"There's a big con going on, and it is outrageous. Under 'cap and trade,' the feds tell heavy industry what they can spew into the air. If a company goes over the emission amount, they must buy 'carbon offsets' from another company, so the companies that keep emissions low make money. Less gunk in the air is good, but this is the con: Some big corporations will make billions off this 'cap and trade' deal. Goldman Sachs is a goliath investment company that last year made more than $2 billion in profit, paid its CEO about $43 million, but paid zero in federal income tax. Goldman owns a 10% stake in the Chicago Climate Exchange, where the 'cap-and-trade' deals will be made, and stands to vacuum up money. Also, Goldman employees gave President Obama's campaign more than $1 million. Guess who else is invested in 'cap and trade?' Al Gore founded a company that will profit big time if the 'cap and trade' deal becomes law. Since Al Gore launched his global warming crusade, his net worth has increased 5,000% to more than $100 million. This definitely sounds like 'change,' change that Mr. Gore and Goldman Sachs can believe in."

The Factor interrogated Fox business anchors Stuart Varney and Cheryl Cassone about the financial aspects of "cap and trade" legislation. "Look at the cost of this," Varney began. "Energy prices will go up, utility bills will go up, and what is the benefit? Zero! No noticeable difference to the climate in the near future. There will be lost jobs and the ruin of American industry - when we start putting restrictions on our ability to manufacture at a reasonable cost, companies will exit the country." Nevertheless, Cassone predicted that some version of the legislation will be enacted. "This president has strong approval ratings and a majority in Congress, and a very watered-down version of 'cap and trade' will pass, but it is all for nothing. Goldman Sachs and others will make money off it, and why shouldn't they?"

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor faced the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, and Fox News legal analyst Lis Wiehl gave the judge an A-minus. "I thought she came out great," Wiehl opined. "She's strong and clear in her message, she's answering the questions and she even shows a sense of humor." But FNC's Megyn Kelly wasn't nearly as generous. "I watched every minute of the hearings with some very well-schooled people, and I don't think any of them would agree with an A-minus. She had trouble today, especially when explaining her comment that a 'wise Latina' judge would reach a better conclusion than a white male judge." The Factor maintained that Judge Sotomayor will soon be a member of the high court. "She's obviously dodging and doing the rope-a-dope, but she's going to be confirmed."

Left-leaning Newsweek magazine has a story portraying Sarah Palin as a lightweight who appeals only to intellectually-challenged dolts and rubes. The Factor reported what Newsweek failed to mention: "The vicious piece was authored by far-left zealot Rick Perlstein, but the editors at Newsweek didn't tell its readers about his ideology. This is despicable and dishonest and Newsweek has now been exposed as a fraud." FNC media analyst Bernie Goldberg elaborated on the troubled magazine's survival strategy. "Newsweek and Time are no longer news magazines," Goldberg said, "they are liberal journals of opinion. They are in a fight for survival and they are aiming at a niche audience of liberals with money. Conservative readers left the magazines a long time ago, and when Newsweek goes out of business, they will blame me and you."

Legal wizards Lis Wiehl and Megyn Kelly returned to analyze the murder of a Florida man and wife who had 16 children, most of them disabled kids they had adopted. "Police said the motive was robbery," Kelly reported. "This team of thugs burst into the house of what they perceived to be a wealthy family, something went very wrong, and these thugs murdered the mother and father while nine of the children were home." Wiehl added that seven men have been arrested. "All of this happened within about four minutes, and one of the guys had worked for this family and was the inside guy. All seven guys have been charged with murder." The subject turned to former Miss Norway Monica Hansen, who is suing a doctor because he put images of her new and improved breasts on his web site. "She is saying you didn't operate on my breasts and you can't do this, and he said he'll only take the photo down if you pay me." Kelly added some details about the case: "Miss Norway may not be telling us the whole story. The doctor may have been this woman's boyfriend for a while, and there was at least a friendship between them." The Factor vowed to pursue "this great breast augmentation scandal."

Fox News anchor Glenn Beck entered the No Spin Zone and railed against the "cap-and-trade" legislation being debated in Congress. "We have an oligarchy in our country," Beck warned. "We have a takeover by business and special interests, and they are running the government. The questions are whether temperatures are actually going up and, even if you buy into 'global warming,' whether this will solve it. This con is going to change America forever." The Factor predicted that the bill will not make it through Congress: "I'm a global warming believer, but this 'cap-and-trade' con comes from a president who came into office saying he's with the people. But the people will pay more, while General Electric and Al Gore are going to make gazillions and pay no taxes. This is a con and it is not going to get passed."

Perennial all-stars Steve Doocy and Martha MacCallum squared off again in The Great American Culture Quiz. Among this week's questions: "Farrah Fawcett starred in 'Charlie's Angels' for how many years?" ... "What happened to John Wilkes Booth immediately after he shot President Lincoln?" ... "For what film did Catherine Zeta-Jones win an Academy Award?" Doocy salvaged a tie on the final question, but MacCallum then won with an extra-inning walk-off. The entire GACQ is available here on BillOReilly.com under "Fun Stuff."

Tuesday's Patriots: The folks at State Farm Insurance, who sponsored baseball's Home Run Derby and donated $665,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. And the Pinheads: The 232 skinny-dippers who set a world record for naked swimming.

Carol Wulz, Rogers, AR: "As the mother of three teenagers, I believe it was the attacks on her family - not on herself - that made Sarah Palin resign."

Steve Esposito, Ballston Spa, NY: "If women in politics can't take the heat, they should get back in the kitchen."

Maria Rally, Cornwall, NY: "I can't imagine anything more demeaning to blacks than Justice Ginsburg saying a written test is beyond them."

Ronaldo Palado, Philippines: "Bill, you were 100% right in your talking points. Both Sotomayor and Ginsburg were wrong in denying the New Haven firefighters promotions."