Obama puts Marines on umbrella duty, irking conservatives  —  Slogging through a drizzly Rose Garden news conference Thursday with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Obama took a break to ask for some rain protection.  —  “I am going to go ahead and ask folks …

Gay man shot dead in Village after gunman shouted homophobic slurs: authorities  —  A gay man was gunned down in Greenwich Village early today by an armed bigot who hurled homophobic slurs at him — and claimed to be the Newtown, Conn. killer before the murder, police said today.

Anastasia Adair, Colorado Woman, Dies After Assault Rifle Accidentally Discharges  —  A Denver-area woman died Tuesday night after an assault rifle she was handling accidentally fired and shot her in the head.  —  Witnesses told ABC Denver affiliate KMGH that Anastasia Adair, 22 …

Mountain of Petroleum Coke From Oil Sands Rises in Detroit  —  WINDSOR, Ontario — Assumption Park gives residents of this city lovely views of the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit skyline.  Lately they've been treated to another sight: a three-story pile of petroleum coke covering …

Romney: Benghazi talking points had no bearing on presidential election  —  The Obama administration's talking points on the terror attack in Benghazi had no bearing on Mitt Romney's defeat last year, the former Republican presidential nominee told Jay Leno.

France gay marriage: Hollande signs bill into law  —  France's president has signed into law a controversial bill making the country the eighth in Europe, and 14th globally, to legalise gay marriage.  —  On Friday, the Constitutional Council rejected a challenge by the right-wing opposition …

Bobby Jindal: IRS officials deserve prison time  —  Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will use a Saturday speech to Virginia Republicans to suggest the IRS officials who targeted conservative political organizations for scrutiny be sent to prison.  —  “You cannot take the freedom of law-abiding Americans …

Judge says lesbian mom's partner must go  —  Collin County's John Roach Jr. enforces ‘morality clause’ in divorce papers saying woman can't have roommate unless they're married  —  ANNA WAUGH |  News Editor  —  MCKINNEY — Page Price and Carolyn Compton have been together for almost three years …

At Cincinnati IRS office, surprise over claims of partisan villainy  —  CINCINNATI — The fog of scandal hangs over a boxy, modernist, 10-story building that looks like a monument to paperwork.  Shrubs and chain smokers flank its front entrance here on Main Street, in the heart of downtown.

Markey's aides bridle after Gomez calls him invisible  —  As campaign pace quickens, GOP Senate hopeful asks: Where's Markey?  —  Gabriel E. Gomez autographed a sign for Jerry Isaac, a Quincy Republican, in Quincy on Thursday.  Representative Edward J. Markey joined the House Homeland Security Committee …

Yahoo Board to Meet Sunday to Consider $1.1 Billion, All-Cash Deal to Acquire Tumblr  —  According to sources close to the situation, the Yahoo board plans to meet Sunday night to decide whether to approve a $1.1 billion all-cash offer for New York-based blogging site Tumblr.