Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had sharp words for Israel on Friday. After the country humiliated Joe Biden by announcing plans for new construction in East Jerusalem during his visit to the country, Clinton spoke to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  for 43 minutes to say the move was “deeply negative” for U.S.-Israeli relations. According to a State Department spokesman, Clinton called “to make clear that the United States considered the announcement to be a deeply negative signal about Israel’s approach to the bilateral relationship and contrary to the spirit of the vice president’s trip. The secretary said she could not understand how this happened, particularly in light of the United States' strong commitment to Israel's security.” Clinton also demanded the Israeli government demonstrate through actions that it is committed to peace.

We’ll soon know if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has the votes for health care: She has told congressmen to clear their schedules for next weekend and promised that the House will stay in session until the vote. Politico writes, “members and staff don’t think Pelosi has the 216 votes she needs to pass reform at this point, but most believe she’s close.” Pelosi also approved of President Obama’s decision to delay his trip to Asia until March 21. "I am delighted the president will be here for the passage of the bill,” she said. “It will be historic."

A 31-year-old Colorado mom is in the custody of Irish police after being arrested as part of an alleged conspiracy to murder a Swedish cartoonist who lampooned the Prophet Mohammed. Jamie Paulin-Ramirez converted to Islam last Easter, shocking her family, and suddenly left her small-town home and job as a medical assistant on Sept 11 to marry a Muslim man she met online. She is the second American woman to be associated with the plot, after “Jihad Jane,” aka Colleeen LaRose, a suburban Philadelphia woman was indicted this week. Shortly after converting to Islam, Paulin-Ramirez, a 5'11 blonde, began posting to Facebook forums with diatribes labeled “STOP calling MUSLIMS TERRORISTS!” Her family was shocked when she began to wear a hijab a few months before she disappeared. "I'm angry with her right now," her mother said. "I'd like to just choke her. But I'm worried about her, too. I love my daughter."

A two-for-one deal maybe? Nancy Pelosi said Friday that the House will likely add measures to overhaul the student-loan industry to health-care reform bill. Essentially, Democrats would change the system so that the government lends to students in need, rather than through middlemen like banks that collect fees along the way. The changes are expected to save tens of billions of dollars over the next decade, money that will be used to fund more Pell Grants and other forms of student aid. After the House, the Senate will be able to vote on the bill through reconciliation, which is considered necessary since Republicans would otherwise filibuster the reforms.

New York politics is about to get messier. The state’s Republican Party has reportedly tapped Diana Taylor, the former state banking superintendent and longtime girlfriend of Mayor Bloomberg, to run against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Sources say that Taylor hasn’t ruled out a possible Senate run, though she is notoriously private and shies away from interviews in spite of her high-profile relationship and long background in politics. Taylor is a registered Republican and served in multiple roles in Gov. Pataki’s administration, and has also worked at the Wolfensohn Family Foundation.

Pope Benedict XVI reportedly took part in sending a pedophile priest to therapy instead of dismissing him in 1980. Despite repeat offenses and convictions of child abuse, the priest continues to maintain his role in Germany's Upper Bavaria. The priest was sent to Munich for therapy in 1980 after being accused of forcing an 11-year-old-boy to perform oral sex. The pope, who was at that time a cardinal, had allegedly approved the decision to “accommodate the priest in a rectory while the therapy took place.” The vicar general of the archdiocese has stepped forward, saying he has taken “full responsibility” for the priest’s move back to pastoral work and said the pope had not been aware of his decision due to the 1,000 priests in the diocese at the time.

In the past two years, thousands of New York City taxi drivers have overcharged passengers a combined $8 million by flicking the meter to a double rate. The Taxi and Limousine Commission utilized GPS technologies installed in cabs to find data on the more than 1.8 million trips where passengers were charged extra. The total came out to an astounding $8,330,155, or an average of $4.45 per trip. The overzealous drivers would switch their meters from 40 cents per fifth of a mile to 80 cents, which is the legal rate in Westchester and Nassau counties, but not in New York City. A single cabbie was accused of overcharging passengers a total of $40,000.

In one of the world’s largest studies on birth-control pills, researchers have found that women on the pill are “less likely to die from any cause, including cancer and heart disease,” and live longer than women not taking the pill. The study involved over 46,000 women for nearly 40 years (“more than a million woman years,” as one scientist put it) and reversed earlier speculation that women on the pill were at risk of dying sooner. However, because their study began in 1968, scientists said the data reflects older types of birth control, not contemporary versions of the drug.

Have the Democrats found a way to work around the abortion and health-care issue? Rep. Bart Stupak, the leader of the anti-abortion Democrats, says “they’re ignoring me now. That’s their strategy now. The House Democratic leaders think they have the votes to pass the Senate’s health-care bill without us. At this point, there is no doubt that they’ve been able to peel off one or two of my 12. And even if they don’t have the votes, it’s been made clear to us that they won’t insert our language on the abortion issue.” Stupak has claimed to have 11 other Democrats who will change their votes from “yes” to “no” if the anti-abortion language in the Senate bill isn’t strengthened. “The others are having both of their arms twisted, and we’re all getting pounded by our traditional Democratic supporters, like unions.” Stupak almost sounds resigned: “I’m disappointed in my colleagues who said they’d be with us and now they’re not. It’s almost like some right-to-life members don’t want to be bothered. They just want this over.”

The possibility of domestic violence between Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren reemerged Friday, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Though nearly four months have passed, the Florida Highway Patrol released records that reintroduce the issue of spousal abuse, showing that the crew would not let Nordegren ride in the ambulance to the hospital with Woods because they said the case involved domestic violence. Woods, however, has repeatedly denied the abuse claim and did so again last month during his first public appearance since the accident. According to the records, Nordegren also reportedly told officers that Woods had been taking a painkiller, Vicodin, but had not been drinking prior to the crash near his Florida home.

The belief that autism is caused by childhood vaccines has been ruled “scientifically unsupportable” in a special court today. Parents who sought compensation in three separate cases were denied. Pediatricians applauded the ruling. “Vaccinations prevent often-serious infectious disease and have been an important reason for improved disease-free survival of children in the modern era,” said a professor of neurology. Despite multiple studies and literature refuting the association between autism and vaccines, many parents are still insistent on the link, a belief propped up by certain celebrity spokesmen. A survey found that 90 percent of parents accept that vaccines protect children from disease, but 25 percent indicated they still thought vaccines might have some connection to autism.

Start brushing up on the Contract With America, Texans: The Texas State School Board voted Friday to approve new social studies standards that will require students to learn about the importance of Christianity in American history and “the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s, including Phyllis Schalfly, the Contract With America, the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority and the National Rifle Association.” Other changes include making sure that students learn about the violent philosophy of the Black Panthers in addition to studying Martin Luther King’s nonviolence when they learn about civil rights. The vote was 11 to 4, with 10 Republicans and one Democrat voting in favor of the changes. A final vote on the changes will take place in May, but The New York Times writes that “given the Republican dominance of the board, it is unlikely many changes will be made.”

In January, San Francisco’s charismatic young mayor Gavin Newsom told Maureen Dowd that he was quitting politics. Apparently, he’s had a change of heart: Newsom will announce on Friday that he will run for lieutenant governor of California. Originally, Newsom had planned to run for governor but he folded his campaign when he couldn’t raise enough money to challenge Jerry Brown.

While Kristen Stewart has long remained tight-lipped about her alleged relationship with Twilight costar Robert Pattinson, the actress had no problem discussing an intimate on-screen moment with Dakota Fanning, her costar in the upcoming film The Runaways. "Working this closely with someone, you can't help but really become bonded with them and it really helps when you actually like them and can become really good friends," the 19-year-old actress told People magazine while promoting the film, which focuses on the '70s female-powered rock band. As the Joan Jett to Fanning's Cherie Currie, the two share a much-buzzed-about kiss. "It was cool. I didn't mind it," Stewart said. "The way that it happens in the script is so just a sort of moment in time and fun and natural and sort of impulsive." But when asked to reveal who offered the best pucker between Fanning and Pattinson, Stewart held her tongue.

With its striking recreations of Baghdad and delicate depiction of the early days of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Green Zone (opening Friday), is getting a warm reception among critics. The movie tells the story of U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller, played by Matt Damon, whose mission is to find WMD. And, while “it aims, and succeeds, at being the kind of entertainment fans of the Bourne films would appreciate,” according to Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times, Paul Greengrass’s film is also more significant for being a reasoned critique the United States’ motives for invading Iraq and depicting where it went wrong on the ground. It is one of the first films to tackle that question and A.O. Scott of the New York Times writes, “It’s about time.”

A team of NPR reporters for its Planet Money program pooled $1,000 of their own money last January to buy a Toxic Asset, one of the bonds cobbled together from homes and mortgages that was at the heart of the credit crisis from the very beginning. The bond was at one time worth around $75,000. The reporters’ objective now is to watch the toxic asset’s slow death as homes are sold for a loss and share its decline with readers here. So far, they have recouped $332, but do not seem optimistic that they will make back their initial investment before the bond’s value is extinguished.

Aswad Ayinde, the New Jersey man who is charged with having six children with his daughters between the 1980s and 2002, directed the award-winning music video for “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees. Ayinde allegedly delivered his daughters’ babies himself, and he has nine kids with his ex-wife and three more with two other women in Brooklyn. "He said the world was going to end, and it was just going to be him and his offspring and that he was chosen," his ex-wife said at a hearing. Ayinde is charged with 27 charges including aggravated sexual assault, child endangerment, and criminal sexual contact.

Nothing to see here, folks: The explosions that were reported at the home of Amy Bishop, the woman accused of the University of Alabama Huntsville murders, appear to have been set off by the police. Apparently, police came across a piece of PVC pipe they feared was a bomb while executing a search warrant at her home. They sent in a small robot, which blew up the pipe, and then discovered that it was not a bomb after all. 

Though Desirée Rogers didn't resign until February 2010, the first signs of her split with the White House came in spring 2009, when the social secretary was dressed down by David Axelrod for a variety of perceived offenses, among them posing for glossy magazines in expensive clothing and jewelry—not exactly the kind of image the White House wanted to be presenting during a recession. Despite Rogers' skill at planning events, her relationship with the rest of the Obama administration and with Washington society became too strained in the wake of the party-crashing Salahis, whose uninvited appearance at a State Dinner provoked a congressional investigation. According to anonymous sources quoted by The New York Times, Rogers feels she was hung out to dry by the White House. But Rahm Emanuel, of all people, had kind words: "She did a good job of projecting a White House that was open, family-friendly and classy."

A new report offers new insight into how Lehman Brothers fell into mortal peril at the start of the financial crisis, and the details aren't pretty. The 2,200 page report by a court-appointed examiner describes an accounting trick known as "Repo 105" that the company used to hide some $50 billion in assets from its balance sheet for two quarters. According to the examiner, the creative accounting could open up Lehman's executives to lawsuits as shareholders can use them to show they were deceived by the company. Lehman's collapse is widely credited with helping trigger the financial meltdown in the Fall of 2008 when it declared for bankruptcy.

Another American has turned up in the middle of a terrorism investigation, this time New Jersey native Sharif Mobley, arrested in Yemen by the country's intelligence services in a sweep of suspected al Qaeda members. Over the weekend, he allegedly stole a gun and shot two guards in an escape attempt, killing one. News of his capture comes days after terror-related charges were leveled against Collen LaRose in Pennsylvania, dubbed "Jihad Jane" in the press, and false reports suggested al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn from Southern California had been captured in Pakistan.

At age 42, after 16 years in Congress and two decades of public service in elected office, Patrick Kennedy is retiring. But despite his public battles with addiction and bipolar disorder, and his waning popularity among his constituents, the Rhode Island congressman, son of the late Ted Kennedy, seems excited at the possibilities of life after politics. "I want a fuller life," he told The Washington Post. "There was something missing." Kennedy's continuous fight for mental-health issues has found him allies on both sides of the aisle, and he plans on spending his time working on addiction issues in his state after Congress. "It's a great new beginning for Patrick," says cousin Caroline Kennedy. "I think it took some courage to make this decision."

President Obama the free-trade guru? With a trade deficit of $37.3 billion in January, Obama unveiled a plan on Thursday to boost U.S. exports and tear down trade barriers with an eye towards combatting unemployment. "There is no question that as we compete in that global marketplace, we've got to look out for our workers," Obama said. "But to look out for our workers, we've got to be able to compete in the global marketplace." Part of the plan, which Obama said could create 2 million jobs, would include restarting negotiations on free trade agreements which could prove a hard sell with some Democrats. "Moving forward with leftover Bush-negotiated free trade agreements is a nonstarter with many members of Congress," Rep. Michael H. Michaud (D-Maine), chairman of the House Trade Working Group, said in a statement according to the Washington Post.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is hoping—but not promising—to hold a vote on health-care reform next week. Does she have the votes? The Hill counts at least 25 Democrats who are either firm or likely to say no; if 37 Democrats vote against the bill, it will fail. It seems like one of the biggest issues now is whether Democratic representatives will trust the Senate to actually make agreed-upon fixes to the bill after they pass it. “We’re in the process of trying to make the Senate bill acceptable to as many House members as possible,” said Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY). “But even the most trusting member, I think, is skeptical of the Senate.”

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced he will appoint an independent counsel for the investigation into the domestic-violence case surrounding Gov. David Paterson's administration. Cuomo is assigning the former chief judge of New York, Judith Kaye, to lead the investigation and determine if the governor lied to the state ethics commission about the solicitation of free Yankees World Series tickets. This comes as somewhat of an unexpected twist, as Cuomo's staff has already worked for two weeks on the investigation. But after a New York City councilperson expressed concern over Cuomo's conflict of interest given his potential gubernatorial ambitions, the attorney general willingly handed over the project and his staff.

The poor dears. Lobbyists who have devoted their professional lives to scoring no-bid contracts for their clients through federal earmarks are panicking after House Democrats in the Appropriations Committee adopted a new policy blocking earmarks for for-profit organizations this week. Republicans are on board and then some, saying they would swear off earmarks for nonprofits as well for a year. “The playing field has changed dramatically,” said Michael H. Herson, a lobbyist for defense contractors, told the New York Times. Firms are looking at ways to stay relevant despite the ban, like working with nonprofits who might not be affected or focusing on scoring federal grants instead of earmarks for cash. “For firms that have made their living on getting earmarks for their clients, this is a sea change,” another lobbyist, Joseph M. Donovan of Nelson Mullins Public Strategies Group, told the Times. “It fundamentally changes their business model. The Senate has not agreed to the earmark ban, so it could become an issue when the two try to reconcile their spending.

As though Harry Reid doesn't have enough on his mind: The Senate Majority Leader's wife and daughter were both seriously injured Thursday afternoon in a highway accident outside Washington, D.C., when their car was rear-ended by a semi-truck. Reid's wife Landra, to whom he has been married for 50 years, suffered a broken neck, back, and nose, while his daughter Lana sustained injuries to her neck and face; both are conscious and can feel their extremities, an indication that they aren't paralyzed. Upon receiving word of the accident around 4:15 p.m., Reid left a closed-door health-care meeting for the hospital, returning to the Capitol later to continue.

New York City officials have reached a settlement with the thousands of rescue and cleanup workers who suffered disease and injury from the polluted air at the World Trade Center site directly after the 9/11 attacks. The $657.5 million payout would be divided among some 10,000 plaintiffs, assuming that enough of the plaintiffs agree to the terms; if only 95 percent agree, the sum is reduced to $575 million. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, likely pleased to see the end of what has been a politically fraught and expensive legal battle, said the settlement was a "fair and reasonable solution."

Though no official cause of death has been declared, and final autopsy results have not been publicly released, Corey Haim is said to have suffered from pulmonary congestion, an enlarged heart, and water in his lungs, according to his mother, who said the coroner had discussed those findings with her. According to Tiffany Shepis, his former fiancée, Haim had struggled with heart disease for a while, including arrhythmia.

Jay Leno’s first week back proved successful, as the once-again host of The Tonight Show brought the program back to the No. 1 spot among adults 18-49 and in total viewership, according to NBC. Since reclaiming the show from Conan O’Brien, Leno outranked competitors Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live, averaging nearly 2 million adults in the coveted age bracket and about 5.5 million total viewers. During O’Brien’s stint, Letterman consistently dominated The Tonight Show. Leno’s return to the 11:30 p.m. timeslot also boosted ratings for the followup program, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

A pair of suicide bombers blew themselves up in a market and a busy residential area of Lahore, Pakistan Friday, killing at least 43 people and injuring nearly 100. Authorities say the attackers were targeting military vehicles—they killed six army personnel. Lahore has seemingly been under the constant threat of attack for a year now, ever since six people were killed in an ambush of the Sri Lankan cricket team. Since then, there have been at least five deadly attacks in public places. The most recent came on Monday when the Taliban killed 13 people in an assault on a building used by Pakistani intelligence services and promised to set loose 3,000 suicide bombers unless Pakistan ceased all operations against the group. No one has yet claimed responsibility for Friday’s bombing.

Thanks again, recession. Because many states are now strapped for cash, it could take several months for residents to receive their state tax refunds this year. Most states typically send out refunds within 30 days but this year, New York, for instance, could delay handing out $500 million in refunds, while Hawaii is saying that some residents may not get their refunds until late August. "It's an indicator of how bad it is," says Scott Pattison, executive director of the National Association of State Budget Officers. "You know things are bad when you have to do that." Last year, it was even worse for California, which is dealing with a $20 billion budget shortfall. The state delayed tax refunds and issued billions of dollars worth of IOUs to people who were owed money. This year, however, Californians are being told to expect their refunds on time.

The 16 member states of the Eurozone have reached an agreement to bail out Greece, which is teetering on the brink of insolvency, The Guardian reports. The aid, which will come in the form of loans or loan guarantees, is believed to be in the neighborhood of $34 billion (€25 billion), though many officials guess Greece could require as much as $76 billion (€55 billion) by the end of the year. The package is expected to be finalized on Monday. Still, the agreement has not come easily. Though Germany is contributing, it has expressed a lot of reluctance to help out what The Guardian called a “fiscal delinquent” like Greece. "The Greek case is a potential turning point for the eurozone," said Olli Rehn of Finland, the new commissioner for economic and monetary affairs. "If Greece fails and we fail, this will do serious and maybe permanent damage to the credibility of the European Union.”

Clear the calendar! With his health-care reform agenda in the balance, the White House announced Friday morning that President Obama is postponing his trip to Asia, originally scheduled for next week, so he can focus on shoring up support among Democrats. The initial itinerary had Obama traveling to Indonesia, Guam, and Australia from March 18 to March 24, which coincided with his daughters’ school vacation. The new plan, from March 21 to March 26, includes stops at the same countries but his family will not join him. The news was first reported on press secretary Robert Gibbs’ Twitter feed.