Romney, Obama in Tight Race as Gallup Daily Tracking Begins  —  Romney voters slightly more certain they will vote  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney is supported by 47% of national registered voters and Barack Obama by 45% in the inaugural Gallup Daily tracking results from April 11-15.

Trayvon Martin's killer showed signs of injury: neighbors  —  (Reuters) - Neighbors of George Zimmerman say he had bandages on his nose and head the day after he shot dead Trayvon Martin, supporting statements by the neighborhood watch volunteer that he was beaten in a confrontation with the black Florida teenager.

In Senate, Republicans Block Debate on ‘Buffett Rule’  —  WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Monday blocked a move to open debate on the so-called Buffett Rule, ensuring that a measure pressed for months by President Obama and Senate Democrats to ensure that the superrich pay a tax rate …

Notes on Poll-Watching, as Shift Toward General Election Season Begins  —  In a couple of weeks, we'll be starting our FiveThirtyEight forecasts for the general election.  But there's still a fair amount of work to get those ready, and we seem to be seeing an increasing number of head …

Is Hillary Clinton becoming an embarrassment as Secretary of State?  —  The pictures of Hillary Clinton dancing the night away in Colombia during the Summit of the Americas are now all over Twitter, and were first reported by ABC News: … The overwhelmingly liberal US media is treating …

Dog Seamus ‘Loved’ Trips Atop Family Car, Says Ann Romney  —  Seamus, Mitt Romney's Irish setter who traveled with his young family strapped to the roof of their station wagon, “loved” those trips, despite once getting ill, Ann Romney told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an exclusive interview.

Bob Beckel Screams ‘F**k’ Live On Hannity, Refuses To Believe He Was On Air  —  Bob Beckel didn't realize when the commercial break ended during tonight's final segment of Hannity, caught in a heated off-camera argument with fellow panelist Jennifer Stefano.

Newt Gingrich bitten by a penguin  —  Newt Gingrich loves animals, but sometimes love hurts.  A small penguin at the St. Louis Zoo bit the former House speaker on the finger last week, the AP reports:

U.S. Minimum Wage Lower Than in LBJ Era Needs A Raise  —  Here's an unhappy observation about the minimum wage: Congress last increased the rate in stages in 2006, topping it out at $7.25 an hour in 2009, or $15,080 a year.  —  That amount, when adjusted for inflation …

Harry Reid Pushed to Allow Government Conferences in Vegas  —  In 2009, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) urged the White House and individual federal agencies to lift government travel bans on “cities known as resort towns” like Las Vegas — the site of a controversial $823,000 …

Romney's Running Mate Is Anyone's Guess  —  WASHINGTON — The U.S. news media are rife with speculation about Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, Chris Christie, Susana Martinez, Bob McDonnell or Rob Portman as possible running mates for Mitt Romney.  —  It's the time of the political season when conjecture runs wild, much of it ill-informed.

Spanking Goes Mainstream  —  From the steamy bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey to HBO's Girls, sexual domination is in vogue.  Katie Roiphe on why women's power at work may be fueling the craze.  Plus, Fifty Shades of Grey's naughtiest bits.  —  If every era gets the sadist it deserves …

Sen. Tom Coburn's New Book ‘The Debt Bomb’ Warns of Economic Crisis  —  The leading Republican budget hawk in the Senate, Senator Tom Coburn, R-OK., is coming out Tuesday with a new book that provides a harsh critique of Congress and a dire warning for the future economic situation of the nation.

Christie approval remains strong  —  A new Monmouth University poll shows Chris Christie sporting a fetching 51%/35% approval rating in New Jersey — numbers that mirror another recent poll.  —  The breakdown:  —  a.  Indies like Christie's performance by an impressive 54%/28%.  That's +26%.

(CBS/AP) Under pressure to take action on rising gasoline prices, President Obama on Tuesday will ask Congress to implement a plan that entails strengthening federal supervision of oil markets and increasing penalties for market manipulation, a senior administration official confirms to CBS News.

$800 Million Target for Romney Campaign and Republican Committee  —  9:28 p.m. |  Updated A new joint fund-raising initiative between Mitt Romney and the Republican National Committee will aim to raise $800 million by November, part of what Mr. Romney's campaign estimates will be a total …

Barack Obama makes Falklands gaffe by calling Malvinas the Maldives  —  Barack Obama made an uncharacteristic error, more akin to those of his predecessor George W Bush, by referring to the Falkland Islands as the Maldives.  —  Barack Obama made a gaffe more associated with predecessor George W Bush