Conflicting reports on Boston arrest  —  After the explosion: Moment-by-moment  —  (CNN) — Investigators scrambling to solve the fatal bombing at the Boston Marathon have made “significant progress” in the case but no arrests, a federal law enforcement source told CNN's John King Wednesday.

Republicans pull plug on Mark Sanford  —  National Republicans are pulling the plug on Mark Sanford's suddenly besieged congressional campaign, POLITICO has learned — a potentially fatal blow to the former South Carolina governor's dramatic comeback bid.  —  Blindsided by news …

Senate rejects background checks on gun purchases in 54-46 vote  —  The Senate delivered a devastating blow to President Obama's agenda to regulate guns Wednesday by defeating a bipartisan proposal to expand background checks.  —  It failed by a vote of 54 to 46, with 5 Democrats voting against it.

New poison letter sent to Obama; police clear packages found at Capitol  —  Authorities said Wednesday they had intercepted a letter to the White House that tested positive for ricin poison.  —  The Secret Service acknowledged the letter addressed to President Obama contained a suspicious substance …

Tom Friedman Continues His Journey To Insanity (The Terrorists Win)  —  Times columnist and global raconteur Tom Friedman outdoes himself as he tries to put the Boston bombing into perspective:  —  Bring on the Next Marathon  —  By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN  —  ...

Move Over “Obama Phone,” Say ‘Hola!’ to the Marco Rubio Immigration Phone, AKA MarcoPhone  —  With the new ‘Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act’ finally being filed in the U.S. Senate, concerns over how much money the immigration reform bill will cost …

Hey Reddit, Enough Boston Bombing Vigilantism  —  It's only the illusion that what we do online is not as significant as what we do offline that allows this to go on.  —  If there's one thing we want to believe about the Boston bombing, it's that someone saw the perpetrator.

Congressman Says Bombings Reveal Danger Of Immigration Bill: ‘Radical Islamists...Are Trained To Act Hispanic’  —  During an appearance on CSPAN's Washington Journal on Wednesday, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) claimed that this week's bombings of the Boston Marathon should give pause …

‘Daily News’ doctored front-page photo from Boston bombing  —  Detail from the original photo (left) and the News' version. via Charles Apple  — Looking for answers for nypost.com, Rupert Murdoch and Col Allan rely on a standby general: Jesse Angelo  —  The New York Post was derided Tuesday …

Patti Davis, Daughter Of Nancy Reagan, Says Her Mother Supports Gay Marriage  —  Patti Davis, the daughter of former President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan, made headlines two weeks ago when she said her father would have backed same-sex marriage.

Senator asserts homosexuality poses health risks to heterosexuals (AUDIO)  —  A Republican senator today asserted homosexuality hurts him and his family in “multiple ways"- prompting an openly gay senator to call the statements “ignorant.”  —  Senator Dennis Guth of Klemme gave a speech …

Paul considering White House bid  —  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a star among Tea-Party voters, said Wednesday that he is considering a presidential bid in 2016 and will decide next year.  —  “I want to be part of the national debate.  Being considered is something that allows me to have a larger microphone …