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 …

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.

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.

Donald Trump: Reagan Was A Con Man Who Couldn't ‘Deliver The Goods’  —  Today, real estate mogul Donald Trump proudly declares that Ronald Reagan is the President he admires most.  Here's Trump on the April 14 edition of Hannity: … Watch it:  —  But in his bestselling book, Art of the Deal …

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 …

Durbin warns Gang of Six deficit plan could produce Social Security cuts  —  Lawmakers shouldn't be so quick to rule out changes or cuts to Social Security, a top Senate Democrat participating in bipartisan Gang of Six talks says in a new interview.  —  Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) …

“How much more black could this be?  And the answer is none.  None more black.”  —  Having been forced by the EPA to ship her signature little black dress (seen here and here and here) to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory where it will be processed and incinerated, Ann Coulter announces …

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.

Climate Denialism Promoter Fred Hiatt Hits American Conservatives For Embrace of Climate Denialism  —  The earth's climate is shifting.  Most generally, the planet is getting warmer.  And while many factors contribute to the earth's climate, the key factor in the warming trend is human industrial activity.

There was a time when Paul Ryan thought the Federal Debt was too small  —  Well, well, well.  Paul Ryan is a typical Republican hypocrite.  Who could have predicted that?  —  Remembering When Paul Ryan Worried the Debt Was Too Small

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 …

Muslim group applies for permission to protest outside Westminster Abbey  —  A group called Muslims Against Crusades has applied for permission to protest outside Westminster Abbey on the day of the royal wedding, Scotland Yard said.  —  The force said it had rejected the application …

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.

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 …

If America faces economic crisis, why are our leaders on recess?  —  It seems impossible to turn on a television set, open up a newspaper, or click through an Internet news site without finding government leaders proclaiming doom if America doesn't get its financial house in order.

Fidel Castro Says He Won't Be Part of Communist Party's Central Committee  —  Former Cuban President Fidel Castro said he had resigned from the Communist Party's leadership and called on a new generation of leaders to change the island's economy as officials gathered to debate ways to revive growth.