MICHAEL BARONE: What Would Machiavelli Do?

WSJ: Officials Unfazed by Dollar Slide. “The U.S. dollar fell Thursday to its lowest point since the summer of 2008, but officials aren’t showing signs that they are alarmed by the currency’s descent or acting to stem it. . . . The Fed’s decision, coming as many central banks start to raise rates, prompted many investors to shed dollar-denominated holdings. Many investors worry the Fed’s easy-money policies—in which it also is pumping dollars into the financial system to keep interest rates low—are pushing down the value of the currency by adding to its supply, stoking inflationary pressures.”

FORGET THE WARS OR THE ECONOMY: You can now get an iPhone in white!

REAGAN VS. OBAMA: A TALE OF TWO RECOVERIES.

WELL, THAT SHOULD COST A COUPLE OF POINTS IN THE POLLS: Sen. Kerry applauds Obama’s national security picks.

HMM: Rifts in Iran’s Leadership. Plus: Secret Meetings with Obama Admin?

STANFORD FACULTY SENATE votes to bring back ROTC.

TRANSPARENCY: Issa Demands Justice Dept. Answer Project Gunrunner Subpoenas.

JIM TREACHER: Wait — there was a royal wedding? Why wasn’t I told?

VIOLENT RHETORIC IN THE NEW YORK TIMES: Rep. Allen West “in the Democratic crosshairs.”

BLOWBACK: Virginia AG cancels King & Spalding work for state after “obsequious act of weakness” in DOMA case. “Virginia does not shy away from hiring outside counsel because they may have ongoing professional relationships with people or entities, or on behalf of causes that I, or my office, or Virginia as a whole may not support. But it is crucial for us to be able to trust and rely on the fact that our outside counsel will not desert Virginia due to pressure by an outside group or groups.”

CHANGE: Walmart Brings Guns Back: “Wal-Mart said Thursday that it is bringing guns back to many of its U.S. stores in an effort to lift slumping sales. In 2006, Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500), the world’s largest retailer stopped selling guns in the majority of its stores, blaming slow demand for those types of firearms.” Nowadays, guns and ammo are regarded as good investments.

CHANGE: Euro zone inflation up, economic sentiment weakens.

ANTI-SHINGLES AGENT DISCOVERED: “U.S. researchers say they discovered a compound that may be more effective than existing agents in treating the very painful blisters involved with shingles.”

THE HILL: Pessimism On Economy Puts A Crimp On Obama’s Campaign. “Since January, the number of Democrats who disapprove of Obama’s handling of the economy has grown 12 percent to 27 percent, while the percentage of independents casting doubts has grown from 50 percent in January to 63 percent, the poll found.”

THAT’S FAST: A star spinning at 1 million mph.

CHANGE: More Democrats Threaten To Vote Against Raising Debt Ceiling. “A growing number of Democrats are threatening to defy the White House over the national debt, joining Republican calls for deficit cuts as a requirement for consenting to lift the country’s borrowing limit. The tension is the latest illustration of how the tea-party-infused GOP is driving the debate in Washington over federal spending. And it shows how the debt issue is testing the Obama administration’s clout as Democrats, particularly those from politically competitive states, resist White House arguments against setting conditions on legislation to raise the debt ceiling.”

Related: America’s Fiscal High Noon.

THE POST-IT CAMPAIGN GETS MOMENTUM: 10 Rules For Liberty Guerrillas.

DUDE, WHERE’S MY RECOVERY? Most Americans say U.S. in recession despite data: poll. “The April 20-23 Gallup survey of 1,013 U.S. adults found that only 27 percent said the economy is growing. Twenty-nine percent said the economy is in a depression and 26 percent said it is in a recession, with another 16 percent saying it is ‘slowing down,’ Gallup said.”

NONE DARE CALL IT Stagflation. “It’s as if we have taken a long round-trip back to 1979.” Ha. In your dreams, buddy. It’s much worse than that.

Related: Crappy Days Are Here Again. Also, The 44th President and his Multiple Catch-22s.

Plus: Walmart CEO: Our Consumers Are Running Out Of Money. “Wal-Mart’s core shoppers are running out of money much faster than a year ago due to rising gasoline prices, and the retail giant is worried, CEO Mike Duke said Wednesday.”

Yeah, I’m hearing that too.

IS YOUR BRAIN SLEEPING while you’re awake? If so, you may be a member of Congress!

FUN WITH MULTIDIMENSIONAL STORYTELLING: Wasn’t there a Star Trek episode about that?

DAVID HARSANYI: Why did Superman really renounce his citizenship? “Just a theory. Like Donald Trump or Andrew Sullivan, I’m simply asking questions, not making accusations.”

SHUT UP, THEY EXPLAINED: Obama Administration Bans Reporter for Using Camera to Record Anti-Obama Protesters. More here.

THE REASON WHY “THERE ARE NO MORE ARBITERS OF TRUTH” is that the old ones were liars. Until you can get past that problem, you’ll have to deal with conspiracy theories. And really, after Dan Rather, I don’t see how anyone can complain about Internet innuendo.