CQPolitics.com - Arizona Democrats are sensing a growing opportunity to capitalize on Republican divisions in the state's 2010 Senate race, but they may also have to contend with a contested primary of their own.

The Christian Science Monitor - A father of a Marine killed in Iraq says he won't pay the legal fees of a protest group who picketed at his son's funeral in 2006 – at least not until he hears from the US Supreme Court on the matter.

AP - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday accepted a request from Pakistan's president to delay the release of a report on the assassination of his wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, until April 15.

AP - Diplomats from the world's leading economies say Iran's recent actions deepen the doubts that its nuclear program is aimed at anything other than building a bomb, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton predicted Tuesday that world powers will agree on a new round of U.N. sanctions.

AFP - French President Nicolas Sarkozy gave President Barack Obama the gift of an 18th century document accrediting Benjamin Franklin as ambassador to France, a French diplomatic source said.

CQPolitics.com - With one day to go before Tennessee's filing deadline, it's safe to say that Democrats are waving the white flag in the race to hold the seat of retiring Rep. Bart Gordon (D) in Middle Tennessee's 6th district.

AFP - Bowing to Islamabad's request, UN chief Ban Ki-moon delayed until mid-April the release of a sensitive report by an independent panel probing the 2007 slaying of Pakistani ex-premier Benazir Bhutto.

Reuters - U.S. President Barack Obama wants Israel to freeze construction in East Jerusalem for four months in exchange for an attempt to renew stalled Israeli peace talks with Palestinians, an Israeli newspaper said Wednesday.

Politico - The final day of filing for office in Missouri brings a few surprise candidacies.

Politico - Congress is resisting Obama's attempt to turn health care reform into political capital.

AFP - Group of Eight foreign ministers called for stepped up pressure against Iran to abandon its suspect nuclear program and urged Afghan President Hamid Karzai to rein in militants.

Politico - In an Ideas piece, Reps. Olson and Perlmutter argue that investing in space exploration is a necessity.

AFP - First names only, floods of compliments and a shared weakness for hot dogs: Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy put on an elaborate show this week to quash talk of bad chemistry between the leaders of France and the United States.

AP - A high-ranking Army general won't be fired or formally reprimanded after urging troops to lobby against the repeal of a ban on openly gay military service.

Politico - Porn star plans to say on tax day whether she'll move ahead with challenge to Louisiana Sen. David Vitter.

AP - A Justice Department audit has found the FBI's long-delayed computer upgrade is getting slower and costing more.

The Christian Science Monitor - A father of a Marine killed in Iraq says he won't pay the legal fees of a protest group who picketed at his son's funeral in 2006 – at least not until he hears from the US Supreme Court on the matter.

Time.com - The President's two attempts at getting an appointment in have come crashing down dramatically. That's only O.K. until something horrific happens

AP - A high-ranking Army general won't be formally reprimanded after urging troops to lobby to keep the ban on openly gay military service.

AP - The Transportation Department on Wednesday proposed a ban on text messaging at the wheel by interstate truck and bus drivers, following up on its call to reduce distractions that lead to crashes.

Politico - Texas Republican flip-flops on her resignation promise that left several candidates eager to succeed her.

AP - Texas Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison said Wednesday she is staying in the Senate, ending a series of back and forth announcements over the last year on her career plans.

AFP - Democratic US Senator John Kerry on Wednesday began a visit to the Middle East for talks with top Lebanese and Syrian officials on the stalled Arab-Israeli peace process.

AP - The Federal Trade Commission says the owners of a telemarketing scheme in New Jersey will have to pay a record $18.8 million fine for duping consumers about their donations to police and firefighters.

AP - Immigrants must be told by their lawyers whether pleading guilty to a crime could lead to their deportation, the Supreme Court said Wednesday.

AP - A parliamentary committee unanimously voted Wednesday to ban the wearing of face-covering veils in public, a major step in the legislative process that could make Belgium the first European country to impose such a religious prohibition.

AFP - President Barack Obama said Wednesday he had no choice but to make the 'tough' decision to open some offshore waters to oil drilling, despite his drive for a clean energy economy.

AP - There's a lot of anger out there. But the alleged plot by Midwestern militants and violent outbursts by scattered individuals don't signal any coming wave of extremist violence, federal investigators say.

AP - Seniors aren't breaking out the champagne for President Barack Obama's health care law, and for good reason.

AP - France is standing with the United States in condemning Israeli settlement activity in east Jerusalem.

AP - Senior Catholic bishops are urging British worshippers to carefully consider candidates' policies toward marriage and abortion when they vote in the looming national election — a move likely to benefit the opposition Conservatives.

Reuters - International donors met on Wednesday to pledge up to $4 billion to Haiti, the first step in a worldwide effort to rebuild the country after January's catastrophic earthquake.

AFP - Six major powers negotiating with Iran on its nuclear program held fresh talks Wednesday after President Barack Obama said he wanted sanctions within weeks, a US official said.

AP - Automakers are being pushed to build a more fuel-efficient generation of gas-electric hybrids, turbocharged engines and advanced vehicles powered by electricity under tough new standards from the Obama administration.

AP - China, long a holdout against new international sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, signaled its willingness Wednesday to consider a U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution, two U.S. officials said.

Politico - In an Ideas piece, Heinrichs says Obama's nomination of Philip Coyle is a mistake.

Politico - In an Ideas piece, Kendall and Kim say Dems must now prioritize consumer-friendly reform.

CQPolitics.com - Stan Greenberg, a veteran Democratic pollster, was working in the White House for President Bill Clinton when a political backlash enabled Republicans to take over control of both chambers of Congress in the 1994 elections. So ears perked up at a press breakfast Wednesday morning when he said this year's midterm elections - the first of Democrat Barack Obama's presidency - would be much like 1994's if they were held today.

Reuters - European Union governments said Wednesday they had given the go-ahead for a military mission to start on April 7 to train Somali forces battling an Islamist insurgency. The mission will be led by Spain and involve around 100 troops plus several dozens of additional staff.

AP - The Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI sees the clerical abuse crisis as a 'test for him and the church.'

AP - The highest-ranking North Korean official ever to have defected to South Korea is making a rare visit to Washington this week.

Politico - Fundraising event in New Orleans will use same GOP talent to draw donors, POLITICO learns.

Politico - This week new ratings came out showing a 40 percent decline in prime-time viewers since 2009.

AP - The deadline for bids on a $35 billion contract for refueling jets will be extended by 60 days so the European maker of Airbus can compete, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

AP - Six major world powers have agreed to begin putting together proposed new sanctions on Iran over its suspect nuclear program after China dropped its opposition, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

AP - President Barack Obama says he wants to see U.N. sanctions in place against Iran within weeks.

Politico - The price he will pay in political terms is relatively small.

AP - Top Republicans are starting to worry about their health care rallying cry 'Repeal the bill.' It just might singe GOP candidates in November's elections, they fear, if voters begin to see benefits from the new law.

AP - The German government is putting years of breakdowns and fueling stops behind it with the delivery of eight new aircraft for the chancellor and other top officials_ replacing some planes dating back to East Germany's communist era.

AP - Serbia's apology for the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica could help reconciliation in the war-scarred Balkans and lead to the capture of a wartime general accused of masterminding the carnage, Serbia's president said Wednesday.

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — A day after President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy discussed it at the White House, the Pentagon said Wednesday it would delay for 60 days the deadline for submitting bids on a $35 billion contract for aerial refueling tankers if a European company promised to compete.

AP - U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano plans to travel to Rhode Island on Friday to assess damage caused by the worst flooding in 200 years.

AP - Six major world powers agreed Wednesday to begin putting together proposed new sanctions on Iran over its suspect nuclear program after China dropped its opposition.

AP - Russian police broke up anti-Kremlin protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg on Wednesday, detaining dozens of demonstrators who had defied bans in holding the rallies.

Politico - The invitation promises that “other Republican superstars” will attend the fundraiser,

AFP - US President Barack Obama sent Congress his report on the war in Afghanistan and cited no change in strategy or budget, the White House said Wednesday just days after his secret visit there.