Live Blog: Supreme Court Weighs Gay Marriage, Day 2  —  The Supreme Court Wednesday is hearing arguments on the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, completing a two-day exploration of gay marriage after arguments Tuesday that showed the justices divided over how far the rights of gays and lesbians should extend.

‘Rude’ lawmaker Louie Gohmert pulls rank on cops over parking ticket  —  A Texas Republican congressman got into a late-night verbal altercation with U.S. Park Police officers earlier this month, pulling rank in an attempt to get out of a parking ticket near the Lincoln Memorial.

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.

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.

ND Gears up for Legal Dispute on New Abortion Laws  —  North Dakota's governor positioned the oil-rich state Tuesday as a primary battleground in the decades-old fight over abortion rights, signing into law the nation's toughest restriction on the procedure and urging lawmakers to set aside cash for an inevitable legal challenge.

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 …

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 …

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.

Release Detail  —  March 27, 2013 - Virginia Voters Know Little About Gov Candidates, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Cuccinelli More Experienced, McAuliffe Less Ideological  —  Virginia State Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is viewed as having better experience while voters see Terry McAuliffe …

‘Biggest ever attack’ slows internet  —  The row centres on the blocking of a web-hosting company alleged to be hosting spam websites  —  The internet around the world has been slowed down in what security experts are describing as the biggest cyber-attack in history.

Our Story  —  We created POLITICO with a simple promise: to prove there's a robust and profitable future for tough, fair and fun coverage of politics and government.  To do this, we cling to a simple principle: always hire the most talented editors, reporters and newsroom staff and then set …

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

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.

China jails 20 on jihad, separatism charges in restive Xinjiang  —  (Reuters) - Chinese courts have sentenced 20 people to up to life in jail on charges of separatism and plotting to carry out jihad in the restive far western region of Xinjiang, the government said on Wednesday.

Cruz, Paul Threaten Filibuster On Gun Bill  —  In a letter that will be submitted to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on Tuesday, Republican Sens. Ted Cruz (TX), Rand Paul (KY) and Mike Lee (UT) threatened to filibuster any gun control legislation “that will serve as a vehicle for any additional gun restrictions.”