Boston bombing suspect cites U.S. wars as motivation, officials say  —  The 19-year-old suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings has told interrogators that the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan motivated him and his brother to carry out the attack, according to U.S. officials familiar with the interviews.

Former GOP Candidate Reacts After Man He Allegedly Framed For Ricin Poisoning Is Released  —  A former Republican candidate for Mississippi's House of Representatives named J. Everett Dutschke expressed disbelief and dismay Tuesday shortly after a man he was accused of framing for mailing letters …

Boston Bombing Suspect Shootout Pictures  —  On Thursday night [Friday morning] at 12:45am EST. I was in my living room working on my computer when I heard multiple “pops” coming from outside.  At that point, I had no idea that I was about to become an eye witness to the biggest news story in the country.

Baucus to retire rather than seek reelection in 2014, strategists say  —  View Photo Gallery —The 2014 midterm elections are just around the corner.  These are the races to watch.  —  Baucus, 71, first elected in 1978,has been the top Democrat on the powerful committee since 2001.

Reid Tests GOP Outrage Over Airport Delays With Plan To Pay Down Sequestration For Five Months  —  Amid GOP complaints about airport delays caused by sequestration, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said he intends to promptly introduce legislation to use war savings to pay down automatic …

Also admits he and brother Tamerlin were behind killing of MIT officer  —  Dzhokhar Tsarnaev admitted to authorities Sunday that he and his brother were behind the Marathon bombings, according to a senior law enforcement official.  —  Tsarnaev made his admissions to FBI agents who interviewed …

Go Ahead, Admit It: George W. Bush Is a Good Man  —  In the rush to mythologize and demonize our presidents, we forget they're human.  —  White House press secretary Ari Fleischer walked into the media cabin of Air Force One on May 24, 2002, and dropped identical envelopes in the laps of two reporters …

Nevada Senate Votes To Repeal Ban On Same-Sex Couples' Marriages  —  During the course of the debate, Nevada Sen. Kelvin Atkinson told his colleagues — and the world — that he is gay.  Monday's vote was the first step in a long process.  —  WASHINGTON — Late Monday …

Stella Tremblay, New Hampshire Legislator, Says U.S. Government Planned Boston Bombing  —  A Republican state legislator in New Hampshire is claiming that the United States government is responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing.  —  State Rep. Stella Tremblay (R-Auburn) …

Judge tosses three murder counts against Kermit Gosnell  —  After hearing impassioned arguments from attorneys on both sides of the Kermit Gosnell capital-murder trial Tuesday, a Philadelphia judge threw out three of the seven first-degree murder charges Gosnell faced for allegedly killing fetuses born alive at his abortion clinic.

Apple Reports Second Quarter Results  —  37.4 Million iPhones Sold; 19.5 Million iPads Sold  —  Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2013 second quarter ended March 30, 2013.  The Company posted quarterly revenue of $43.6 billion and quarterly net profit of $9.5 billion, or $10.09 per diluted share.

Mitt Romney's all-star retreat in June will include David Axelrod, Chris Christie, Paul Ryan  —  WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney this morning announced a series of high-profile speakers who will address a retreat that the former Republican presidential nominee is putting together in June.

Conservative Group Photoshops Out Minorities In Mailer Opposing Pro-Voting Legislation  —  A conservative group connected to Colorado's Secretary of State has been sending political mailers — including a picture of a darker-skinned woman whose face was digitally removed and replaced …

GOP Benghazi report blames Clinton  —  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Tuesday unveiled a report on last's year attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that blames then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for lapses in security.  —  The 46-page report by the five committees …

Shaheen trounces Brown in Democratic poll  —  If Scott Brown is looking to make a political comeback, New Hampshire may not be the right place and 2014 might not be the right year.  —  The former Massachusetts senator - who is publicly toying with a cross-border challenge to Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen …

Chris Matthews On Bombers: “What Difference Does It Make Why They Did It?”  —  MSNBC's Chris Matthews is not that interested in finding out a motive for last week's bombing of the Boston Marathon, but instead focused on prosecuting Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a 19-year-old ethnic Chechen who was apprehended by authorities on Saturday.

Most Expect ‘Occasional Acts of Terrorism’ in the Future  —  Six-in-Ten Say Post-9/11 Steps Have Made Country Safer  —  OVERVIEW  —  Last week's bombings at the Boston Marathon attracted broad public interest: 63% of Americans say they followed the story very closely, among the highest interest in any news story in the past decade.