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.

GOP frets Mark Sanford could blow it  —  Mark Sanford won over primary voters Tuesday night, but national Republicans aren't celebrating: Many privately concede the former governor could hand a safe Republican seat to Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch.  —  The affair that sent Sanford's …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

About New York: Malcolm Smith Accused of Bribery for Spot on Mayoral Ballot  —  You could drag Malcolm A. Smith out of bed at 6 in the morning, and he'd still look like a million dollars.  —  Or whatever the cost of a few hundred yards of road in New York State is these days.

Q: Do you support or oppose a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants?  —  This poll was conducted for The Washington Post and ABC News by telephone March 27 to 30, 2013 among a random national sample of 1,014 adults, including users of both conventional and cellular phones.

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 …

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.

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.

N.Y. Rep. Carolyn Maloney says she has received death threats at her Manhattan office over her support for gun control legislation  —  The Democratic congresswoman introduced a bill last week which would require weapons owners to hold liability insurance, similar to what car owners are required to purchase.

Leno: AP Replaces ‘Illegal Immigrant’ With ‘Undocumented Democrat’  —  The Associated Press announced Tuesday that it will no longer use the term “illegal immigrant.”  —  On NBC's Tonight Show, host Jay Leno said, “They will now use the phrase ‘undocumented Democrat’” (video follows …

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” …

Jon Stewart sparks Twitter fight between U.S. Embassy and Egyptian president's office … The U.S. Embassy in Cairo has earned a reputation for being awfully active on Twitter, where it often engages critics directly and, at times, even jabs at Egypt's most powerful people and institutions.

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.

Happily Never After?  —  I'm worried about the Supreme Court.  —  I'm worried about how the justices can properly debate same-sex marriage when some don't even seem to realize that most Americans use the word “gay” now instead of “homosexual”; when Chief Justice John Roberts thinks gays …

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.

Felony Charges Dropped Against Colin Small, Republican Accused Of Destroying Voter Registration Forms  —  WASHINGTON — Eight felony charges against Colin Small, the Republican contractor accused of destroying voter registration forms, were dismissed by a Virginia judge on Tuesday.

Head Of Gun Organization: ‘Time To Hunt Democrats’  —  As the Senate prepares to take up a comprehensive gun violence prevention plan later this month, gun advocates have amped up their already inflammatory rhetoric against any additional gun regulations.  Ahead of President Obama's visit …

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:

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 …

Iain Banks diagnosed with gall bladder cancer  —  Scottish author unlikely to live longer than a year and latest novel The Quarry set to be his last, he revealed on his website  —  Iain Banks, whose darkly humorous presence has enlivened Scottish literature for the last 30 years …