Same Sex Marriage and Gilligan's Island Game Theory  —  After 28 years of wedded bliss and 2 kids, I'm guessing I'm probably the Conversation's resident marriage champ.  (It was an arranged Hindu ceremony, I was 3 and she was 2.)  And there's nobody who can better attest to the joys and benefits of a traditional monogamous union.

Reid faces dilemma over Dem defections after close budget vote  —  The razor-thin margin of passage for the Senate Democratic budget highlights the challenge Majority Leader Harry Reid will have in steering President Obama's legislative agenda through the Senate.

Is This North Korean Hovercraft-Landing Photo Faked?  —  While researching a photo entry about North Korea's recent threats of war, I discovered an image released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) that appears to have been digitally manipulated — at least two …

Poll: 80% of Americans unhappy with Washington  —  The Sequester  —  Americans continue to believe the sequester cuts will be bad for the country (41 percent) in the long run, and just 28 percent expect their effect to be good for the country.  However, the view that sequester will have no impact …

Congress Improves Among Hispanics; Obama, SCOTUS Hold Majority Popularity  —  Popularity of the U.S. Congress, while weak overall, has gained sharply among Hispanics, likely reflecting its current efforts on immigration reform, a new ABC News/Washington Post poll has found.

Local Airport Closures Cause GOPers Sequestration Anxiety  —  We've noted previously that outside Washington D.C. — where politicians and reporters obsess endlessly over inconsequential but high-valence things like White House tours and Easter egg hunts — sequestration is beginning to cause real harm, and political pain.

State Tells Investors That Climate Change May Hurt Its Finances  —  ALBANY — In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the administration of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has started to caution investors that climate change poses a long-term risk to the state's finances.  —  The warning, which is now appearing …

Who really killed bin Laden?  —  Osama bin Laden was killed by a team of U.S. SEALS on May 2, 2011, at a compound near Abbottabad, Pakistan.  Click through to see images of the compound where he spent the last days of his life.  —  HIDE CAPTION  —  Bin Laden's compound

Egyptian mosque turned into house of torture for Christians after Muslim Brotherhood protest  —  Islamic hard-liners stormed a mosque in suburban Cairo, turning it into torture chamber for Christians who had been demonstrating against the ruling Muslim Brotherhood in the latest case …

How not to seem like a racist  —  A tip for right-wingers angry about charges of racial bias: Try treating the Obama daughters with decency  —  Writing my piece on Andrew Breitbart and Tucker Carlson, I missed a huge example of overlap between their two sham-empires: the reporter who broke …

Ben Carson, admirable man with a mistaken philosophy  —  Editor's note: Cynthia Tucker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist, is a visiting professor at the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.  —  (CNN) — Like giddy teenagers …

Oh brother: David Miliband to quit as MP for “dream” charity job in New York  —  The Mirror understands the brother of Labour leader Ed intends to step down with immediate effect, triggering a by-election in May  —  David Miliband is to stun Parliament by stepping down as an MP tomorrow to take up a “dream job” in New York.

Mayors Gone Wild  —  Mayors Against Illegal Guns member and Democratic Gainesville, Fla., Mayor Craig Lowe was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and property damage after police found him asleep in his car at the scene of a crash last Thursday.

King leaning toward running for Senate  —  He says fundraising wouldn't be a problem  —  U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Ia., hinted Monday he is leaning toward a run next year for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, saying the odds are “a little more than 50-50” that he will launch a campaign.

WBUR poll shows Edward J. Markey leading Democratic race and Michael J. Sullivan ahead in the Republican run for US Senate nomination  —  US Representative Edward J. Markey is leading the race for the Democratic Senate nomination while former US attorney Michael J. Sullivan is ahead in the battle …

Goldman Rejects Proposal That Firm Run for Elected Office  —  Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), the investment bank nicknamed “Government Sachs” because of senior executives who have moved into public posts, won't be entering politics itself.  —  A shareholder proposal that the New York-based company run …