Senate Democrats unveiled a plan Tuesday to save $21 billion over the next decade by eliminating tax breaks for the nation's five biggest oil companies, a move designed to counter Republican demands to control the soaring national debt without new taxes.

With the proposal, Democrats sought to reframe the debate over debt reduction to include fresh revenue as well as sharp cuts in spending. For the first time, Democratic leaders suggested an equal split between spending cuts and new taxes — "50-50," said Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.).

Tim Pawlenty is heading back to Iowa this week. Newt Gingrich will deliver his first formal speech as a presidential candidate. Ron Paul was among the GOP hopefuls gathered in South Carolina for the first debate of the campaign, while others are testing the waters and weighing whether to run.

In the meantime, Mitt Romney has been quietly, steadily focused primarily on one thing: raising money.

The presumed Republican front-runner, who took a pass on the first party debate last Thursday, has spent his early weeks as an exploratory candidate soliciting pledges in hopes of amassing a war chest that would put him far ahead of his competitors, according to donors, advisers and others close to Romney's team.

The death of Osama bin Laden and growing pressure from Congress to shrink the U.S. footprint and expense in Afghanistan have given new impetus to those within the Obama administration who favor a swift reduction of U.S. forces, according to senior administration officials and leading lawmakers.

These members of the administration initially pressed for an approach that emphasized the targeted killing of insurgent leaders, rather than the broader, troop-heavy counterinsurgency strategy that President Obama ultimately embraced. They intend to argue in upcoming debates that the al-Qaeda leader's demise is proof that counterterrorism is a more reliable and cost-effective tactic for the next phase of the nearly decade-old war.

He writes "OK" several dozen times each day, and Jinichi Sasaki figures he'll scribble the word for years before anything about his town feels right again.

In this tsunami-obliterated fishing port, rebuilding begins with one word, which Sasaki, a municipal employee, writes — in English — on every invoice and delivery form. He uses it in lieu of a signature, in part because he likes its simple utility — an antidote for a place that was destroyed. A truckload of rubber boots: OK. A fresh crate of rubbish bags: OK. Forty thousand 500-milliliter bottles of water: OK.

EL PASO — Standing within sight of Mexico, President Obama declared Tuesday that "we have strengthened border security beyond what many believed was possible," in his latest attempt to rally support for a proposal that would create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

On his first trip to the U.S.-Mexico border as president, Obama attempted to blunt the conservative argument that the United States should secure its own borders before making any other changes to liberalize immigration law. Obama reeled off a series of statistics that he says prove U.S. borders are not plagued by illegal crossings and crimes, as many conservatives say.

Tim Pawlenty is heading back to Iowa this week. Newt Gingrich will deliver his first formal speech as a presidential candidate. Ron Paul was among the GOP hopefuls gathered in South Carolina for the first debate of the campaign, while others are testing the waters and weighing whether to run.

In the meantime, Mitt Romney has been quietly, steadily focused primarily on one thing: raising money.

The presumed Republican front-runner, who took a pass on the first party debate last Thursday, has spent his early weeks as an exploratory candidate soliciting pledges in hopes of amassing a war chest that would put him far ahead of his competitors, according to donors, advisers and others close to Romney's team.

EL PASO — Standing within sight of Mexico, President Obama declared Tuesday that "we have strengthened border security beyond what many believed was possible," in his latest attempt to rally support for a proposal that would create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

On his first trip to the U.S.-Mexico border as president, Obama attempted to blunt the conservative argument that the United States should secure its own borders before making any other changes to liberalize immigration law. Obama reeled off a series of statistics that he says prove U.S. borders are not plagued by illegal crossings and crimes, as many conservatives say.

Senate Democrats unveiled a plan Tuesday to save $21 billion over the next decade by eliminating tax breaks for the nation's five biggest oil companies, a move designed to counter Republican demands to control the soaring national debt without new taxes.

With the proposal, Democrats sought to reframe the debate over debt reduction to include fresh revenue as well as sharp cuts in spending. For the first time, Democratic leaders suggested an equal split between spending cuts and new taxes — "50-50," said Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.).

The death of Osama bin Laden and growing pressure from Congress to shrink the U.S. footprint and expense in Afghanistan have given new impetus to those within the Obama administration who favor a swift reduction of U.S. forces, according to senior administration officials and leading lawmakers.

These members of the administration initially pressed for an approach that emphasized the targeted killing of insurgent leaders, rather than the broader, troop-heavy counterinsurgency strategy that President Obama ultimately embraced. They intend to argue in upcoming debates that the al-Qaeda leader's demise is proof that counterterrorism is a more reliable and cost-effective tactic for the next phase of the nearly decade-old war.

Some might have thought the endless legal battles between former Office of Special Counsel chief Scott Bloch and officials in the George W. Bush administration ended when he was finally sentenced in March to one month in prison for contempt of Congress.

Not by a long — very long — shot.

Bloch, who was appointed by President Bush to head an agency that protects government whistleblowers and enforces the law against political activity in government agencies, has filed a 63-page, $202 million lawsuit against top Bush adviser Karl Rove, former Virginia congressman Tom Davis and dozens of others for allegedly trying to thwart his office's efforts. When they failed, he claims, they launched a bogus criminal investigation to drive him out of his job.

The death of Osama bin Laden and growing pressure from Congress to shrink the U.S. footprint and expense in Afghanistan have given new impetus to those within the Obama administration who favor a swift reduction of U.S. forces, according to senior administration officials and leading lawmakers.

These members of the administration initially pressed for an approach that emphasized the targeted killing of insurgent leaders, rather than the broader, troop-heavy counterinsurgency strategy that President Obama ultimately embraced. They intend to argue in upcoming debates that the al-Qaeda leader's demise is proof that counterterrorism is a more reliable and cost-effective tactic for the next phase of the nearly decade-old war.

TRIPOLI, Libya — NATO carried out its most forceful attacks in weeks in Libya on Tuesday, part of an apparently coordinated push with rebel forces to bring an end to Moammar Gaddafi's 41-year-long rule.

NATO warplanes pummeled command-and-control targets in four cities, including Tripoli and Gaddafi's home town of Sirte. U.S. officials said NATO had increased the tempo of its airstrikes throughout the country, and members of the alliance spoke of improved targeting of dug-in loyalist forces, made possible in part by the presence of U.S. Predator drone aircraft.

BEIRUT — Tanks and troops rolled into southern villages near the heart of Syria's anti-government uprising Tuesday, while officials in Washington said the U.S. administration is edging closer to calling for an end to the Assad family's long rule after its violent suppression of the protests.

The Syrian military has been sealing off various areas and conducting house-to-house raids in search of people whose names are on wanted lists, with many people fleeing for fear of detention by President Bashar Assad's regime, activists say.

The hotels are quiet and the shopping malls desolate. The sex and alcohol tourists from Saudi Arabia, who once poured over the causeway connecting this relatively liberal island nation to its fundamentalist neighbor, no longer flock to the bars. A thin veneer of normalcy prevails on the streets by day, but at night a curfew descends, amid persistent reports of political arrests, physical attacks and destroyed mosques, as the Sunni-led government continues its crackdown against a mostly Shiite opposition to the governing monarchy.

MOSCOW — The first reactor at Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant has gone into operation, the Russian state company that built the complex said Tuesday.

Atomstroyexport company said in a statement that a self-sustained fission reaction began Sunday.

It said the reactor was brought to "the minimum controlled power level" and that tests of control and protection systems would now be conducted.

Seve Ballesteros was his own principality. He transcended country. This is to take nothing from Spain, with which he was inseparable, just to say that his talent was so reaching and his personality so encompassing that it outgrew his native land. The great nation of Ballesteros had a lot of citizens, who shared a common home with him, in the rough.

The funeral for Ballesteros will be held Wednesday in Pedrena, but to be perfectly honest it's merely a technicality, a temporal shift. He still seems to inhabit the world, to be pacing a golf course looking for his ball in a hedge. An early death at 54 from brain cancer can't kill the sheer beingness of a man who was simply the most alive player I ever watched, with his shock of black hair, broad bullish chest, and that grin like a white magnesium flash.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Seve Ballesteros was considered a genius for inventing shots, usually after he found himself in trouble off the fairway. On the eve of the great Spaniard's funeral, he was remembered by two players who could at times relate.

"You've never seen a person compete from the places he played from," Tiger Woods said Tuesday.

Phil Mickelson, who also has a remarkable ability to escape from anywhere, recalled the time he played a practice round with Ballesteros at Torrey Pines when Lefty was still an amateur.

PEDRENA, Spain — Seve Ballesteros' funeral will be held in his hometown on Wednesday, bringing Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and other golf luminaries to the small Spanish fishing village to honor the five-time major winner.

Top-ranked Lee Westwood, Sam Torrance and Jose Maria Olazabal also are expected to attend the service remembering Ballesteros, who died Saturday from complications of a cancerous brain tumor. He was 54.

Wednesday's funeral will be held at the 400-capacity church of San Pedro de Pedrena. Ballesteros' ashes will be placed underneath a magnolia tree in the family garden.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Tiger Woods heard a series of shutters from a spectator's camera and stopped his swing at the last minute, knees flexed, club shaft parallel to the ground, holding his pose until he could regain his balance.

"Oh, no," said the caddie for Mark O'Meara. "You're starting to swing like Charles Barkley."

Woods doubled over in laughter Tuesday on the eighth tee on the TPC Sawgrass, a light moment during his first time playing golf since disclosing minor knee and Achilles' injuries from the Masters.

Site: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: TPC Sawgrass, Players Stadium Course (7,215 yards, par 72).

Sometimes, the best hire is the one you don't make.

Almost 50 years ago, when Frank McGuire left North Carolina for the NBA, very few Tar Heel supporters wanted to see his quiet, unassuming, 30-year-old assistant take his place. The exception was the school's chancellor, who decided to give Dean Smith first crack at the job.

In 1980, Duke Athletic Director Tom Butters was being pushed by Bob Knight to hire one of Knight's former assistants: Texas Coach Bob Weltlich. Butters' gut told him the unknown coach at Army with the impossible-to-pronounce name was the right guy, but he didn't think he could hire a coach from that level who had just gone 9-17. So he thanked Mike Krzyzewski for coming down for a second interview and sent him back to the airport, intending to call Weltlich.

Sometimes, the best hire is the one you don't make.

Almost 50 years ago, when Frank McGuire left North Carolina for the NBA, very few Tar Heel supporters wanted to see his quiet, unassuming, 30-year-old assistant take his place. The exception was the school's chancellor, who decided to give Dean Smith first crack at the job.

In 1980, Duke Athletic Director Tom Butters was being pushed by Bob Knight to hire one of Knight's former assistants: Texas Coach Bob Weltlich. Butters' gut told him the unknown coach at Army with the impossible-to-pronounce name was the right guy, but he didn't think he could hire a coach from that level who had just gone 9-17. So he thanked Mike Krzyzewski for coming down for a second interview and sent him back to the airport, intending to call Weltlich.

Within days of completing his purchase of the Washington Wizards from the Pollin family, Ted Leonsis was in discussions with the NBA and its apparel partner, Adidas, expressing his desire to create a different look for his franchise. Leonsis had made it clear that the Wizards wanted to return to a red, white and blue color scheme more reflective of the nation's capital, and one that the basketball team had worn from the time the Bullets moved from Baltimore to the Washington area in 1973 until the name was changed to Wizards in 1997.

You surely know by now that the Washington Wizards have unveiled new uniforms. Once you got a look, you were probably asking yourself, "What does Dan Steinberg think of these uniforms?" To answer that question – and more – Dan hosted a video chat shortly after the red, white and blue apparel was unveiled:

If you want to skip to a few highlights, try these links:

Bad look. Why not just call them "Bullets"?

This morning the Washington Wizards' unveiled new uniforms that resurrect the red, white and blue color scheme of the old Bullets. What do you think?

The home uniform is white and says "wizards" in lowercase navy type. The road jersey is red and says "washington" in white — again, lower case.

The jerseys include horizontal stripes, like Bullets jerseys of old.

ATLANTA — The Washington Nationals finally found the offensive breakthrough they had been waiting for Tuesday night, which in the end mattered more than they hoped it would. They scored more runs in a game than they had in three weeks, and then they ensured, to their temporary horror, they needed every last one.

The Nationals carried a six-run lead over the Atlanta Braves into the eighth inning before escaping with a 7-6 victory at Turner Field. They built their lead on three-run home runs by Laynce Nix and Jayson Werth, who hit his first homer with a man on base this season. They squandered almost all of it with an eighth-inning meltdown. In the end, Drew Storen converted his eighth save — but not without a flyout to the warning track — and preserved the 100th victory of starter Jason Marquis's career.

The most interesting aspect of this series might be the two bullpens, which contain some of the best late-inning, shut-down relievers in the National League. The Nationals and Braves, essentially, will be playing six-inning games.

With a lead after the sixth inning, the Nationals can turn to Sean Burnett, Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard, who have struck out 47 and walked 13 in 53 1/3 combined innings. If the Braves are ahead after six, they can call on Jonny Venters, Eric O'Flaherty and Craig Kimbrel, who have a 1.21 combined ERA. If you like late-inning comebacks, this might not be the series for you.

Laynce Nix will start for the sixth consecutive game tonight, a decision Manager Jim Riggleman made largely because of Michael Morse's ailing right knee, which Riggleman said is "still tender" despite Morse having started Sunday against the Marlins.

"The determining factor is just hope he could cover a little more ground in the outfield because of Mike's knee," Riggleman said. "Basically, it's a defensive decision today."

With Nix's increased playing time and Morse's struggles – he's hitting .241/.275/.325 – it seems possible the left field spot could evolve into a platoon, with Morse facing left-handed starters and Nix facing right-handers. Riggleman, though, said it's too soon to decide, given the current moving parts in the Nationals' outfield.

The Nationals have been plagued all season by the inability of their leadoff hitters to reach base, but they may have a season-long solution – or at least another attempt at one – in a surprising source. Days after being recalled from Class AAA Syracuse, Roger Bernadina has become, and may well continue to be for much of the season, the Nationals' leadoff hitter.

When asked today about the likelihood of Bernadina remaining with the team after the return of Rick Ankiel, who's eligible to come off the disabled list May 19, Manager Jim Riggleman gave a clear endorsement for Bernadina sticking with the Nationals.

First, one quick note on Thursday's probable Braves starter for the Braves. In their official notes, the Nationals have been listing Derek Lowe as the guy for the series finale, and it would be his usual turn in the rotation. The Braves' official web site lists Brandon Beachy. Neither is necessarily wrong yet. Just a few minutes, Lowe played long-toss in the Turner Field outfield to see how the blister on his foot is feeling. If he's OK, he'll pitch Thursday. If not, it'll be Beachy.

As for the lineups, the Nationals begin a three-game series in Atlanta tonight with Jason Marquis on the mound against Tim Hudson. Michael Morse is out in favor of Laynce Nix.

There's no way to approach yet another story of sexual abuse by Catholic priests without a weary sense of revulsion. I lived in Boston during the most shocking revelations about the archdiocese, and though I wouldn't take a word — or an award — away from the Boston Globe's coverage, the ever-rising tally of robed predators became morally exhausting. But don't let that worn-out disgust turn you away from Jennifer Haigh's smart fourth novel, "Faith." Haigh brings a refreshing degree of humanity to a story you think you know well, and in chapters both riveting and profound, she catches the avalanche of guilt this tragedy unleashes in one devout family.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. — Stan Lee professes no deep and analytical insight into the human soul. "I'm not a psychiatrist," he begs off. "All I know is, the good superhero movie has got action, suspense, colorful characters, new angles — that's what people like."

The rangy 88-year-old — sitting poised against the leopard-print pillows on the couch in his POW! Entertainment office, several days before "Thor's" premiere — is a natural at delivering the dramatic angle. Asked to strike a towering pose, he springs to his feet and in a blink is balancing with feline ease atop a chair.

There's no way to approach yet another story of sexual abuse by Catholic priests without a weary sense of revulsion. I lived in Boston during the most shocking revelations about the archdiocese, and though I wouldn't take a word — or an award — away from the Boston Globe's coverage, the ever-rising tally of robed predators became morally exhausting. But don't let that worn-out disgust turn you away from Jennifer Haigh's smart fourth novel, "Faith." Haigh brings a refreshing degree of humanity to a story you think you know well, and in chapters both riveting and profound, she catches the avalanche of guilt this tragedy unleashes in one devout family.

Is this how it goes in political marriages — not just "stay together until the kids grow up," but "stay together until his career is done"? Last year, the splits of John and Elizabeth Edwards and Al and Tipper Gore — after so many years, so much endured together in the public eye — had the world asking "why now?" Both came not long after the men exited the political stage. And now, just four months after he wrapped up the seven years as California governor that topped off their uniquely high-profile quarter-century together, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announced they have separated. (** Photo gallery: Other notable breakups among political couples **)