Margaret Thatcher left a dark legacy that has still not disappeared  —  Days before he died in 2003, Guardian columnist and Thatcher biographer Hugo Young wrote an epitaph for the prime minister who changed Britain forever  —  The first time I met Margaret Thatcher, I swear she was wearing gloves.

Secret Tape: McConnell and Aides Weighed Using Judd's Mental Health and Religion as Political Ammo  —  A recording of a private meeting between the Senate GOP leader and campaign aides reveals how far they were willing to go to defeat the actor/activist.  —  On February 2, Mitch McConnell …

Santorum doesn't think Supreme Court will rule in favor of same-sex marriage  —  He doesn't think it will rule in favor of same-sex marriage.  —  A “chastened” U.S. Supreme Court won't make the mistake of granting same-sex marriage rights, former presidential candidate Rick Santorum predicted in an interview Monday.

Bobby Jindal's Political Collapse Is Dangerous News For The National GOP  —  Sure the GOP may need a little outreach here and a little fine tuning there, but Republicans in Washington say they're confident that a principled message of low taxes and cuts to social services will eventually propel them back to victory.

Fox News' Jana Winter wins reprieve in theater shooting case  —  Fox News reporter Jana Winter arrives at Arapahoe County court on April 1, 2013.  She could be put into jail at a hearing this week after refusing to reveal anonymous law enforcement sources to the court.  (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)

Uh-O: Jon Stewart Tears Into Obama's ‘Attractive’ AG Comment And Michelle's ‘Single Mom’ Gaffe  —  Jon Stewart kicked off The Daily Show Monday night by looking at some of the more troubling aspects of President Obama's difficult weekend.  From his unfortunate remarks about California Attorney …

Watch Navy's New Laser Cannon, Mounted on a Ship, Kill a Drone  —  The video above is what the Navy's top officers view as the future of their dominance on the surface of the world's waterways.  A laser cannon, its magazine limited only by the amount of energy pumped into it and costing pocket change …

Annette Funicello, Mouseketeer and Beach Movie Actress, Dies at 70  —  Annette Funicello, who won America's heart as a 12-year-old in Mickey Mouse ears, captivated adolescent baby boomers in slightly spicy beach movies and later championed people with multiple sclerosis, a disease from which she suffered …

Let Senate vote on gun measures  —  Nearly four months after the horrific Newtown shootings, the Senate is poised to do something that hasn't been done for a long time in Congress - actually have a meaningful floor debate on reducing gun violence.  Some senators and lobbyists are trying to make sure that no vote can take place.

Today's elections: Jesse Jackson Jr. successor, municipal races  —  Voters across the Chicago area will go to the polls for local elections today, picking winners in a range of races from a replacement for U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to a high-profile suburban mayoral contest featuring a former Bears' star.

The U.S. has a foreign-policy partner in Iraq  —  Today, on the 10th anniversary of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the debate about whether it was worth it to topple the regime and the direction of the U.S.-Iraqi relationship is influenced by a pessimistic view that the United States has lost Iraq.

New gun control strategy: Tax 'em  —  State and local officials are pushing a new way to expand gun control: taxes.  —  Gun owners in and around Chicago last week started paying a new $25 tax on every firearm they purchase.  In California, a statehouse panel on April 15 will hear testimony …

Exclusive: Beyonce, Jay-Z Cuba visit had U.S. Treasury Department OK - source  —  (Reuters) - A visit by American pop star Beyonce and rapper husband Jay-Z to Havana last week was a cultural trip that was fully licensed by the U.S. Treasury Department, a source familiar with the itinerary said on Monday.

Michael Bloomberg group's gun-control scorecard will give lawmakers letter grades  —  New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, one of the nation's most committed and deep-pocketed gun-control proponents, is ratcheting up pressure on lawmakers by launching a new system to grade them based on their votes and statements on gun issues.