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.

Mixed Reactions to Senate Gun Vote  —  Democrats More Disappointed than Angry  —  OVERVIEW  —  The key Senate vote that halted gun control legislation last week is drawing a mixed reaction from the American public: 47% express negative feelings about the vote while 39% have a positive reaction …

Pelosi Best Known, Least Liked of Congressional Leaders  —  Americans view top four leaders in House and Senate negatively, on balance  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The top Republican and Democratic leaders in the U.S. House and Senate are a generally unpopular foursome, with Democratic House Minority …

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.

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 …

‘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:

Obama's tattoo threat  —  President Barack Obama revealed he and first lady Michelle Obama have a master plan to prevent their two daughters from getting tattoos.  —  “What we've said to the girls is that 'If you guys ever decide to get a tattoo, then Mommy and me will get the exact same tattoo …

Biden rails against ‘twisted, perverted, knock-off jihadists’ who attacked Boston  —  Vice President Biden on Wednesday railed against the “twisted, perverted, knock-off jihadists” alleged to have planted the bombs that killed three and injured hundreds at the Boston Marathon last week.

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.

GOP pulls contentious Obamacare bill  —  House Republican leadership abruptly pulled a health care bill from the floor after concerns from conservatives that it extended President Barack Obama's health care law.  —  The legislation, which was championed by Majority Leader Eric Cantor …

Meet The New Man At The Center Of The Ricin Case  —  As the case against Paul Kevin Curtis for allegedly mailing ricin was unraveling Tuesday afternoon, FBI agents were already searching the house of another man in connection with the ongoing investigation.  —  Their focus has shifted …

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.

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.

Bush on Cheney: 'It's been cordial'  —  Former President George W. Bush is in the midst of a media blitz to promote the Thursday opening of his presidential library and has generally projected a jaunty, at-peace air as he takes questions about his tumultuous eight years in the White House.

Executing the Mentally Handicapped Is Illegal—Except When It Isn't  —  In spite of the Supreme Court's 2002 ban on such executions, Warren Hill, a convicted murderer who all experts now agree is mentally retarded, once again faces lethal injection.  —  It rarely registers as news anymore …

Former Ex-Gay Spokesperson Formally Apologizes For Promoting The Harmful Therapy  —  Earlier this month, John Paulk rebuked the ex-gay movement that he once championed as a spokesperson for Focus on the Family.  Now he has issued a formal apology, clarifying that the therapy did not change …