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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

Obama's Gaffes Are His Own  —  Yesterday Barack Obama addressed the Summit of the Americas in Colombia and spoke about the conflict between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falklands.  Obama seemed to tilt toward Argentina by calling the islands the “Malvinas” rather than the Falklands …

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.

Obama Delivers on Tax Cut Promises as Increases for Rich Blocked  —  President Barack Obama campaigned in 2008 on tax cuts for most Americans and tax increases for the fortunate few.  He has delivered on the breaks and, for the most part, been unable to follow through on attempts to raise taxes.

Afghan schoolgirls poisoned in anti-education attack  —  (Reuters) - About 150 Afghan schoolgirls were poisoned on Tuesday after drinking contaminated water at a high school in the country's north, officials said, blaming it on conservative radicals opposed to female education.

Supreme Court takes copyright case  —  The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a copyright case involving the online sale of foreign-made textbooks that's being closely watched by the tech sector.  —  The case, Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., involves the “first-sale doctrine,” …

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 …

Exclusive: Secret Service Bragged About Protecting Obama While Partying At Colombian Brothel  —  ABC News' Reena Ninan, Christine Romo and Mary Bruce Report:  —  CARTAGENA, Colombia — ABC News has learned exclusively that the Secret Service officials accused of misconduct in Colombia revealed …

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 …

Obama expected to talk oil, GSA lavish spending the focus on Capitol Hill again, plus more to watch for Tuesday in politics  —  There's a lot happening around Washington on Tuesday.  Time will tell what turns out to be substantive action and what turns out to be noise.

Axelrod buys $1.7 million Michigan Ave condo  —  (Nuccio DiNuzzo/ Chicago Tribune / April 16, 2012)  —  Longtime political strategist David Axelrod, who helped advise President Obama's presidential run in 2008 and is serving as communications director for Obama's re-election campaign …