Updated

And now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas

Congressional sources confirm the General Services Administration's (GSA) inspector general is asking the Justice Department to look into that lavish 2010 Las Vegas conference for possible criminal charges.

Meanwhile, Fox News has now obtained documents that show serious discussion between senior GSA leaders trying to gloss over the Vegas junket that cost taxpayers nearly a million dollars with a simple reprimand for Jeff Neely the administrator in charge of the event who has since been placed on administrative leave.

Congressional hearings on the excessive spending at GSA will begin on Monday.

Green for Green

Taxpayers forked over at least $200,000 to move one 20-foot wide shrub out of the way of a transportation project in San Francisco funded in part by the stimulus.

The plant, a Franciscan manzanita, is special because it was thought to be extinct in the wild.

However, the non-wild version retails for under $20.

A project spokeswoman tells Cybyercast News the actual removal of the plant cost $100,000.

Plus, California's Transportation Department agreed to transfer $105,000 to cover the plant's care at an alternate and undisclosed location for the next 10 years.

Bear Alert

Finally, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin had a close call with nature Wednesday night at his Montpelier home.

Shumlin says he heard what turned out to be four bears in his backyard raiding his birdfeeders.

Shumlin ran outside to rescue his feeders when the bears returned and chased him inside.

He says one of them came within three feet of him before he made it safely inside.