State Sen. Leland Yee indicted for public corruption in major FBI operation  —  SAN FRANCISCO — State Sen. Leland Yee has been indicted for public corruption as part of a major FBI operation spanning the Bay Area, law-enforcement sources said, casting yet another cloud of corruption …

Grossman passes kidney stone during gubernatorial debate  —  There were more than a few pained expressions worn by gubernatorial candidates during Tuesday night's forum dedicated to issues affecting Massachusetts's LGBTQ community, mostly after Scott Lively, an anti-gay candidate running to …

Inclusiveness at Mozilla  —  I am deeply honored and humbled by the CEO role.  I'm also grateful for the messages of support.  At the same time, I know there are concerns about my commitment to fostering equality and welcome for LGBT individuals at Mozilla.

On being a dirty old man and how young women lawyers dress  —  More than a decade ago, I freaked out when tall, statuesque, and beautiful daughter Lisa showed up at her older sister's (Marne's) wedding in a Catholic church (that we “borrowed” out of respect for the groom's religious preference) in a low-cut dress.

Northwestern players get union vote … In a potentially game-changing moment for college athletics, the Chicago district of the National Labor Relations Board ruled on Wednesday that Northwestern football players qualify as employees of the university and can unionize.

MSNBC is in serious trouble  —  This is the story of MSNBC in a nutshell: It rose to prominence on its criticism of George W. Bush, peaked during Barack Obama's historic 2008 campaign, and, by criticizing Republicans and championing liberal causes, sustained its viewership in the years that followed.

Women Justices Rock the Hobby Lobby Argument  —  There were two lessons from Tuesday's argument in the Hobby Lobby case in the Supreme Court.  First, it's very important that there are now three women Justices.  Second, it's even more important that it takes five votes to win.

GOP Senate Candidate On Uninsured: “Less Sophisticated...Less Educated”  —  In audio obtained by BuzzFeed, Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy spoke at the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association's annual meeting last week about an alternative health care plan with catastrophic insurance and HSA plans for the uninsured.

Obama wants halo effect  —  ROME — President Barack Obama was once the biggest superstar on the international stage.  On Thursday, he heads to the Vatican to benefit from the popularity of his replacement: Pope Francis.  —  The visit is a rare chance for Obama to associate himself …

Bombshell In WaPo/Keystone Scandal: Did the Post Coordinate With Congressional Democrats?  —  A major development occurred today in the scandal surrounding the Washington Post's attempt to advance Democratic Party talking points by falsely linking Koch Industries to the Keystone Pipeline.

Alabama congressional candidate shoots up Obamacare bill in new ad  —  An Alabama congressional candidate uses a .40 Glock pistol, a .270 Cooper rifle and an AR-15 to destroy a copy of the Obamacare bill in a new video released by his campaign.  —  The message in candidate Will Brooke's video …

Queens assemblyman denies travel voucher payment abuse as FBI seizes records  —  Assemblyman claims innocence during apparent probe of travel voucher abuse  —  William Scarborough rose early Wednesday in his Howard Johnson motel room to down a few ibuprofen for his pre-arthritis.

‘What the hell is this, a joke?’  —  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday blasted the Obama administration's decision to extend enrollment in the healthcare law's insurance exchange for some people.  —  “What the hell is this, a joke?”  Boehner said at his weekly press conference.

REPORT: NY SCHOOLS ARE MOST RACIALLY SEGREGATED … NEW YORK (AP) — New York state has the most segregated public schools in the nation, with many black and Latino students attending schools with virtually no white classmates, according to a report released Wednesday.

Data as Slogan, Data as Substance  —  Noah Smith has the definitive piece on what's wrong, so far, with the new FiveThirtyEight.  For all the big talk about data-driven analysis,what it actually delivers is sloppy and casual opining with a bit of data used, as the old saying goes …

Jimmy Carter's new book ‘A Call to Action’ receives positive reviews  —  In Carter's new book, he says that he believes the biggest challenge facing our world today is the subjugation and abuse of women and girls.  —  It is a crisis that manifests itself across the world in the form of child marriage …

Poll: Obama's disapproval rating hits a new high  —  The AP-GfK poll shows 59 percent of Americans now disapprove of Obama — a point higher than the previous high set in December.  —  Obama's approval rating stands at 41 percent.  That's the second-lowest figure the poll has ever found.

Dwarf planet stretches Solar System's edge  —  Icy body found far beyond Pluto raises questions about cosmic history.  —  Rights & Permissions  —  The Solar System just got a lot more far-flung.  Astronomers have discovered1 a probable dwarf planet that orbits the Sun far beyond Pluto, in the most distant trajectory known.

Full Transcript: President Obama gives speech addressing Europe, Russia on March 26  —  President Obama spoke in Brussels today; he's there for meetings with European Union and NATO allies.  Here is the full transcript of his remarks, courtesy of the Federal News Service.  —  Thank you.

TN Tea Partiers freak out on TV reporter for covering their effort to block Muslim cemetery  —  Tempers flared in a confrontation between anti-Islamic activists and proponents of a plan to build an Islamic cemetery adjacent to a mosque in Murfreesboro, TN.  —  WSMV Channel 4 reported …

Anti-hate group blamed for inspiring Family Research Council gun attack dumped by FBI  —  CRIME WASHINGTON SECRETS GAY MARRIAGE FBI ERIC HOLDER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT GAY RIGHTS FAMILY ISSUES MARRIAGE  —  The Southern Poverty Law Center, which has labeled several Washington …