Bottoms Up, Lame Duck  —  During the 2012 campaign, the president and his top advisers liked to make the argument that if he was re-elected, the “fever” would break.  Washington would no longer be the graveyard of progress, the crypt of consensus.  Once dystopian Republicans accepted …

Gabriel E. Gomez wins GOP nod in special US Senate primary; Edward J. Markey to run for the Democrats  —  Will he be the next Scott Brown?  —  Gabriel E. Gomez, a 47-year-old son of immigrants who became a Navy pilot and SEAL before becoming a private equity investor, won the Republican nomination tonight …

EXCLUSIVE: Saudi Arabia ‘warned the United States IN WRITING about Boston Bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2012’  — Saudis developed intelligence separately from Russia, which also warned the U.S. about the accused Boston bomber  — A letter to the Department of Homeland Security allegedly named Tsarnaev …

Obama moving toward sending lethal arms to Syrian rebels, officials say  —  President Obama is preparing to send lethal weaponry to the Syrian opposition and has taken steps to assert more aggressive U.S. leadership among allies and partners seeking the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, according to senior administration officials.

Gun vote stirs passion at Ayotte town hall meeting  —  WARREN, N.H. — The daughter of a Newtown victim confronted Sen. Kelly Ayotte during her first town hall meeting since voting against expanding background checks on all commercial gun sales.  —  Nearly two weeks ago …

Jason Collins' Ex-Fiancee — I Had NO IDEA He Was Gay  —  JASON COLLINS' EX-FIANCEE  —  I Had NO IDEA He Was Gay  —  EXCLUSIVE DETAILS  —  The woman who was once engaged to NBA star Jason Collins tells TMZ, she had NO CLUE he was gay at the time of their relationship ... in fact …

Larry Flynt endorses Mark Sanford  —  Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) may not have the support of the national GOP — but Larry Flynt has his back.  —  The Hustler publisher endorsed Sanford's House campaign on Tuesday, calling him the “sex pioneer of our time.”

Cruz 2016  —  Freshman senator Ted Cruz is considering a presidential run, according to his friends and confidants.  —  Cruz won't talk about it publicly, and even privately he's cagey about revealing too much of his thought process or intentions.  But his interest is undeniable.

Sarah Palin for Senate?  Some tea party activists want her to run  —  SEATTLE — Sarah Palin's last elective position in Alaska ended early when in 2009 she abandoned the governorship midway through her first term.  —  But tea party activists appear eager for a comeback …

Chris Matthews Inks Long-Term Deal With MSNBC, But Ends ‘The Chris Matthews Show’  —  MSNBC has signed Chris Matthews to a new, long-term contract with the channel, TVNewser has learned.  —  As part of the new deal, however, he will be ending “The Chris Matthews Show,” …

Marco Rubio: Gang of Eight's immigration bill can't pass the House  —  Sen. Marco Rubio acknowledged Tuesday on a conservative radio talk show that the Gang of Eight's comprehensive immigration reform bill won't likely pass the Republican-led House.  —  The comments from Rubio …

WHOOPS: ADP JOBS REPORT MISSES EXPECTATIONS — JUST 119K NEW JOBS  —  The number is out and it's weak.  —  Analysts were looking for 150K new private sector jobs.  —  Instead the number just came in at just 119K.  —  Remember, ADP just captures the private sector side of Non-Farm payrolls …

FDA approves Plan B One-Step emergency contraceptive without a prescription for women 15 years of age and older  —  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that it has approved an amended application submitted by Teva Women's Health, Inc. to market Plan B One-Step …

How the United States kept him silent for 12 years.  —  Mohamedou Ould Slahi began to tell his story in 2005.  Over the course of several months, the Guantánamo prisoner handwrote his memoir, recounting what he calls his “endless world tour” of detention and interrogation.

NH Man Loses Life Savings On Carnival Game  —  Henry Gribbohm says he lost his life savings on a carnival game and all he got was this stuffed banana.  (CBS)  —  EPSOM, NH (CBS) - Henry Gribbohm says he lost his life savings, $2,600, on a carnival game and all he has to show for it is a stuffed banana with dreadlocks.

Banks Resist Strict Controls of Foreign Bets  —  WASHINGTON — Wall Street bankers and some of the world's top finance ministers are waging a bitter international campaign to block Washington financial regulators from extending their policing powers far beyond the nation's shores.

Bangladesh building collapse: Death toll passes 400  —  The number of people killed in the collapse of a factory building on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, has passed 400, officials say.  —  A senior army official also said that a list of 149 people still missing had been compiled from relatives.