Tamerlan Tsarnaev got Mass. welfare benefits  —  By:  —  Marathon bombings mastermind Tamerlan Tsarnaev was living on taxpayer-funded state welfare benefits even as he was delving deep into the world of radical anti-American Islamism, the Herald has learned.

Kelly Ayotte's Approval Rating Plunges After Vote Against Gun Background Checks  —  WASHINGTON — A new poll has New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte down a total of 15 points from her previous approval rating in a survey that followed her vote against requiring background checks for firearms purchases.

Steve Kush, New Mexico GOP Official, Calls 19-Year-Old Labor Advocate ‘A Radical B*tch’  —  Steve Kush, the chairman of Bernalillo County Republican Party in New Mexico, called a 19-year-old Working America volunteer a “radical bitch” on Twitter Tuesday night after she testified …

Anthony Weiner 'can't say' if other pics exist  —  Anthony Weiner admitted in an interview Wednesday that there might be other embarrassing photos of him out there that have yet to surface.  —  In the one-on-one with RNN-TV, Weiner didn't deny that there was a possibility there could be other photos …

Rhode Island Becomes 10th State To Approve Marriage Equality  —  The Rhode Island Senate just voted 26-12 to approve marriage equality, guaranteeing that The Ocean State will be the 10th state to allow same-sex couples to legally marry.  Because the Senate made some revisions to the bill …

‘ARMED AND DANGEROUS’: BECK'S LATEST REVELATIONS ON SAUDI NATIONAL ONCE A ‘PERSON OF INTEREST’ IN BOSTON BOMBINGS  —  Editor's note — We'll be discussing this story and all the day's news during our live BlazeCast at 1pm ET...including your questions, comments & live chat:

Bush was ‘deeply concerned’ Boston bombings were an organized attack  —  President George W. Bush said Wednesday that the Boston Marathon bombings and the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, reminded him of tragedies like September 11 that he confronted during his presidency.

Russia contacted US government ‘multiple’ times  —  WASHINGTON — Russian authorities alerted the US government not once but “multiple” times over their concerns about Tamerlan Tsarnaev — including a second time nearly a year after he was first interviewed by FBI agents in Boston …

ObamaCare fix bill headed for climactic ending in House  —  It is unclear if Republican leaders have the votes to pass Rep. Joe Pitts's (R-Pa.) bill, which would shift ObamaCare money to boost high-risk insurance pools.  If the bill goes to a roll call vote on the floor, it is expected to be very close.

Feds spend at least $890,000 on fees for empty accounts  —  If you are a federal worker on furlough this week — or an airline passenger delayed by federal furloughs — you might save your blood pressure, and go read another story.  —  This one is about all the money the U.S. government spends on . . . nothing.

Here Comes Amazon's Kindle TV Set-Top Box  —  Amazon (AMZN) is making e-readers and tablets and will likely soon introduce a smartphone.  As it works to build all types of connected devices, that leaves a natural next step: a television set-top box.  The e-commerce giant is planning …

In Florida, a food-stamp recruiter deals with wrenching choices  —  FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A good recruiter needs to be liked, so Dillie Nerios filled gift bags with dog toys for the dog people and cat food for the cat people.  She packed crates of cookies, croissants, vegetables and fresh fruit.

Obama Deportation Progam Likely to Be Blocked, Judge Says  —  A court challenge by federal immigration agents seeking to block President Barack Obama's deferred-deportation initiative will probably succeed, a judge said.  —  U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Dallas today put off …

New York Man Charged with Internet Extortion and Cyber Stalking … A 21-year-old Great Neck, New York man was charged in a criminal complaint in the Eastern District of Michigan with Internet extortion and cyber stalking, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade.

Illinois shootings: Suspect helped wounded girl after killing 5  —  Brad Teeter, whose mother-in-law and niece were among the five people fatally shot in Manchester, Ill., today discusses the crime.  —  After he shot his way into a home in the small town of Manchester …

The White House Correspondents' Dinner and the startling ascendance of nerd culture  —  The geeks have truly inherited the Earth  —  I  —  f history is an indicator, talk of the White House Correspondents' Dinner — affectionately known as “Nerd Prom” — is about to set Washington atwitter.

U.S. gives big, secret push to Internet surveillance  —  Justice Department agreed to issue “2511 letters” immunizing AT&T and other companies participating in a cybersecurity program from criminal prosecution under the Wiretap Act, according to new documents obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Obama backs out of Planned Parenthood keynote address  —  President Obama has canceled plans to deliver a keynote address at Planned Parenthood's annual fundraising dinner Thursday night after critics decried his high-profile role at the abortion rights group amid new concerns about the brutality of illegal forms of abortion.