A Senate in the Gun Lobby's Grip  —  SENATORS say they fear the N.R.A. and the gun lobby.  But I think that fear must be nothing compared to the fear the first graders in Sandy Hook Elementary School felt as their lives ended in a hail of bullets.  The fear that those children who survived …

EMS Director Says 60 To 70 Dead In West Explosion  —  West EMS Director Dr. George Smith says as many as 60 or 70 people died and hundreds were injured Wednesday night in a fertilizer plant explosion in West.  —  A rescuer earlier said he knew of five deaths.

Authorities circulate photos of two men spotted carrying bags near site of Boston bombings  —  Investigators probing the deadly Boston Marathon bombings are circulating photos of two men spotted chatting near the packed finish line, The Post has learned.  —  In the photos being distributed …

MIND-BOGGLING DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT RICIN LETTER SUSPECT: 'I'M ON THE HIDDEN FRONT LINES OF A SECRET WAR'  —  Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, of Tupelo, Miss., has been arrested in connection with ricin letters that were sent to both Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and President Barack Obama," The New York Times reports.

How Savvy Jenny Sanford Sabotaged Ex-Husband Mark's Political Comeback  —  Obama Delivers Emotional Condemnation of Senate Republicans After Gun-Control Defeat  —  A couple of months ago, when I was reporting a feature on Mark Sanford's political comeback and the ongoing soap opera between …

Release Detail  —  April 18, 2013 - Big Gender Gap As Kasich Leads 2014 Ohio Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; He Leads Dem Challengers In Early Look At 2014 Race  —  With a commanding lead among men, Ohio Gov. John Kasich leads likely Democratic challengers in an early look …

Lawyer up, Issa warns CIA staff  —  In separate letters to the legal offices of the CIA, State Department and Defense Department, Issa said some witnesses on the issue might need lawyers, if their agencies decide to retaliate against them for their testimony.

Mitch McConnell ad seizes on secret audio  —  Mitch McConnell continues to seize on the bungled taping of his Louisville campaign headquarters.  —  The Senate Minority Leader will go on the air Thursday with a new commercial that links last week's brouhaha to the Democratic president's desire to oust him.

Former chief of staff to break silence on Michele Bachmann  —  WASHINGTON - GOP operative Andy Parrish, a former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, is expected to tell an Iowa Senate ­ethics panel that her 2012 presidential campaign made improper payments to its state chairman.

Max Baucus Says He Fears Obamacare Is Headed For ‘Huge Train Wreck’  —  WASHINGTON — A senior Democratic senator who helped write President Barack Obama's health care law stunned administration officials Wednesday, saying openly he thinks it's headed for a “train wreck.”