Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin's Post-Scandal Playbook  —  One day in early February, I met Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin for breakfast at the Gramercy Park Hotel, one of their regular joints, just a few blocks from their apartment on Park Avenue South.  The first thing Weiner said when I sat …

Senators unveil deal on background checks  —  Sens. Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey unveiled a bipartisan deal to expand background checks for commercial gun purchases — including those at gun shows and online — Wednesday morning, opening a pathway for the biggest change in U.S. gun laws in nearly two decades.

Obama to unveil $3.77 trillion spending plan  —  President Obama plans Wednesday to unveil a $3.77 trillion spending plan that proposes modest new investments in infrastructure and education, major new taxes for the wealthy and significant reforms aimed at reducing the cost of Social Security and Medicare.

Howard Students Didn't Totally Hate Rand Paul  —  Paul's speech at the historically black college didn't get a lot of converts, but the students were glad to listen.  —  Image by Aron Heller, FILE / AP  —  WASHINGTON — Senator Rand Paul's speech at Howard University certainly didn't recruit a lot of new Republicans.

Republican Congressman Cites Biblical Great Flood To Say Climate Change Isn't Man-Made  —  “If you believe in the Bible, one would have to say the Great Flood is an example of climate change.  That certainly wasn't because man had overdeveloped hydrocarbon energy.”  —  View Video ›

The GOP's Gun Control Misfire  —  The filibuster threat is giving political cover to Senate Democrats.  —  'This is about these families and families all across the country who are saying, 'Let's make it a little harder for our kids to get gunned down,'" President Obama declared Monday …

Photos: Bachmann aides hustle her out of Medicaid press conference  —  Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and State Senator Sean Nienow (R-Cambridge) held a joing news conference to discuss problems with Medicaid reimbursement rates paid to doctors in Minnesota.  Both are introducing legislation increasing accountability and transparency.

Cheney to GOP leaders: 'We're in deep doo doo' on North Korea  —  (CNN) - Republican leaders in Congress received a dire warning on Tuesday from former Vice President Dick Cheney on the ongoing crisis in North Korea.  —  “We're in deep doo doo,” Cheney told lawmakers, according to a GOP leadership aide.

RNC Resolution Against Same-Sex Marriage Relies On Junk Science And Heterosexual Superiority  —  The Republican National Committee is set to consider a new resolution condemning same-sex marriage at its spring strategy session.  What is most compelling about the resolution is not the text itself …

Was the Iraq Invasion Worthwhile?  Ask an Iraqi  —  In a recent interview with the New York Times, the writer Toni Morrison said, “I dare you to tell me a sane reason we went to Iraq.”  —  Her request is not unreasonable.  We've heard similar arguments a lot over the past few weeks, as we marked the 10th anniversary of the war.

Mitch McConnell aide: ‘Gestapo’ tactics  —  Sen. Mitch McConnell's campaign manager charged Wednesday that whoever obtained audio of the Kentucky Republican's strategists discussing opposition research on Ashley Judd was engaging in “Gestapo kind of scare tactics.”

First lady chokes up during speech on gun violence in Chicago  —  Michelle Obama on Wednesday choked up as she delivered an impassioned speech about gun violence in her hometown of Chicago.  —  The first lady became emotional as she talked about addressing the classmates of Hadiya Pendleton …