Mark Sanford: Stephen Colbert Isn't On The Ticket  —  Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R), fresh off a GOP primary runoff victory in the campaign for an open House seat in the state, said on Wednesday that the only thing voters know about his opponent, Elizabeth Colbert Busch …

Proposal would allow state religion in North Carolina  —  A bill filed by Republican lawmakers would allow the state to declare an official religion, in violation of the Establishment Clause of the US Bill of Rights, and seeks to nullify any federal ruling against Christian prayer by public bodies in North Carolina.

Same-Sex Marriage Makes David Brooks Crazy  —  This morning's David Brooks column on same-sex marriage was one of the weirdest, most mean-spirited things I've ever seen in The New York Times.  —  Entitled “Freedom Loses One,” the article is a sarcastic broadside against . . . well …

Obama administration pushes banks to make home loans to people with weaker credit  —  The Obama administration is engaged in a broad push to make more home loans available to people with weaker credit, an effort that officials say will help power the economic recovery but that skeptics …

Bill O'Reilly Blows Up At Laura Ingraham In Epic Segment Over His ‘Thump The Bible’ Comments  —  Bill O'Reilly tonight responded to criticisms from the right over his commentary last week that gay marriage opponents need to do more than just “thump the Bible” if they want to win the argument.

Video shows Mike Rice's ire  —  NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — In several dozen hours of video of Rutgers men's basketball practices obtained by “Outside the Lines,” coach Mike Rice is seen hurling basketballs from close range at his players' heads, legs and feet; shoving and grabbing his players …

I Never Wanted to Take Your Guns Away  —  I disagree wholeheartedly with those who say that there are just too many guns out there to control and that more gun laws won't make a difference.  Change must start someplace.  I'm pretty sure that no worthwhile endeavor has ever been accomplished without …

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:

Those Courageous Racists  —  Left-wing bigots pat themselves on the back.  —  “White Men Have Much to Discuss About Mass Shootings” read the headline of a piece in the Washington Post's Outlook section Sunday.  Having spent most of our adult life in the opinion journalism business, we are no stranger to the instinct for provocation.

‘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 …

The Great British class calculator  —  Traditional British social divisions of upper, middle and working class seem out of date in the 21st Century, no longer reflecting modern occupations or lifestyles.  —  The BBC teamed up with sociologists from leading universities to analyse the modern British class system.

The Morning Plum: Republicans increasingly isolated on many major issues  —  One thing that remains striking about our politics right now is the degree to which public opinion among Republicans is increasingly isolated and drifting away from the rest of the electorate.

Mary Schapiro and Lanny Breuer Give Us the Ultimate Dog-Bites-Man Story  —  They failed to prosecute a single Wall Streeter over the 2008 disaster.  Now it's home to mama.  —  As head of the Securities and Exchange Commission for the past four years, Mary Schapiro failed to win …

Obama, Both Bushes, Clinton and Carter, the 'World's Most Exclusive Club,' to Reunite  —  President George W. Bush invited the entire Presidents Club membership to lunch at the White House to meet Obama before his Inauguration in January 2009  —  On April 25, President Barack Obama …

White House ‘Memphis Soul’ Concert to Feature Justin Timberlake, Al Green, Queen Latifah, and Others  —  Next week Justin Timberlake, Al Green, Queen Latifah, and many others will perform at the White House in a “Memphis Soul” concert, the White House announced today.

Two Dominican maids complain about FBI's questions regarding Sen. Robert Menendez  —  Two maids allege that FBI agents from Miami tried to brow-beat them into making incriminating statements against U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, during questioning about alleged sex parties at the Dominican Republic resort home …

Prosecutor Cited Security As Reason For Withdrawing From Aryan Brotherhood Of Texas Case  —  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman, who has withdrawn from a large federal racketeering case against alleged members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas prison gang, cited “security reasons” …

Michelle Obama interviewer: How does it feel to have a husband who is a sex symbol? … During an interview with Michelle Obama, the host of Entertainment Tonight asked her how she felt having a husband who was a “sex symbol” similar to former Presidents JFK and Bill Clinton.

Crosswalks in New York Are Not Havens, Study Finds  —  Pedestrians struck by cars are most often hit while in the crosswalk, with the signal on their side.  —  Taxicabs pose a disproportionate threat to cyclists, who often compete for the same sliver of curbside roadway.

‘Bring it on, Boris!’  Pippa Middleton's Spectator diary  —  I thought the Haute Route was going to be easier than the Engadin, the cross-country ski marathon I recently completed in St Moritz.  I was very wrong.  It was sold to me as an 180km ski-touring trek from Chamonix to Zermatt.

Poll finds tight race for 2016 GOP nomination  —  A new poll looking ahead to the 2016 GOP presidential race shows a tight contest, with no clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination.  —  The national poll from Quinnipiac University released on Wednesday shows that GOP voters …

Remembering Michael Kelly  —  A columnist who hated phonies, stood for truth, and died for his beliefs.  —  Michael Kelly had an uncharitable term for the column you are about to read: “The Nice Column.”  Nice columns—about ancient enmities overcome and people pulling together for the greater …