Federal judge voids Texas' gay marriage ban, though he delays order from taking effect immediately  —  Mark Phariss of Plano, left, held the hand of partner Victor Holmes, center, as they left the U.S. Federal Courthouse in San Antonio after a hearing earlier this month.

Americans know there's no GOP ‘alternative’ to Obamacare  —  Obamacare is a disaster for Democrats, and a certain winner for Republicans.  That's what we keep hearing, anyway.  —  So why does it look as if the percentage of Americans who favor repeal may have actually shrunk since its rollout problems began?

IT'S DEAD: Brewer Vetoes Anti-Gay Bill  —  Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) announced Wednesday night that she has vetoed the anti-gay bill that has been sitting on her desk since last week.  —  The bill “does not address a specific or present concern related to religious liberty in Arizona,” she said in explaining her decision.

U.S. REP. CORY GARDNER TO ENTER U.S. SENATE RACE AGAINST MARK UDALL  —  Republican Congressman Cory Gardner is planning to drop his re-election bid and run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Mark Udall, a political bombshell that is expected to alter Colorado's political landscape.

Despite Rifts, G.O.P. Has Election Edge, Poll Finds  —  Republicans are in a stronger position than Democrats for this year's midterm elections, benefiting from the support of self-described independents, even though the party itself is deeply divided and most Americans agree …

Stretch run for Obamacare  —  Four million down.  Two million to go.  Five weeks to get it done.  —  Obamacare enrollment in a nutshell.  —  The White House announced late Tuesday that sign-ups in the federal- and state-run Obamacare insurance exchanges had surpassed the psychologically significant 4 million mark.

Dave Camp: How to Fix Our Appalling Tax Code  —  Every year Americans spend more than six billion hours and $168 billion to file their returns.  —  There have been so many changes to the tax code over the past decade that it is now 10 times the size of the Bible, but with none of the Good News.

Va. GOP official apologizes for genital slang “error”  —  UPDATE: In an email, FitzSimmonds said he thought the word he used had the same meaning as “twaddle,” which is defined as foolish speech.  —  “The minute I found out my error, I deleted the post and apologized,” he told Pilot on Politics.

For Marriage Equality, Religious Liberty, and the Freedom of Association  —  Even though I'm for marriage equality - next week I'll be filing a brief supporting the challenge to the marriage laws of Oklahoma and Utah in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit - I have no problem with Arizona's SB 1062.

How the Fed Let the World Blow Up in 2008  —  High oil prices blinded the Fed to the growing danger before the crash  —  It was the day after Lehman failed, and the Federal Reserve was trying to decide what to do.  —  It had been fighting a credit crunch for over a year, and now the worst-case scenario was playing out.

Adidas to stop selling Brazil World Cup T-shirts that ‘encourage sexual tourism’  —  Sportswear maker to stop selling T-shirts before World Cup after Brazil's ministry of women's affairs said shirts were offensive  —  Adidas agreed on Tuesday to stop selling two raunchy T-shirts months ahead …

Rand Paul Blocks Surgeon General Nominee For Saying Gun Violence Is A Public Health Threat  —  On Wednesday — two years to the day after George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) placed a hold on President Barack Obama's nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy …

Chuck Hagel turns up heat about U.S. POW  —  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has put one of his top deputies in charge of the Pentagon's efforts to secure the release of a U.S. soldier captured in 2009 by insurgents in Afghanistan, according to a congressional aide.

Planned Parenthood reveals big 2014 game plan  —  The political arm of Planned Parenthood is preparing to launch its largest campaign offensive ever, targeting more than a dozen states and some of the cycle's top Senate and gubernatorial races to raise the alarm about the stakes …

Soldier flagrantly avoids flag salute, sets off online outrage  —  A soldier who hid in her car to avoid saluting the flag — and then flaunted it on Instagram — is the latest service member to come under attack via social media and be accused of dishonoring her service.

Source: NFL begins exploring Super Bowl XLIX relocation options  —  The NFL previously stripped Arizona of a Super Bowl in 1993, relocating the game to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.  —  Even as momentum continues to build against Arizona's controversial bill that would allow businesses …