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 …

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.

CIA director faces a quandary over clandestine service appointment  —  As John Brennan moved into the CIA director's office this month, another high-level transition was taking place down the hall.  —  A week earlier, a woman had been placed in charge of the CIA's clandestine service for the first time in the agency's history.

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

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.

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 …

Energy revenue for infrastructure: A ‘natural link’?  —  As Congress continues to hunt for ever-elusive money to rebuild roads, bridges and transit systems, House Republicans are likely once again to turn to black gold.  —  In the tax-averse and conservative-heavy conference …

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 …