PRIMETIME EXCLUSIVE: Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren says President Obama's call for a return to 1967 borders as a starting point in the Middle East peace process matches a Palestinian goal. FULL POST

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Israeli advocate and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz says President Obama hurt the Middle East peace process by calling for 1967 borders as a starting point. FULL POST

New York Times senior financial reporter Diana Henriques discusses her new book on Bernard Madoff and his Ponzi scheme.

And CLICK HERE to read our fascinating OFF-SET text interview with Diana, plus an excerpt of her new book, "The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust."

Salon's Steve Kornacki explains why, at age 13, he believed Harold Camping's 1994 prediction of Armageddon. FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Answering today's six OFF-SET questions is Diana B. Henriques, a reporter for The New York Times, and author of the new book, "The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust."

Henriques joined The New York Times in October 1989 as a financial reporter. Before that, from July 1986, she was a writer for Barron's National Business and Financial Weekly, a Dow Jones publication. She is the author of "The White Sharks of Wall Street: Thomas Mellon Evans and the Original Corporate Raiders" (2000), "Fidelity's World: The Secret Life and Public Power of the Mutual Fund Giant" (1995) and "The Machinery of Greed: Public Authority Abuse and What to Do About It" (1986).

Henriques is scheduled to appear In The Arena on Friday, May 20, 2011. An excerpt from her book follows this blog interview.

In February, in his first interview for publication since his arrest in December 2008, Madoff maintained that family members knew nothing about his crimes. After all the research you've done, do you believe that assertion? Is it possible his brother, sons and wife didn't know?

I could not find any evidence at all that Ruth, Mark or Andrew Madoff knew about Madoff's crime until his confession in his study on Dec. 10, 2008. Indeed, there are compelling reasons to conclude that they did not know, which I lay out in my book.

For example, consider that confessional in the study: if his wife and sons are his accomplices, what should have happened next? They should have packed their bags, emptied the bank account, gassed up the private jet and fled to some distant spot without an extradition treaty. They had the means and, if they were Madoff's accomplices, the motive to flee - and none of them did. His brother has been on notice for more than two years that he is the subject of a criminal investigation, but to date, no charges have been brought against him. FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Answering today’s five OFF-SET questions is John Bellini, geophysicist at the United States Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center in Golden Colorado. He’s been working there for 12 years.

By now, you may have seen the headlines or the billboards or the newspaper ads: Harold Camping, co-founder of Family Radio, predicts that May 21, 2011 is Judgment Day. He says he is certain the Earth will be destroyed, most likely by a series of earthquakes—rather than a single one—that will occur across the globe when each time zone reaches 6 pm.

 We reached Bellini at his NEIC office.

There are earthquakes every day, right?

Oh yes, we record dozens every day. When we finalize the earthquake location (reports) there may be as many as 100 on a single day–all around the world. We don’t record everything around the world–but outside the US, we record anything above a 4.5 magnitude. Worldwide, on a yearly basis, there's estimated to be over 1 million earthquakes a year.

Are any big tremors scheduled for May 21?

No. We cannot scientifically predict or forecast earthquakes. FULL POST

The Number of the Day is 1.

There is one day left before a series of terrible earthquakes destroys the Earth. So proclaims 89-year-old Harold Camping, President and General Manager of Family Stations, Inc. a non-profit, non-commercial, Christian radio network with broadcast facilities throughout the United States and the world.

Camping told this blog he has no doubt May 21^st is the Day of Judgment.

Here are just two of the answers to Frequently Asked Questions that Family Radio has posted on its website:

What proof is there for the date of May 21, 2011?

The date May 21, 2011 was derived solely from evidence found in the Bible. Mr. Camping saw God had placed, in Scripture, many important signs and proofs. These proofs alert believers that May 21 of 2011 is the date Christ will return for His people and begin a period of the final destruction of the world.

What if May 21 ends and nothing occurs?

The Biblical evidence is too overwhelming and specific to be wrong. Christ's people can look with great confidence to this date because God promises His "beloved" He will not come upon them as a thief in the night.

God in His mercy has revealed the vital information needed to know the day. Judgment Day on May 21, 2011 will occur because the bible declares it. Anyone whom God has not saved will arrive at that day with no hope for salvation. God warns simply the "door will be shut."

Pretty persuasive, don’t you think?

As for me, I’m still planning to watch The Preakness on Saturday–for some reason I find watching the Triple Crown horse races very exciting–and Sunday, I plan to hang with the kids, if they’re willing.

See you Monday…unless we’re wrong and he’s right.

FULL POST

Many of you have responded to our blog interviews with Family Radio’s Harold Camping, who is predicting the end of the world on May 21, 2011, and another point of view from Stephen H. Phelps, Interim Senior Minister of Riverside Church in New York City. (Links below.)

Here are some of your reactions to the story:

Let ME make a prediction: Nothing will happen on May 21. But then Harold Camping will have a big problem, as will his followers. I predict that they will say that THEY averted this disaster with their prayer and righteousness, and that God has simply DELAYED it. This will enable Camping to keep on the air, and it will give him fodder to do this all over again soon. It will have to be soon because he is pushing 90 years old. David

I wonder why his "ministry" is still accepting online donations with only 4 days to go. Will that money be donated when Harold is wrong again? Perhaps he has a touch of Alzheimer's as he states he has never been to this place before...apparently he forgot about his previous prediction of September 1994. I am so sad to see so many foolish people in the world that follow this man. Christine FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Answering today’s five OFF-SET questions is Daniel Levy, Director of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation.

He serves as a co-editor of The Middle East Channel, an online initiative of Foreign Policy Magazine.  (*More biography below.)

In his major foreign policy speech at the State Department on Thursday, President Obama declared that this was “A Moment of Opportunity” in the Middle East and North Africa. He talked about Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Iran, Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Israel, and a Palestinian state, among others. He covered a lot of ground and a lot of policy. What was new to you and what grabbed your attention?

The first thing to acknowledge, and it’s difficult sometimes, is that this is not primarily about America. It is being driven in the region by the people of the region, and the President was, I think, acknowledging that with a requisite degree of humility. But it was also important for the President to speak to his own public - to the American people - about why these events matter, why they matter to America, and why, as he sees it, America needs to remain engaged. FULL POST

JUST HOW FASHIONABLE IS AN ANKLE MONITOR? – Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is expected to be released from jail Friday after being granted bail on charges related to the alleged assault of a maid in a New York hotel, his lawyer said. Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus granted bail on condition that Strauss-Kahn posts $1 million in cash, a $5 million bond, surrender his travel documents and submit to home detention. http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/05/20/new.york.imf.kahn.release/index.html

IS ISRAEL READY TO DRAW NEW MAPS? – President Barack Obama will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday at the White House in a session that could highlight tensions between the allies. FULL POST