CIA pushed to add Boston bomber to terror watch list  —  The CIA pushed to have one of the suspected Boston Marathon bombers placed on a U.S. counterterrorism watch list more than a year before the attacks, U.S. officials said Wednesday.  —  Russian authorities contacted the CIA in the fall …

Lawmakers, aides may get Obamacare exemption  —  Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, sources in both parties said.

Barbara Bush on Jeb run: 'We've had enough Bushes'  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid the celebration surrounding the opening of son George W. Bush's presidential library Thursday, former first lady Barbara Bush brushed aside talk of a Jeb Bush run for the White House in 2016.

Fourth explosion in fuel barge fire  —  MFRD: More explosions a concern  —  MOBILE, Ala (WALA) - UPDATE: 10:07 p.m. - Mobile Mayor Sam Jones said Mobile Fire-Rescue will let the fire burn out on its own to prevent further injuries.  —  9:50 p.m. - A fourth explosion just occurred around 9:50 p.m …

Escapee from psychiatric hospital slashes rabbi, son with box-cutter outside Paris synagogue  —  PARIS — An escapee from a psychiatric institution slashed a rabbi and his son with a box-cutter on Tuesday, prompting witnesses to tackle and subdue the attacker after a chase through a Paris synagogue, officials said.

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 …

Secret Tape: Top GOP Consultant Luntz Calls Limbaugh “Problematic”  —  At a talk to college students, Republican pollster Frank Luntz would only chastise Rush Limbaugh and right-wing radio off the record.  —  Frank Luntz, the media-friendly Republican consultant and word wiz …

Exclusive: Verizon eyes $100 billion bid for Vodafone's Wireless stake  —  (Reuters) - Verizon Communications has hired advisers to prepare a possible $100 billion cash and stock bid to take full control of Verizon Wireless from its partner Vodafone, two people familiar with the matter said.

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 …

GE Capital Cuts Off Lending to Gun Shops  —  General Electric Co. is quietly cutting off lending to gun shops, as the company rethinks its relationship to firearms amid the fallout from the school shooting in Newtown, Conn.  —  This month, Glenn Duncan, owner of Duncan's Outdoor Store in Bay City …

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 …

U.S. Sees No Conclusive Evidence of Chemical Arms Use by Syria  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration shares the suspicions of several of its allies that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons, a senior official said Wednesday, but it lacks the conclusive evidence that President Obama …

Environmental lawyer Tom FitzGerald is considering a campaign to oust U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell in the 2014 election.  —  FitzGerald, a Democrat, said he is being encouraged to challenge McConnell because the five-term senator is not representing the interests of the people of Kentucky.

Judge Denies FBI Request to Hack Computer in Probe  —  A judge in Texas denied a request by the Federal Bureau of Investigation this week for what he describes as a warrant to remotely “hack a computer suspected of criminal use,” raising questions about the legal requirements for the government …