The Virginia Report: After the release of a report last night slamming its journalistic practices, Rolling Stone Magazine completely retracted its story published last November about a purported gang rape in a University of Virginia fraternity house. The story gained national attention both when it was published, and soon after when its credibility unraveled.

The report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, commissioned by Rolling Stone, described the magazine article titled “A Rape on Campus” as “a story of journalistic failure that was avoidable.” The report said, “The failure encompassed reporting, editing, editorial supervision and fact-checking.” The now discredited article damaged the reputation of Rolling Stone as well as journalism in general, and cast doubt upon young women who report sexual assault.

The student said to have lured the victim known only as “Jackie” into a frat house gang rape appears to be fictitious. The details of the alleged rape were never properly verified. Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner told the NY Times that “Jackie” was “a really expert fabulist storyteller.”

   Sabrina Rubin Erdely, a veteran reporter who wrote the article, said in a statement that, “Reading the Columbia account of the mistakes and misjudgments in my reporting was a brutal and humbling experience.” Erdely said because she was trying to avoid further harming the victim,

“I did not go far enough to verify her story.”

Surprisingly, Rolling Stone says no one will be fired.

World: Kenyan fighter jets bombed two training camps of the al-Shabab terrorist group in neighboring Somalia, taking the offense to the killers who massacred 148 people at a Kenyan university last week. Kenya is struggling with how to deal with Shabab, which has a lot of members who come from Kenya. One of the gunmen in last week’s attack was the son of a local Kenyan government official.

Nuketalks: In an interview with NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman, President Obama said that engagement with Iran is the best way to ensure that it does not develop nuclear weapons. Obama said, “The truth of the matter is: Iran’s defense budget is $30 billion. Our defense budget is closer to $600 billion. Iran understands that they cannot fight us. … You asked about an Obama doctrine. The doctrine is: We will engage, but we preserve all our capabilities.”

Nation: Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is expected to declare his candidacy tomorrow for the Republican nomination for president. Paul yesterday released a video saying he wants to “defeat the Washington machine.”

Basketball: Notre Dame beat South Carolina and the powerhouse Connecticut defeated Maryland to set up UConn and Notre Dame in the NCAA women’s basketball final for the second year in a row. UConn routed Notre Dame last year 79-58.

Duke plays Wisconsin tonight for the men’s title.

The Obit Page: Victor Gotbaum, the hard-nosed New York labor leader who once led a strike that paralyzed the city only to become the shrewd compromiser who helped dig New York out of financial ruin, has died at age 93. In 1975, facing a demand for the elimination of 38,000 city jobs, sanitation workers walked off the job, highway employees blocked the West Side Highway and cops shut down the Brooklyn Bridge. But Gotbaum eventually persuaded other union leaders to accept a compromise that would save jobs and keep the city afloat.

The Social Network: A New York judge has allowed a Brooklyn woman to serve divorce papers to her husband on Facebook. The estranged husband doesn’t have a fixed address. We’re wondering how this is supposed to work. Is he expected to hit the “Like” button?

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