1. To meet the Obama administration’s targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, some researchers say, Americans may have to experience a sobering reality: gas at $7 a gallon.

To reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector 14 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, the cost of driving must simply increase, according to a forthcoming report by researchers at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

The 14 percent target was set in the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget for fiscal 2010.

2. Supermodel Naomi Campbell may be in trouble with the law in New York City again. CBS 2 has learned that the British catwalker is wanted for questioning by the NYPD after allegedly slapping and punching her driver on Manhattan’s east side on Tuesday.

3. Charlie Rangel emerged from a closed-door meeting in Nancy Pelosi’s office Tuesday night to declare that he’s still the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and hasn’t agreed to give up his gavel – even as some media outlets were reporting that he’d done just that.

But asked whether he’d still be the chairman tomorrow and in the coming days, Rangel said: “I can’t make all those promises at my age.”

And when Pelosi was asked whether Rangel was resigning, she said “no comment.” Still running that most ethical Congress ever, Nancy?

4. Ford Motor Co. outsold General Motors Co. in February for the first time in more than a decade.
Ford sold 334 more cars than GM in the U.S. It was the first time since August 1998 that Ford outsold GM.  Ford’s said Tuesday its sales jumped 43 percent thanks to strong demand for its cars. The automaker grabbed some sales from Toyota, which is struggling with a massive safety recall.

5. A Russian billionaire has lost a £36 million deposit he paid to buy the most expensive house in the world on the French riviera, plus another £1million interest. Mikhail Prokhorov – the world’s 24th richest man – offered £360 million for the sprawling Villa Leopolda in 2008.  After making a ten per cent down-payment, he then backed out of the sale after the global credit crunch hit.

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Buildings in Detroit are left abandoned.

So what’s in the news round-up for tonight:

1. Rep. Charles Rangel, the most powerful tax-writing lawmaker in Congress and a 34-year veteran of Capitol Hill, knowingly accepted Caribbean trips from a corporation in violation of House rules, the House Ethics Committee ruled Thursday. Shocker!  Now will Nancy Pelosi and the rest of  those liberal hacks demand that Charlie resign?

2. The number of Americans filing for initial unemployment insurance surged to just below the 500,000 level last week, and have climbed more than 12% over the past two weeks, the government said Thursday…. but, but, but Obama said the worst of the economic crisis was over and his recovery package was saving and/OR creating jobs.

3.  Just moments before the afternoon session got underway, C-SPAN’s cameras picked up audio of Biden chatting casually with participants. “It’s easy being vice president — you don’t have to do anything.” Whomever Biden was chatting with said, “It’s like being the grandpa and not the parent.” “Yeah, that’s it!” replied Biden.  Of course he doesn’t do anything, he’s a bumbling idiot and can’t be trusted.

4.  Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said Wednesday he “absolutely” intends to relocate residents from desolate neighborhoods and is bracing for inevitable legal challenges when he unveils his downsizing plan. In his strongest statements about shrinking the city since taking office, Bing told WJR-760 AM the city is using internal and external data to decide “winners and losers.” The city plans to save some neighborhoods and encourage residents to move from others, he said.  ”If we don’t do it, you know this whole city is going to go down. I’m hopeful people will understand that,” Bing said. “If we can incentivize some of those folks that are in those desolate areas, they can get a better situation.”  Detroit can thank the unions and liberal leadership for its demise.

5.  You may be upset or relieved to hear my news that Howard Stern definitely won’t be joining American Idol as the judge replacing Simon Cowell.  Good, because as much as I respect Howard’s craft, he’d be completely wrong for a family show.

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In today’s news round:

1.  More trouble for Democrat Charles Rangel.  CBS News is reporting that the embattled Congressman tried to pay off three Democrats who sit on the Ethics Committee with campaign contributions.  Mr. Rangel, the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the agency that writes the tax laws, has been plagued with tax questions.  Last year, Mr Rangel failed to report $90K in income from rental property in the Dominican Republic.  Earlier this year, he failed to report income on property in Florida.  Most recently, he failed to report property in New Jersey and New York, as well as, cash, check, and stock accounts totaling nearly $2 million.  While some believe that the Congressman was looking to avoid paying taxes, others believe the Congressman hid these holdings as to avoid raising questions on how he amassed so much wealth as a career politician.

2.  Heeding the advice of Obama, “get in their face”, an Obama supporter did just that to William Rice, 65.  Rice, in turn, popped the man in the nose.  The two men threw a few punches which ended when the Obama supporter bit off Rice’s finger.  Doctors were unable to attach the finger.  No word on whether Mr. Rice will sue the Obama administration for torture hazing.

3.  It’s not unusual for Presidents to speak to students in school, but this White House went one step further in, what some are calling- indocrination.  The Department of Education has sent a list of suggestions that the agency wanted the teachers to provide the students.  The White House has since amended its questions soon after these lastest attempts to brainwash the students were learned.

4.  More is being learned tonight about Van Jones, Obama’s Green Czar.  Jones, an admitted Communist, criminal, black activist, who recently claimed that white people were intentionally polluting the inner city, believes that – 9-11 was an inside government job orchestrated by the United States.

5.  The Obama snitch police are at it again.  This time, however, they are contracting a private firm to troll all media network sites that mention the President and/or his policies and compile the data in an easy to read spreadsheet and report it directly to the Office of the President.  Sites such as Facebook, Youtube, and MySpace are subjects of this latest Big Brother approach.

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