP's Al Sharpton' claim  —  It turns out that George Will isn't the only conservative who isn't impressed with the Donald's effort to pump himself up for the White House.  —  On last weekend's broadcast of the syndicated weekend public affairs program …

Obama revives immigration reform  —  In the face of mounting political pressure, President Obama will focus on the issue at a White House meeting Tuesday.  —  President Obama is reviving the issue of immigration reform in the face of mounting political pressure as he readies his bid for reelection.

Why Did The Union Fight?  —  I've always thought there was something about the Lincoln administration's determination to fight and win the Civil War that was a bit odd.  Secession gave the regionally based Republican Party large congressional majorities that wouldn't exist if southern states had representation in congress.

Letting the Banks Off the Hook  —  Judging by last week's performance, it sure looks as though the country's top bank regulator is back to its old tricks.  —  Though, to be honest, calling the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency a “regulator” is almost laughable.  The Environmental Protection Agency is a regulator.

Big U.S. Firms Shift Hiring Abroad  —  Work Forces Shrink at Home, Sharpening Debate on Economic Impact of Globalization  —  U.S. multinational corporations, the big brand-name companies that employ a fifth of all American workers, have been hiring abroad while cutting back at home …

Roger Ailes Caught Spying on the Reporters at His Small-Town Newspaper  —  The small-town newspapers in New York's Hudson Valley that Fox News chief Roger Ailes owns with his wife Elizabeth are in a staff revolt after employees caught Ailes spying on them with News Corp. security goons.  More »

Classic kids games like kickball deemed unsafe by state in effort to increase summer camp regulation  —  State bureaucrats have created a list of ‘risky activities’ for kids at summer camp.  The list includes freeze tag, Wiffle Ball and kickball, among other games and activities.