HUGO CHAVEZ, FIERY VENEZUELAN LEADER, DIES AT 58  —  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez, the fiery populist who declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against U.S. influence and championed a leftist revival across Latin America, died Tuesday at age 58 after a nearly two-year bout with cancer.

More sequester pain: White House cancels tours  —  The White House announced Tuesday that it was canceling all public tours of the president's home because of the sequester spending cuts.  —  “Due to staffing reductions resulting from sequestration, we regret to inform you that White House Tours …

Jeb Bush Disagrees With His Own Book Hours After It's Published  —  Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) told MSNBC's Morning Joe on Tuesday that he would support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants “if you can craft that in law where you can have a path to citizenship …

Email tells feds to make sequester as painful as promised  —  The Obama administration denied an appeal for flexibility in lessening the sequester's effects, with an email this week appearing to show officials in Washington that because they already had promised the cuts would be devastating, they now have to follow through on that.

Jon Stewart Taking Summer ‘Daily Show’ Hiatus To Direct ‘Rosewater;’ John Oliver To Sub  —  EXCLUSIVE: Jon Stewart will take a 12-week hiatus from hosting Comedy Central's The Daily Show to make his feature directing debut this summer.  Stewart has written the script, and will direct Rosewater …

Bill would forbid parents from getting no-fault divorce  —  Seven Republicans in the Iowa House are pushing a bill to prohibit parents of minor children from getting a “no fault” divorce and the proposal could be debated in a House committee this week.  —  A three-member subcommittee debated the bill today.

House spending bill requires Saturday mail delivery  —  The new House GOP spending bill directs the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail six days a week, against the wishes of the nation's postmaster general.  —  A House Appropriations aide confirmed that the spending measure …

Hotel boots rowdy Rodman over Kim Jong Un scene  —  Dennis Rodman, just back from visiting Kim Jong Un, was escorted out of the Time Hotel in Midtown on Sunday after spending hours at the restaurant bar loudly telling anyone who would listen what a great guy the North Korean dictator is.

Obama Administration Says President Can Use Lethal Force Against Americans on US Soil  — Drones: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know But Were Always Afraid to Ask  — Here's Why Obama Won't Say Whether He Can Kill You With a Drone: Because He Probably Can  — 8 Drones That Aren't Out to Kill You

Washington Post report confuses one prostitute with another in bid to debunk Menendez allegations  —  The Washington Post mistook one prostitute for another Monday in a report that initially seemed to debunk a November 2012 Daily Caller exposé of New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez.

Tag-teaming Obama  —  Don't tell the Tea Party, but the tag team of John Boehner and Mitch McConnell are currently mopping the floor with Barack Obama.  —  The president convincingly won a second term in November, but since that time, the congressional Republican leadership has outfoxed …

ACORN, In New GOP Budget Bill, Would Be Defunded Again, Even Though It No Longer Exists  —  WASHINGTON — A new short-term budget bill introduced on Monday by House Republicans includes a bizarre provision banning federal funding to anti-poverty group ACORN, despite the fact that the group …

Bob McDonnell not invited to speak at CPAC  —  Chris Christie isn't the only Republican governor getting snubbed by the Conservative Political Action Conference.  Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell was not invited, according to someone close to CPAC who was not authorized to speak publicly.

TSA Will Permit Knives, Golf Clubs on U.S. Planes  —  The U.S. Transportation Security Administration will let people carry small pocketknives onto passenger planes for the first time since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, along with golf clubs, hockey sticks and plastic Wiffle Ball-style bats.

GOP centrists balk at Ryan Medicare shift  —  House Republican centrists are furious that GOP leaders are considering abandoning their pledge not to change Medicare retirement benefits for people 55 years and older.  —  According to several sources, a handful of centrist GOP lawmakers attending …

Urk, Charlie Rose Edition  —  Well, we'll see how it comes out after editing, but I feel that I just had my Denver debate moment: I was tired, cranky, and unready for the blizzard of misleading factoids and diversionary stuff (In 1997 you said that the aging population was a big problem!

Twitter Reaction to Events Often at Odds with Overall Public Opinion  —  The reaction on Twitter to major political events and policy decisions often differs a great deal from public opinion as measured by surveys.  This is the conclusion of a year-long Pew Research Center study that compared …

Why the GOP must come to terms with George W. Bush's disastrous presidency  —  The party cannot chart a course to future victory until it makes peace with past failures  —  I  —  t's still freezing in much of country, but it's springtime for Republican intellectuals.