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Good morning, folks. Betty White smashed it on Saturday Night, didn\’t she? Now, here\’s your morning constitutional: Probably the worst-kept secret ever: President Obama is expected to announce that he will nominate Solicitor General Elena Kagan for the Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Stevens. The Washington Post has a timeline of Kagan\’s career, and SCOTUSBlog has a primer on Kagan. German Chancellor Angela Merckel suffered a major blow Sunday as her coalition lost a key local election in North Rhine-Westphalia, one of Germany\’s most populous regions and often thought to be a bellwether of German politics. The loss,...

Good morning, folks. If you\’re in Pennsylvania, make sure you booze it up with moms on Sunday. Now, your morning constitutional: Tories made large gains in the U.K. election yesterday, ending over a decade of Labour majority, although not gaining enough seats to form a majority themselves. BP began the process Friday morning of lowering the containment dome over the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. The work is expected to continue over the weekend. U.S. stocks dropped nearly a thousand points yesterday before leveling off at a 346-point drop yesterday, but stocks are expected to...

Good morning, everybody. Bret Michaels is out of the hospital. Now, your morning constitutional: Yesterday\’s primary results: Neither Secretary of State Elaine Marshall nor former state Senator Cal Cunningham won the North Carolina Democratic nomination for Senate outright, forcing a run-off. Former Senator Dan Coats won the Republican nomination for Senate easily in Indiana. Lt. Governor Lee Fisher won the Democratic primary for Senate in Ohio. Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani-American man arrested for the attempted Times Square bombing, admits role in bombing plot. BP announced Wednesday morning that they have managed to shut off one of the...

Good morning, everybody. Will there be a sequel to the hit comedy Anchorman? Now, your morning constitutional: Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized American citizen from Pakistan, was arrested last night in connection to this weekend\’s Time Square bombing attempt. He was on board a plane to Pakistan at the time of his arrest. Statement from Attorney General Eric Holder. How the attempting bombing will bring terrorism politics back to the forefront. Three lessons from the Times Square bomb. Talks over renewing the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, an exercise that takes place every five years, pits Iran against the West....

Good morning, everybody. Was Obama funnier than Leno at this weekend\’s White House Correspondents Association Dinner? Here\’s your morning constitutional: Sidewalk vendors were hailed as heroes yesterday for their roles in identifying an SUV in Times Square containing an explosive device. Police now seek the man responsible for the device, who appears to have been caught on tape. With the oil patch in the Gulf of Mexico expanding, and with the robotic submarines so far unable to plug the leak, officials are grim in their forecast, suggesting it may take weeks or months to contain the leak....

Good morning everybody. A very happy early May Day and Derby Day to all of you. Now, your morning constitutional: Oil from the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico has reportedly reached shore overnight, although not confirmed by officials yet. Officials are stopping any new drilling until the spill is fully investigated. Hawaii\’s legislature passed a civil unions bill yesterday giving gay couples the same rights as married straight couples. The bill is sent to Gov. Lingle, a Republican, who remains undecided on whether to veto, sign or pass the bill. The bill did not pass...

Good morning, folks. Jenny McCarthy has some medical advice for you and your kids. Now, your morning constitutional: The Coast Guard will attempt to burn off portions of the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico today that is closing in on Louisiana\’s shore and ecologically sensitive areas around the Mississippi River basin. The slick has moved to within nearly twenty miles of the Louisiana coast.R Clarence Dupnik, the sheriff of Pima County, Arizona says he will not enforce Arizona\’s new immigration law, calling it \”racist,\” disgusting,\” and \”unnecessary.\” His inaction could land him in trouble, as...

Good morning, everybody. Hugh Hefner has saved the famous Hollywood sign. Now, your morning constitutional: Senate Republicans blocked the opening of debate for the financial reform package on a 57-41 vote (with 60 needed for cloture). Sen. Ben Nelson voted against cloture, while Majority Leader Harry Reid switched his vote to \”no\” (to allow him to bring the bill for another vote), while Republican Sens. Kit Bond and Bob Bennett did not vote. Chaos erupts in the Ukrainian parliament as the chamber extends the lease on a Russian naval base in Ukraine. The provisional government in Kyrgyzstan...

Good morning, everybody. Lindsay\’s been dropped from an upcoming movie because she isn\’t \”bankable.\” The Washington Nationals for the first time since 2005 have an over-.500 record, while the Boston Red Sox are way below that mark. Now, your morning constitutional: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid scheduled a vote on financial reform Monday afternoon; Republicans want to wait. Amid complaints of corruption, Sudan President Omar al-Bashir has been declared the winner of Sudan\’s first multi-party election in 24 years. Al-Bashir also faces charges in the International Criminal for war crimes in Darfur. Austrian President Heinz Fischer, a...

Good morning, everybody. Not sure how this happened, but Helen Mirren and Russell Brand will be in the same movie. Now, here\’s your morning constitutional: After an oil rig exploded and sunk in the Gulf of Mexico, authorities have started worrying about the environmental impact of the incident. Unsurprisingly, newly-minted Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown has ruled out running for president in 2012. Only slightly more surprisingly, he endorses Mitt Romney. NATO has endorsed a plan that will set in motion the phased withdrawal of NATO troops from combat roles in the war in Afghanistan and hand over...