Statement from Senator Kirk on Same-Sex Marriage  —  When I climbed the Capitol steps in January, I promised myself that I would return to the Senate with an open mind and greater respect for others.  —  Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage.  Our time on this Earth is limited, I know that better than most.

‘Illegal immigrant’ no more  —  The AP Stylebook today is making some changes in how we describe people living in a country illegally.  —  Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll explains the thinking behind the decision:  —  The Stylebook no longer sanctions the term …

Ben Carson blasts ‘vicious,’ white liberal critics as ‘the most racist out there’  —  Dr. Ben Carson on Tuesday blasted his critics for heat he's taken recently over controversial remarks on gay marriage, calling his white liberal detractors “the most racist out there.”

Lawmakers Charged in Plot to Buy Spot on Mayoral Ballot  —  State Senator Malcolm A. Smith, a contractor and real estate developer who rose to become the first black president of the State Senate, and City Councilman Daniel J. Halloran III were arrested early Tuesday on charges of trying …

Conspiracy Theory Poll Results  —  On our national poll this week we took the opportunity to poll 20 widespread and/or infamous conspiracy theories.  Many of these theories are well known to the public, others perhaps to just the darker corners of the internet.  Here's what we found:

KAREN FINNEY NAMED MSNBC WEEKEND HOST  —  Karen Finney has been named host of a new MSNBC program to air on weekends from 4-5 p.m. ET.  More details about the program, including the launch date, will be announced in the coming weeks.  —  “Karen's rich background in both education policy …

Outrage 101: Radical jailed in slay now Columbia prof  —  Former Weather Underground radical Kathy Boudin — who spent 22 years in prison for an armored-car robbery that killed two cops and a Brinks guard — now holds a prestigious adjunct professorship at Columbia University's School of Social Work, The Post has learned.

Louie Gohmert Opposes Gun Control Because Gay Marriage Leads to Bestiality  —  Earlier this year, Rick Scarborough of Vision America launched a new organization called Tea Party Unity, which seeks to become a “unique clearinghouse and town hall forum where various existing Tea Party leaders …

Apple to Begin iPhone Production This Quarter  —  Apple Inc. plans to begin production of a refreshed iPhone similar in size and shape to its current one in the second quarter of the year, according to people familiar with the device's production, teeing up a possible summer launch for the next version of its flagship device.

Obama's continued use of the claim that 40 percent of gun sales lack background checks  —  “Why wouldn't we want to close the loophole that allows as many as 40 percent of all gun purchases to take place without a background check?”  —  “FACT: Nearly 40% of all gun sales don't require a background check under current law.

Sequestration Effects: Cuts Sting Communities Nationwide  —  WASHINGTON — It's now an article of faith that dire sequestration warnings were overblown.  —  New studies downsize potential job losses because of the federal budget cuts.  Agencies have figured ways to ensure that the more alarming effects …

Airline to charge overweight passengers more  —  Samoa Air has become the world's first airline to implement “pay as you weigh” flights, meaning overweight passengers pay more for their seats.  —  “This is the fairest way of travelling,” chief executive of Samoa Air, Chris Langton, told ABC Radio.

Obama Names Himself ‘Scientist-in-Chief’  —  At a speech this morning at the White House to outline a new science initiative, President Barack Obama named himself “Scientist-in-Chief.”  —  “I'm glad I've been promoted Scientist-in-Chief,” Obama said to laughter at the White House.

Chuck Hagel to give back some of his salary to DOD  —  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will give back a portion of his salary this fiscal year in solidarity with his department's workers who are facing 14 days of furloughs, the Pentagon said Tuesday.  —  As a political appointee …

Pat Robertson Blames Ivy League Schools For Lack Of Miracles In America  —  It may have been April 1st yesterday, but televangelist Pat Robertson wasn't kidding when he told a viewer that Americans aren't experiencing God's miracles because they are too “sophisticated.”

Keyes: Marriage Equality is the ‘Archetype of all Crimes Against Humanity’  —  Alan Keyes once again appeared on Stan Solomon's talk show, this time to discuss their stringent opposition to marriage equality.  —  After host, Steve Davis, claimed that just because they “oppose homosexual marriage …

Guns Are Now Required For Citizens Of Nelson, Georgia  —  NELSON, Ga. (AP) — Backers of a newly adopted ordinance requiring gun ownership in a small north Georgia town acknowledge they were largely seeking to make a point about gun rights.  —  The ordinance in the city of Nelson …

Nearly half of Louisianians give Jindal a failing grade in new poll  —  Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal gives a speech at the Governor's West Bank Luncheon at the Alario Center in Westwego on Thursday, March 28, 2013.  (Photo by Chris Granger, NOLA.com |  The Times-Picayune)

Michelle Obama: ‘This Is Your House, Too’  —  At a “workshop” for the film 42 in the State Dining Room of the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama told the assembled guests that “this is your house, too.”  —  “I want to make sure that you all know how welcome you are here in this house …

Democrats push bill in Congress to require gun insurance under penalty of fine  —  A New York Democratic lawmaker is behind a national push that would force gun owners to buy liability insurance or face a $10,000 fine.  —  The Firearm Risk Protection Act, pushed by Rep. Carolyn Maloney …

U.N. passes sweeping international arms regulation viewed by some as Second Amendment override  —  The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday signed off on a sweeping, first-of-its-kind treaty to regulate the international arms trade, brushing aside worries from U.S. gun rights advocates …

Donor Says He Sought Menendez on Medicare Without Breaking Law  —  Salomon Melgen, the Florida political donor at the center of a criminal probe, said he and Senator Robert Menendez are “like brothers” who spoke weekly, yet his companies never benefited and he broke no laws.

Judicial Vacancies Languish On Key Federal Appeals Court … The federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., is sometimes called the second most important court in the country, regularly delivering the final word on major environmental, labor and national security cases.

Cruz to test 2016 waters with South Carolina trip  —  Cambridge, Massachusetts (CNN) - He's been in Washington only three months, but U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is already planning a pilgrimage to a critical presidential primary state.  —  The outspoken Cruz, a conservative attorney …