NBC is citing multiple sources saying David Souter will retire from the Supreme Court, following rumors that he wasn’t hiring clerks for the fall. Souter himself is not confirming.

(Update, 1 a.m.: Despite everyone running with the story, he’s still not confirming. No word yet whether TV crews are gathering on his lawn. But let’s give credit to Nina Totenberg for being first to click Send.)

Supreme Court Justice Souter To Retire [NPR]

RIP Chrysler.  Sure it’s just Chapter 11, but it will never be the same.

Now bring on the Fiat 500s!

Chrysler Officially Files for Bankruptcy, to Partner with Fiat [Jalopnik]

Bill Cunningham.  The money shot is about one minute in.

He manages to make Geraldo Rivera look thoughtful.  I thought that couldn’t be done.

Space Alien Laughs at Own Joke About Giving John Edwards an 'Antenna Job' in TV interview with Mutual of Omaha's 'Wild Kingdom'

When Elizabeth Edwards learned that her husband John was pestorking a space alien named Rielle Hunter she cried, wailed and finally blew chunks, so revolted was she by the thought of her husband of decades climbing into a space ship with a creature from another planet, pestorking it and ultimately siring a space alienette with the diabolical monster.

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Apparently Israel has its own Michele Bachmann:

JERUSALEM (AP) — The outbreak of swine flu should be renamed “Mexican” influenza in deference to Muslim and Jewish sensitivities over pork, said an Israeli health official Monday.

Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman said the reference to pigs is offensive to both religions and “we should call this Mexican flu and not swine flu,” he told a news conference at a hospital in central Israel.

The stupid. It’s everywhere.

Bonus kosher wankery here.

Israeli Official: Swine Flu Name Offensive [AP]

We already know the Senate is inherently undemocratic — Alaska gets the same two votes as California, after all.

We also know that in practice, the Senate is even more undemocratic — it takes 60 votes to shut down a filibuster.

But now that Al Franken is poised to claim that 60th vote for the Democrats (as well as claim another decade for himself), we got to wondering whether the Senate was still more undemocratic than we realized.

And guess what?

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I doubt that the Democratic majority, which was so eager to decry expansions of executive authority under President Bush, will still be as interested in the problem with a Democratic president in office. I will continue the fight whatever happens.

Arlen Specter, April 16, 2009.

The Need to Roll Back Presidential Power Grabs {NY Review]