How To Lose The Sequestration Fight  —  Last night, the Senate proved it can fix big problems for real Americans — so long as they're rich, or relatively rich, or fly for business or what have you.  —  The short version is that late last night it took a break from its regular schedule …

Obama's hubris problem  —  Tuesday morning, a peculiar announcement trickled out of the White House press office: President Barack Obama would be holding a moment of silence for the victims of the Boston bombings.  At the White House.  By himself.  No press or other intruders allowed.

Carjack victim recounts his harrowing night  —  The 26-year-old Chinese entrepreneur had just pulled his new Mercedes to the curb on Brighton Avenue to answer a text when an old sedan swerved behind him, slamming on the brakes.  A man in dark clothes got out and approached the passenger window.

George Jones, Admired and Copied Country Singer, Dies at 81  —  George Jones, the definitive country singer of the last half-century, died Friday at a hospital in Nashville.  He was 81.  —  He was hospitalized on April 18 with fever and irregular blood pressure, the Web site of Webster & Associates …

Health Chaos Ahead  —  It was always going to be difficult to implement Obamacare, but even fervent supporters of the law admit that things are going worse than expected.  —  Implementation got off to a bad start because the Obama administration didn't want to release unpopular rules before the election.

Surprise!  Psycho Mother of Boston Bombers Also on Terror Watch List  —  Anyone watching the performances of this media darling can only come to a couple of conclusions: She's been lying through her teeth that her “good kids” had nothing to do with the Boston terror attack and it's probably a safe bet she put the elder son up to it.

OBAMA BACKS PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN POLITICAL FIGHT  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama vowed Friday to join Planned Parenthood in fighting against what he said are efforts by states to turn women's health back to the 1950s, before the Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide …

Farm Loan Bias Claims, Often Unsupported, Cost U.S. Millions  —  In the winter of 2010, after a decade of defending the government against bias claims by Hispanic and female farmers, Justice Department lawyers seemed to have victory within their grasp.  —  Ever since the Clinton administration agreed …

After the last two weeks, is it time for a laugh?  —  (CNN) - President Barack Obama has had to give some tough speeches in the past couple of weeks.  From consoling Boston and West, Texas to scolding Congress for failing to pass gun control legislation, the president's messages have been heavy.

Former Congressman Todd Akin breaks silence: talks comeback, takes on Karl Rove  —  ST. LOUIS (KSDK) - Could Todd Akin be the new comeback kid?  —  The 65-year-old former congressman says don't rule him out.  Nearly six months after losing the Senate race he continues to be attacked from all sides of the political spectrum.

Senators Quietly Seeking New Path on Gun Control  —  WASHINGTON — Talks to revive gun control legislation are quietly under way on Capitol Hill as a bipartisan group of senators seeks a way to bridge the differences that led to last week's collapse of the most serious effort to overhaul the country's gun laws in 20 years.

Debt, Growth and the Austerity Debate  —  IN May 2010, we published an academic paper, “Growth in a Time of Debt.”  Its main finding, drawing on data from 44 countries over 200 years, was that in both rich and developing countries, high levels of government debt — specifically …

The Presidential Wheel Turns  —  Disaffection for Bush gave us Obama.  That explains the new affection for Bush.  —  Barack Obama was elected president in 2008 because he was not George W. Bush.  In fact, he was elected because he was the farthest thing possible from Mr. Bush.

Rick Perry ‘explosion’ cartoon published to make a point  —  Several readers wrote me this morning expressing varying levels of concern about the cartoon depicting Gov. Rick Perry's marketing of Texas' loose regulations, juxtaposed with the explosion of the fertilizer plant in West, Texas.

National Income and Product Accounts  —  Gross Domestic Product, First Quarter 2013 (advance estimate)  —  Real gross domestic product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States — increased at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in the first quarter of 2013 …

President's pick for French ambassador folded over ties to poker ring: sources  —  The Manhattan billionaire President Obama wanted to appoint ambassador to France turned down the prestigious position over ties to an alleged Russian mob-run poker ring that was laundered through a Carlyle hotel art gallery, sources told The Post.

Federal Helium Program: How temporary becomes forever  —  Video: In the 1930s the government created a giant helium reserve, in case we needed it for blimp warfare.  That never happened, but the goverment hasn't been able to get rid of the helium fast enough.  David Fahrenthold is on set to explain why.