Inequality, Dignity and Freedom  —  Now that the Congressional Budget Office has explicitly denied saying that Obamacare destroys jobs, some (though by no means all) Republicans have stopped lying about that issue and turned to a different argument.  O.K., they concede, any reduction …

Kansas' Anti-Gay Segregation Bill Is an Abomination  —  On Tuesday, the Kansas House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a measure designed to bring anti-gay segregation—under the guise of “religious liberty”—to the already deep-red state.  The bill, written out of fear that the state …

Tom Perkins' big idea: The rich should get more votes  —  Tom Perkins suggested Thursday that only taxpayers should have the right to vote — and that wealthy Americans who pay more in taxes should get more votes.  —  The venture capitalist offered the unorthodox proposal when asked to name …

Federal judge strikes down Va. ban on gay marriage  —  A federal judge in Norfolk struck down Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage Thursday night, saying it violates the constitution's guarantee of equal protection.  —  U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen stayed her decision …

Obama to pitch $1B climate change ‘resilience fund’ in California  —  President Obama will pitch a new $1 billion climate change resilience fund during a visit Friday to California.  —  The fund, which would need to be approved by Congress, is intended to help communities dealing …

Rand Paul's Prediction About Future Presidential Elections May Frighten Half the Country  —  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) made a bold prediction about the remaining presidential elections in his lifetime during an interview with Glenn Beck that aired Thursday.  —  “I think Republicans will not win again …

What This Chevy Commercial Could Teach the GOP  —  To understand the rolling demographic and cultural trends threatening the GOP in presidential elections, a good place to start might be with the polychromatic ads Chevrolet is running during the Olympics.  —  First, consider the source.

Scott Hodge: Here's What ‘Income Equality’ Would Look Like  —  Take about $4 trillion from the top 40% of families and give it to the bottom 60%—voilà, no more inequality.  —  President Obama has talked a lot recently about reducing income inequality.

The Golden Egg  —  The school of literary criticism known as reception theory holds that a text should be studied in light of its effect on its contemporaries, that a reader should be aware of the “horizon of expectations” in which a text is produced.  I was reminded of this the other day as I observed …

Court overturns restrictions on concealed guns in much of California  —  Appeals panel finds state rules allowing counties to restrict the right to carry concealed weapons in public violate the 2nd Amendment.  —  SAN FRANCISCO — In a significant victory for gun owners …

6 Republican Senators Switched Their Debt Limit Votes (Image)  —  Six Senate Republicans switched from “nay” to “aye” on the critical vote allowing the nation's debt limit to be extended, a copy of the official Senate vote tally sheet provided to CQ Roll Call on Thursday suggests.

Steny Hoyer wants wage discharge petition  —  House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer says Democrats will try to bring a higher minimum wage bill to the floor using a discharge petition, as long as a few Republicans join the effort.  —  “We just announced that we're going to be going back to Congress …

One-Fifth of New Enrollees Under Health Care Law Fail to Pay First Premium  —  WASHINGTON — One in five people who signed up for health insurance under the new health care law failed to pay their premiums on time and therefore did not receive coverage in January, insurance companies and industry experts say.

Lucky Duckies In the Crosshairs  —  Ed Kilgore explains that the working poor have become the new “welfare queens”: … The only thing that's missing is a pithy moniker to refer to these lucky duckies living on easy street — or, OK, living on Poverty Lane, but somehow screwing the rest of us.

FACEBOOK OFFERS NEW GENDER OPTIONS FOR USERS  —  You are here  —  Home » California » Facebook offers new gender options for users  —  MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — You don't have to be just male or female on Facebook anymore.  The social media giant has added a customizable option …

Ralph Waite, Patriarch in TV Series ‘The Waltons,’ Dies at 85  —  Ralph Waite, a multifaceted actor who became etched in the American imagination as the craggy-faced, big-hearted patriarch of a rustic, Depression-era clan in the popular 1970s television series, “The Waltons,” died Thursday.  He was 85.

California takes down online health insurance exchange for small businesses  —  The nation's most populous state has elected to temporarily shutter its new online health insurance marketplace for small business only four months after it launched, dealing yet another blow to a key element …