So What Did Hastert Do?  —  “The Coach”, former House Speaker turned high-priced lobbyist, is the target of a mysterious indictment.  The Times has some details (and attaches the indictment) and the WaPo has some speculation that is informative for its omissions.  —  Background from the Times:

Americans Choose “Pro-Choice” for First Time in Seven Years  —  Story Highlights  —  PRINCETON, N.J. — Half of Americans consider themselves “pro-choice” on abortion, surpassing the 44% who identify as “pro-life.”  This is the first time since 2008 that the pro-choice position …

Bernie Sanders distances himself from ‘dumb’ 1972 essay on rape  —  Bernie Sanders wrote about rape fantasies in 1970s 06:17  —  New York (CNN)Bernie Sanders' campaign tried on Thursday to distance the presidential candidate from a 1972 essay in which he wrote — among other things …

An Award for Bill Clinton Came With $500,000 for His Foundation  —  To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Petra Nemcova, a Czech model who survived the disaster by clinging to a palm tree, decided to pull out all the stops for the annual fund-raiser of her school-building charity, the Happy Hearts Fund.

Rand Paul's money problem  —  Behind the Kentucky senator's NSA ‘filibuster’ lies a desperate quest for cash.  —  In a presidential campaign defined by billionaire sugar daddy donors, Rand Paul has a problem: He doesn't seem to have one.  —  While his rivals cultivate wealthy backers …

U.S. Economy Contracted 0.7% in First Quarter  —  The economy got off to an even weaker start this year than first thought, the government reported Friday, as economic activity contracted amid a disappointing trade picture and continued caution on spending by businesses and consumers alike.

Thousands of websites block Congress in Patriot Act protest  —  Thousands of websites are blocking Congress's access to their sites in a show of force to protest the Patriot Act.  —  Led by the online activist group Fight for the Future, more than 10,000 sites have added code that redirects …

Windshield Devices Bring Distracted Driving Debate to Eye Level  —  In a widely watched YouTube video, a man is driving around Los Angeles when his phone rings.  On a small screen mounted on the dashboard, an image of the caller, the man's mother, appears.  —  But there's an optical twist …

The Supreme Court Could Give The GOP Another 8 Seats In Congress  —  This week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a lawsuit filed by conservative activists in Texas that could redefine the principle of “one person, one vote” as we know it.  And if the Court sides with the plaintiffs …

Rescission of Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism  —  Press Statement  —  Director, Office of Press Relations  —  Washington, DC  —  In December 2014, the President instructed the Secretary of State to immediately launch a review of Cuba's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism …

Christie to pull New Jersey from Common Core  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced Thursday he will pull his state out of Common Core, a move that could bolster his standing with grassroots Republican primary voters opposed to the education standards.

Lincoln Chafee to announce presidential run on June 3  —  Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee will officially enter the presidential race on June 3, a source with knowledge of his plans told POLITICO.  —  He'll make the announcement in a speech he's scheduled to deliver next Wednesday …

The Insecure American  —  America remains, despite the damage inflicted by the Great Recession and its aftermath, a very rich country.  But many Americans are economically insecure, with little protection from life's risks.  They frequently experience financial hardship …

Beer Giant Stops Production to Give Water to Storm Victims  —  Beer giant Anheuser-Busch stopped production at its Georgia brewery this week to instead produce drinking water for those affected by a deadly bout of historic flooding and storms in Texas and Oklahoma.

The Fake Clinton Scandals Are Back  —  Has Washington learned nothing from Whitewater?  The Clintons have spent their entire political lives in the capital dogged by one fake scandal after another.  And, as we've been reminded this week, the fake villain in many of their fake scandals always seems to be the same: Sidney Blumenthal

PICKING UP THE PIECES  —  When Officer Rod Webber quickly approached the car that Hamza Jeylani was sitting in, the 17-year-old hit record on his cell phone.1 Moments earlier, Jeylani and three friends were pulled over by the officer after making a U-turn in a church parking lot in South Minneapolis …