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 have clear video images of two suspects in Boston Marathon bombings, official says  —  Authorities have clear video images of two separate suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings carrying black bags at each explosion site and are planning to release the images today in an appeal …

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 …

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.

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.

‘INSTAPUNDIT’ TELLS WHATS-HER-NAME, THAT LADY WHO GOT SHOT IN THE FACE, TO STOP ‘BULLYING’ PEOPLE  —  Of the many, many, many fine citizens who have sorely tested our hippie nonviolent ways this week, we may have finally found a winner.  See that tweet up there?

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 …

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.

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.”