Politics & Government

Telegraph | A 50-year mystery over the 'cursed bread' of Pont-Saint-Esprit, which left residents suffering hallucinations, has been solved after a writer discovered the US had spiked the bread with LSD as part of an experiment.

Kucinich.us | Today's the day. This afternoon we're going to have a vote on whether or not the United States gets out of Afghanistan or stays there indefinitely.

RawStory.com | The Constitution and the Bill of Rights have never been in greater peril than they are right now and the threat is coming from the US government, according to retired professional wrestler Jesse Ventura. The former Governor of Minnesota appeared on Fox & Friends Tuesday to promote his new book American Conspiracies: Lies, Lies, and More Dirty Lies That the Government Tells Us.

RawStory.com | Facing razor-thin margins in the House, Democratic leaders are hoping to convert the sole liberal who opposes their health care bill, but it seems they have their work cut out because he isn't budging.

USA Today | Karl Rove, the architect of George W. Bush's presidency, says the "Tea Party" movement could have lasting influence in the nation's politics if it remains decentralized but could hurt Republicans if it backs third-party candidates who siphon votes from GOP candidates. "There's a danger from them, particularly if they're used by political operators ... to try and hijack" elections, he says.

Auctionbytes.com | Internet sellers who don't report their sales will no longer be under the radar. Starting next year, any bank or other payment settlement company that processes credit cards, debit cards, and electronic payments such as PayPal will have to issue information returns telling the IRS what merchants receive. The new returns are Form 1099-K, Merchant Card and Third-Party Payments.

CBS News | The Federal Reserve may grow in power under the Senate's plans for financial reform, but Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said on Washington Unplugged today that Congress has abdicated its oversight responsibilities, allowing the Fed to funnel money to whomever it pleases -- even possibly the Watergate burglars.

Yahoo News | National GOP leaders are doing damage control today after a Politico scoop lifted the curtain on the party's plan to tap voters' "fear" in the coming campaign season. The PR problem started when an absent-minded attendee at the Republican National Committee (RNC) confab on February 18 in Boca Grande, Florida, left a 72-page document from its 2010 strategizing session in a hotel room. Today, Politico reporter Ben Smith's expose is making headlines.

YALiberty.org | Since my 2008 campaign for the presidency I have often been asked, “How would a constitutionalist president go about dismantling the welfare-warfare state and restoring a constitutional republic?” This is a very important question, because without a clear road map and set of priorities, such a president runs the risk of having his pro-freedom agenda stymied by the various vested interests that benefit from big government.

Infowars.com | Hal Turner took the stand today in his federal trial and accused the FBI of instructing him to make violent and racist statements. The North Bergen, New Jersey, radio talk show host is on trial for allegedly threatening three Chicago-based federal appeals court judges. In June of 2009, Turner said the judges “deserved to be killed” for a ruling they made in a gun control case.

WND | John Holdren, President Obama's "science czar," served on the board of editors of a magazine whose personnel were accused of providing vital nuclear information that helped the Soviet Union build an atom bomb. The magazine, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, has a long history of employing socialist and communist sympathizers, including during the time of Holdren's employment in 1984, reports the New Zeal blog.

Politico | Democrats pushing a climate change bill have been desperately looking for a few more Lindsey Grahams on the Republican side of the aisle. All they had to do was drop the toxic “cap and trade” aspect of the legislation, and Republican doors started opening. “Any movement away from an economywide cap-and-trade system is a movement in the right direction,” said GOP Conference Chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander, who said the new direction “makes a lot more sense.”

TruthDig.com | We owe Ralph Nader and Cynthia McKinney an apology. They were right about Barack Obama. They were right about the corporate state. They had the courage of their convictions and they stood fast despite wholesale defections and ridicule by liberals and progressives. 

ABC | Government-backed mortgage giant Freddie Mac today reported a loss of $7.8 billion for the final three months of last year, with a total loss of $25.7 billion for the year overall.

Denver Post | U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, a Boulder Democrat, wants "rogue" federal agents to lay off medical- marijuana dispensaries after a raid at the home of Highlands Ranch grower Feb. 12.