Manchin-Toomey bill inching closer to 60 votes in the Senate  —  A bipartisan bill on background checks is inching closer to the necessary 60 votes for passage, but it still has a long way to go.  —  The upcoming vote on a new proposal crafted by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) is expected to go down to the wire.

Gitmo Is Killing Me  —  ONE man here weighs just 77 pounds.  Another, 98.  Last thing I knew, I weighed 132, but that was a month ago.  —  I've been on a hunger strike since Feb. 10 and have lost well over 30 pounds.  I will not eat until they restore my dignity.

Tight win for Chavez's heir spells uncertainty for Venezuela  —  (Reuters) - Late socialist leader Hugo Chavez's chosen successor Nicolas Maduro won Venezuela's presidential election by a whisker but now faces opposition protests plus a host of economic and political challenges in the OPEC nation.

Exclusive: As his presidential library debuts, George W. Bush prepares to return to public stage on his own terms … To post a comment, log into your chosen social network and then add your comment below.  Your comments are subject to our Terms of Service and the privacy policy and terms of service of your social network.

Kerry: Foreign students ‘scared’ of guns in U.S.  —  (CNN) - Students in other countries assessing where to study abroad are increasingly scared of coming to the United States because of gun violence, the nation's top diplomat said Monday.  —  Speaking with CNN foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty …

Sources: JP Eric Williams To Be Charged With Murders In Kaufman County  —  KAUFMAN COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - Sources tell CBS 11 that Former Justice of the Peace Eric Williams will be charged with capital murder in the deaths of Mike and Cynthia McLelland, and Mark Hasse.

Santorum hospitalized, cancels trip to Iowa  —  One-time GOP presidential contender and former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.) is cancelling a trip to Iowa after being hospitalized for an illness.  —  “While traveling in South Carolina on Saturday, Rick Santorum became ill and was admitted …

It's a girl for Jenna Bush Hager  —  Former President George W. Bush is now a grandfather.  —  Bush's daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, had her first child — a girl named Mila — on Saturday.  —  “Laura and I are thrilled to announce the birth of our grandchild, Margaret Laura ‘Mila’ Hager,” …

With endorsement of immigration plan, Rubio makes first major policy gambit of his career  —  It was early one morning in December when Richard J. Durbin spotted Marco Rubio in the members-only Senate gym.  —  Dedicated fitness buffs, the two had become unlikely workout buddies.

Weiner, Exploring Possible Mayoral Bid, Issues Policy Booklet With Familiar Ring  —  As he seeks to extend the discussion about a possible candidacy for mayor — and shift attention away from the online sex-messaging scandal that cost him his Congressional seat — Anthony D. Weiner released …

The Albany Machiavelli  —  With unmatched political virtuosity, Andrew Cuomo has so far bent the state capital to his will.  But things are about to get a lot tougher.  —  There are so many intersecting and overlapping spheres of power and meaning in this 43rd-floor room that John Venn's diagramming hand would swiftly tire.

Opinion: The good, bad and ugly in President Obama's new budget  —  President Obama has now disclosed his budget approximately two months after the law calls for him to present it.  It also comes forward after both the House and the Senate have debated and passed budget resolutions.