An Unhappy 5th Birthday For The Tea Party … Five years after the Republican Party birthed the tea party movement, mother and child have never been more at odds.  —  The tension between “establishment” Republicans and tea party activists was on full display today at a 5th Anniversary event in Washington.

GOP blocks veterans bill  —  Senate Republicans stopped Democrats from advancing a bill that would have expanded healthcare and education programs for veterans.  —  In a 56-41 vote Thursday, the motion to waive a budget point of order against the bill failed, as Democrats fell short …

Now on your restaurant bill: Obamacare fee  —  Several restaurants in a Florida chain are asking customers to help foot the bill for Obamacare.  —  Diners at eight Gator's Dockside casual eateries are finding a 1% Affordable Care Act surcharge on their tabs, which comes to 15 cents on a typical $15 lunch tab.

COURT: SCHOOL CAN BAN US FLAG SHIRTS FOR SAFETY  —  You are here  —  Home » General news » Court: School can ban US flag shirts for safety  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Officials at a Northern California high school acted appropriately when they ordered students wearing American flag T-shirts …

Obama unveils 'My Brother's Keeper,' opens up about his dad, drugs and race  —  (CNN) - The President has a message for young minority men who grew up like he did.  —  “No excuses.  Government, and private sector, and philanthropy, and all the faith communities, we all have a responsibility to help provide you the tools you need.

Dem senators push IRS to cap political activity  —  A group of Democratic senators urged the Obama administration on Thursday to cap the amount of political activity that tax-exempt 501(c)(4) groups can engage in at 5 to 15 percent.  —  The 15 senators, in public comments on a proposed regulation change …

Federal Budget Deficit Falls to Smallest Level Since 2008  —  The Treasury Department reported Thursday that the federal government's deficit was $680 billion in the last fiscal year, $409 billion less than in 2012, largely because of increased revenue.  —  WASHINGTON — Closing the books …

Putin's Ukraine gambit  —  Henry Kissinger once pointed out that since Peter the Great, Russia had been expanding at the rate of one Belgium per year.  All undone, of course, by the collapse of the Soviet Union, which Russian President Vladimir Putin called “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the [20th] century.”

Where Time Comes From  —  The time that ends up on your smartphone—and that synchronizes GPS, military operations, financial transactions, and internet communications—originates in a set of atomic clocks on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory.  Dr. Demetrios Matsakis, Chief Scientist for USNO's Time Services, gives a tour.

The GOP Already Has a 2016 Front-Runner... for Vice President  —  As defense and foreign policy return to the fore and with a Hillary candidacy looming, the first term New Hampshire senator is looking more and more like the GOP's best veep choice to sure up the ticket in 2016.

Obama and Biden show us their moves  —  President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are running again.  But this time, not for office.  —  Demanding jobs aside, the two jogged around the White House in their ties to highlight the need to keep in shape.

Walt Disney World Postpones Local Support for Boy Scouts of America  —  Scouts for Equality, the national campaign to end discrimination within the Boy Scouts of America, praised Walt Disney World's decision to end its local support of the Boy Scouts of America's Central Florida Council.

Armed Men Take Position at Two Airports in Crimea  —  SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine — Amid fears of a Kremlin-backed separatist rebellion here against Ukraine's fledgling government, armed men in military uniforms took up positions at two Crimean airports as Ukraine's interior minister warned of …

De Blasio starts his war on charter schools  —  The de Blasio administration is blocking the opening or expansion of three Success Academy charter schools run by Eva Moskowitz.  —  The charter schools received approval last year from former Mayor Mike Bloomberg to operate rent-free in existing city buildings starting in the fall.

Tea Party Nation: Brewer's Veto Imposed ‘Slavery,’ Mandatory Penis Cakes For ‘Homosexual Weddings’  —  Judson Phillips, president of Tea Party Nation, is a little upset about Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's decision last night to veto a bill that would have expanded the ability of business owners …

Harlem church sign warns: Obama has released ‘the homo demons’  —  A church sign in New York City's Harlem is warning black women to be on the lookout for a “white homo” trying to steal their man.  —  “Obama has released the homo demons on the black man.  Look out black woman.

After government shutdown, dozens of lawmakers gave to charity  —  From the very outset of the 16-day government shutdown last fall, members of congress recognized its potential for political damage.  So many of them, seeking to contain the possible fallout, pledged to give …

Outgoing NSA chief Keith Alexander signals openness to surveillance reform  —  Alexander says NSA could accept a change where agency would only be allowed to collect phone data related to terrorism  —  The outgoing director of the National Security Agency suggested on Thursday …

World Bank postpones Uganda loan over anti-gay law  —  Loan worth £54m withheld after Ugandan president signed law that imposes harsh penalties for homosexuality  —  The World Bank on Thursday postponed a $90m (£54m) loan to Uganda's health system over a law that toughened punishment …

To my fellow citizens of California:  —  To my fellow citizens of California:  —  Four years ago, I asked that you support my candidacy for governor based on my bringing an “insider's knowledge but an outsider's mind” to fix the budget breakdown and overcome Sacramento's poisonous partisanship.