EVERYTHING WENT AS EXPECTED AT THE OSCARS LAST NIGHT. “THE KING’S SPEECH” PICKED UP 4 AWARDS INCLUDING BEST PICTURE. AS EXPECTED COLIN FIRTH WON FOR BEST ACTOR. A PREGNANT NATALIE PORTMAN WON BEST ACTRESS FOR BLACK SWAN. CHRISTIAN BALE AND MELISSA LEO PICKED UP OSCARS FOR THEIR SUPPORTING ROLES IN THE FIGHTER. INCEPTION WAS ALSO A BIG WINNER, PICKING UP 4 IN THE TECHNICAL CATEGORIES.

CONGRESS FACES A FRIDAY DEADLINE TO SEND PRESIDENT OBAMA A BUDGET TO KEEP THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UP AND RUNNING. LAST WEEKEND THE HOUSE PASSED A MEASURE FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR ON SEPTEMBER 30^TH BUT DEMOCRATS ARE OPPOSED TO THE MEASURE. THE SPENDING FIGHT COULD LEAD TO A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AS EARLY AS NEXT MONDAY.

THE U.S. WANTS EUROPEAN ALLIES TO INCREASE PRESSURE ON MUAMMAR GADDAFI TO GIVE UP HIS REGIME IN LIBYA. HILLARY CLINTON IS DELIVERING THAT MESSAGE TODAY IN GENEVA TO FOREIGN MINISTERS FROM BRITAIN, FRANCE, GERMANY AND ITALY. CLINTON WILL ALSO TRY TO COORDINATE SANCTIONS ON THE LIBYAN GOVERNMENT.

THE LAST SURVIVING U.S. VETERAN OF WORLD WAR 1 HAS DIED. FRANK BUCKLES PASSED AWAY YESTERDAY IN HIS WEST VIRGINIA HOME. HE WAS 110 YEARS OLD. BUCKLES SERVED AS AN ARMY AMBULANCE DRIVER IN EUROPE DURING THE GREAT WAR AND CLIMBED TO THE RANK OF CORPORAL BEFORE THE WAR ENDED IN 1918.

Best Picture:

“The King’s Speech”

Actor in a Leading Role:

Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”

Actress in a Leading Role:

Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”

Actor in a Supporting Role:

Christian Bale in “The Fighter”

Actress in a Supporting Role:

Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”

Cinematography:

“The King’s Speech”

Directing:

David Fincher “The Social Network”

Film Editing:

“The Social Network”

Writing (Adapted Screenplay):

“The Social Network”

Writing (Original Screenplay):

“The King’s Speech”

TOYOTA IS RECALLING MORE THAN 2 MILLION VEHICLES OVER A PROBLEM THAT COULD CAUSE THEIR GAS PEDALS TO GET STUCK. TOYOTA SAYS IF THE FLOOR CARPET AROUND THE GAS PEDAL ISN’T PLACED RIGHT, THE PEDAL COULD BE STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION. THE RECALL INCLUDES HIGHLANDERS, 4 RUNNERS, RAV4’S AND LEXUS LX 570’S.

WISCONSIN STATE WORKERS PLAN TO HOLD THEIR BIGGEST RALLY TODAY IN MADISON AS THEY PROTEST A CONTROVERSIAL BUDGET BILL. REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER’S LEGISLATION WOULD TAKE AWAY COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS OF PUBLIC WORKERS. DEMONSTRATIONS HAVE BEEN GOING ON MORE THAN A WEEK.

PRESIDENT OBAMA AND SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON WILL MEET AGAIN TODAY ABOUT LIBYA’S POLITICAL UNREST. CLINTON SAYS THE U.S. WILL LOOK AT ALL OPTIONS TO INFLUENCE THE LIBYAN GOVERNMENT AND END THE VIOLENCE THERE. SHE SAYS THE MAIN CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS THE SAFETY OF AMERICANS IN LIBYA.

SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY IS SET TO LIFT OFF FOR THE FINAL TIME THIS AFTERNOON. WEATHER IN FLORIDA LOOKS GOOD FOR THE 4:50 EASTERN TIME LIFT-OFF FROM CAPE CANAVERAL. NASA HAD TO DELAY THE LAUNCH LAST FALL BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS WITH THE EXTERNAL FUEL TANK.

WISCONSIN GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER IS THREATENING TO LAY OFF GOVERNMENT WORKERS AS UNIONS CONTINUE TO PROTEST HIS BUDGET DEAL. WALKER WANTS TO FIX THE STATE’S BUDGET CRISIS WITH CUTS THAT WOULD INCLUDE TAKING AWAY WORKERS’ COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS. HE SAYS UP TO 6,000 STATE EMPLOYEES WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS IF THERE’S NO DEAL BY JULY 1^ST.

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS EVACUATING AMERICANS FROM VIOLENCE-RAVAGED LIBYA. THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN TRIPOLI SAYS A U.S. CHARTERED FERRY HAS LEFT A PORT IN CENTRAL TRIPOLI. MEANWHILE, THE ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IS CALLING ESTIMATES OF 1,000 DEAD IN LIBYA “CREDIBLE.”

RESCUERS FROM THE U.S., BRITAIN, TAIWAN AND JAPAN WILL JOIN NEW ZEALAND TEAMS TODAY IN A SEARCH OF QUAKE-SHATTERED BUILDINGS IN CENTRAL CHIRSTCHURCH. RESCUE TEAMS HAVE A WINDOW OF ONLY 2 OR 3 DAYS TO FIND PEOPLE AFTER TUESDAY’S 6.3 EARTHQUAKE. 75 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED DEAD BUT THAT TOLL IS EXPECTED TO RISE WITH MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE MISSING.

FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF RAHM EMANUEL WILL BE CHICAGO’S NEXT MAYOR. EMANUEL WON THE RACE WITH WELL OVER THE 50 PERCENT NEEDED TO AVOID A RUNOFF. EMANUEL’S CANDIDACY WAS CONTROVERSIAL AFTER SEVERAL LAWSUITS ON WHETHER HE MET THE RESIDENCY RULES TO BE ON THE BALLOT.

THE 4 AMERICANS ABOARD A YACHT HIJACKED OFF THE COAST OF OMAN HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE AMERICANS WERE APPARENTLY SHOT DURING NEGOTIATIONS. U.S. NAVAL FORCES QUICKLY BOARDED THE YACHT AFTER HEARING THE GUNFIRE AND TRIED TO SAVE THE AMERICANS BUT THEY DIED OF THEIR WOUNDS. 2 PIRATES DIED AND 13 WERE CAPTURED. SCOTT AND JEAN ADAMS HAVE BEEN SAILING AND DISTRIBUTING BIBLES SINCE 2004.

AT LEAST 65 PEOPLE IN CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND ARE DEAD AFTER A 6.3 EARTHQUAKE. THE DEATH TOLL IS SURE TO RISE WITH MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE TRAPPED IN THE RUBBLE. MULTIPLE AFTERSHOCKS CONTINUED FOR HOURS AND HAMPERED THE RESCUE EFFORT. THIS WAS THE 2^ND QUAKE TO HIT THE CITY IN 5 MONTHS. THE COUNTRY’S PRIME MINISTER SAYS THIS MAY BE NEW ZEALAND’S DARKEST DAY.

WISCONSIN’S SENATE RECONVENES TODAY WITHOUT SOME DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKRS. THE LEGISLATORS FLED THE STATE RATHER THAN CAST VOTES ON GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER’S BILL TO STRIP COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FROM PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNIONS. PROTESTS IN MADISON ARE ENTERING THEIR SECOND WEEK.

MEANWHILE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE INVESTIGATING CLAIMS THEIR DOCTORS MAY HAVE WRITTEN PHONY SICK NOTES FOR STATE WORKERS PROTESTING AT THE STATE CAPITOL. THOUSANDS OF WORKERS HAVE BEEN STAGING A SO CALLED SICK-IN TO OPPOSE THE BUDGET BILL.

THE HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO VOTE TODAY ON AN AMENDMENT TO A GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL THAT WOULD BAR PLANNED PARENTHOOD FROM GETTING FEDERAL DOLLARS. YESTERDAY THERE WAS A HEATED, 3 HOUR DEBATE ABOUT WOMEN’S RIGHTS, ABORTION AND HEALTHCARE REFORM. THE DEBATE LASTED UNTIL MIDNIGHT. DEMOCRATS CALL THE AMENDMENT  “A WAR AGAINST WOMEN.”

PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN MADISON, WISCONSIN ARE CLOSED AGAIN AS THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS TAKE TO THE STREETS FOR A 3^RD STRAIGHT DAY. TEACHERS ARE PROTESTING GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER’S PROPOSAL TO FIX THE STATE BUDGET BY SLASHING PUBLIC EMPLOYEES’ BENEFITS AND GETTING RID OF THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS.

PRESIDENT OBAMA WILL FLY TO OREGON THIS MORNING AFTER SPENDING THE NIGHT IN THE BAY AREA. OBAMA HAD DINNER WITH SEVERAL SILICON VALLEY EXECUTIVES LAST NIGHT. TODAY THE PRESIDENT WILL TOUR INTEL’S SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING PLANT, THE LARGEST FACILITY OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD.

THE FATHER OF ANNA NICOLE SMITH’S DAUGHTER IS CONSIDERING LEGAL ACTION OVER A NEW OPERA BASED ON THE LIFE OF THE LATE PLAYBOY MODEL. LARRY BIRKHEAD SAYS THE OPERA TITLED “ANNA NICOLE” PAINTS AN UNFAIR PICTURE OF HIS DAUGHTER’S MOTHER. THE PRODUCTION FEATURES EXTREME LANGUAGE AND GRAPHIC PORTRAYALS OF SEX AND DRUG ABUSE.

PRESIDENT OBAMA WILL ARRIVE IN THE BAY AREA THIS AFTERNOON. TONIGHT HE’LL HAVE DINNER WITH HIGH-TECH EXECUTIVES INCLUDING APPLE’S STEVE JOBS, GOOGLE’S ERIC SCHMIDT AND FACEBOOK’S MARK ZUKERBERG. THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS THE FOCUS OF THE DISCUSSION WILL BE ON INNOVATION AND JOB CREATION. THE PRESIDENT WILL SPEND THE NIGHT HERE BEFORE FLYING TO OREGON TOMORROW.

AT LEAST 3 PEOPLE ARE DEAD AND ABOUT 60 OTHERS ARE MISSING IN BAHRAIN AFTER A POLICE RAID ON ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS. AND IN LIBYA, DEMONSTRATORS ARE GETTING READY FOR A “DAY OF RAGE” UPRISING. PROTESTS IN BOTH BAHRAIN AND LIBYA HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY THE EVENTS IN EGYPT THAT OUSTED PRESIDENT MUBARAK.

CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT LARA LOGAN IS BACK HOME AFTER SUFFERING A BRUTAL SEXUAL ASSAULT IN CAIRO. SHE WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL YESTERDAY AND RECEIVED A CALL FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA. THE VETERAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPORTER WAS COVERING THE JUBILATION IN TAHRIR SQUARE FOR A “60 MINUTES” SEGMENT WHEN SHE WAS ATTACKED.

WISCONSIN’S LARGEST TEACHERS UNION IS URGING ITS 98 THOUSAND MEMBERS TO HOLD MASSIVE RALLIES TODAY TO PROTEST A PLAN THAT WOULD TAKE AWAY TEACHER’S COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS. THE PLANNED RALLIES HAVE FORCED SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO CANCEL CLASS.

SOCIAL UNREST IS SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. IRANIAN GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS CLASHED TODAY DURING A FUNERAL PROCESSION FOR A STUDENT WHO WAS SHOT TO DEATH IN AN OPPOSITION RALLY. 14 PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN LIBYA LAST NIGHT WHEN AN ANGRY CROWD ARMED WITH MOLOTOV COCKTAILS CLASHED WITH POLICE AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS.

CALIFORNIA’S 25.4 BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET DEFICIT HAS FORCED GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN TO INSTITUTE A STATEWIDE HIRING FREEZE. AGENCIES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SIGN ON NEW WORKERS, CONVERT PART-TIME WORKERS INTO FULL-TIME OR TRANSFER EMPLOYEES BETWEEN AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS.

UNITED AIRLINES EXPECTS MINIMAL DELAYS TODAY DESPITE GROUNDING ITS FLEET OF BOEING 757’S. ALL 96 OF THE PLANES WERE TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE YESTERDAY SO UNITED COULD MODIFY THE AIR DATA COMPUTER WHICH TAKES 90 MINUTES FOR EACH PLANE. FEWER 757’S WILL BE ON THE GROUND TODAY.

U.S. AND MEXICO AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING THE SHOOTINGS OF 2 IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT AGENTS ATTACKED NORTH OF MEXICO CITY YESTERDAY. A SPECIAL AGENT WAS KILLED IN THE SHOOTING AND THE OTHER AGENT REMAINS IN STABLE CONDITION. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME AN ICE AGENT HAS BEEN GUNNED DOWN IN MEXICO.

MONTREAL INDIE BAND ARCADE FIRE PULLED OFF THE UPSET AT LAST NIGHT’S GRAMMYS BY WINNING ALBUM OF THE YEAR. “THE SUBURBS” TOPPED THE U.S. AND CANADIAN CHARTS LAST YEAR WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF A MAJOR LABEL. COUNTRY TRIO LADY ANTEBELLUM WON 5 OUT OF THE 6 CATEGORIES THEY WERE NOMINATED FOR INCLUDING RECORD AND SONG OF THE YEAR. MEANWHILE TEEN STAR JUSTIN BIEBER DIDN’T HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, WALKING AWAY WITHOUT A SINGLE WIN.

WOUNDED CONGRESSWOMAN GABRILLE GIFFORDS IS SINGING “TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR” AND TALKING ON THE PHONE AS SHE CONTINUES TO RECOVER FROM A GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HEAD. THE ARIZONA DEMOCRAT HAS BEEN CHATTING WITH HER BROTHER IN LAW SCOTT KELLY, WHO IS COMMANDER OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

A MAN’S BODY FOUND IN A PATTERSON CANAL OVER THE WEEKEND MAY BE THAT OF SUSPECTED KIDNAPPER JOSE RODRIGUEZ. THE BODY MATCHES THE PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE MAN SUSPECTED OF KIDNAPPING 4 YEAR OLD JULIANI CARDENAS. THE BODY WAS FOUND BY A CANAL EMPLOYEE ABOUT 11 MILES SOUTH OF WHERE POLICE SAY RODRIGUEZ DROVE HIS CAR INTO THE CANAL.

AT THE MOVIES OVER THE WEEKEND, THE ADAM SANDLER-JENNIFER ANISTON ROMANTIC COMEDY “JUST GO WITH IT” WAS NUMBER 1. THE FILM TOOK IN 31 MILLION DOLLARS, EDGING OUT THE JUSTIN BIEBER MOVIE “NEVER SAY NEVER.” “GNOMEO AND JULIET” DEBUTED IN 3^RD PLACE.

EGYPT’S PRESIDENTIAL PALACE MAY BE EMPTY TODAY. REPORTS SAY EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK AND HIS FAMILY HAVE LEFT CAIRO BUT THERE’S NO WORD ON WHERE THEY’VE FLED TO. PROTESTS CONTINUE OUTSIDE THE PALACE ONE DAY AFTER THE 82 YEAR OLD ANNOUNCED HE IS NOT STEPPING DOWN BUT TRANSFERRING SOME POWERS TO HIS VICE-PRESIDENT.

CHANDRA LEVY’S KILLER WILL BE SENTENCED TODAY. THE 24 YEAR OLD FEDERAL INTERN AND MODESTO NATIVE WENT MISSING IN 2001. HER REMAINS WERE FOUND A YEAR LATER IN A WASHINGTON D.C. PARK. THE ILLEGAL SALVADORAN IMMIGRANT CONVICTED OF KILLING HER COULD GET LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE.

THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS ROLLING OUT A PLAN TODAY THAT WOULD GET RID OF MORTGAGE GIANTS FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC. THE PROPOSAL WILL CONTAIN 3 DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR REDUCING GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY IN THE MORTGAGE MARKET. 1 OPTION WOULD KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE MORTGAGE BUSINESS ALTOGETHER.

THE PUBLICIST FOR ELIZABETH TAYLOR IS DENYING A TABLOID REPORT THAT THE 78 YEAR OLD ACTRESS WAS RUSHED TO A LOS ANGELES HOSPITAL THIS WEEK. THE PUBLICIST SAYS THE RUMORS LIKELY STARTED AFTER TAYLOR MISSED THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR AIDS RESEARCH 25^TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION. SHE ALSO BLAMES A PHOTO OF TAYLOR LEAVING THE DENTIST LAST WEEK IN A WHEELCHAIR.