Supreme Court upholds ban on affirmative action in college admissions  —  The Supreme Court delivered another setback to affirmative action Tuesday, easing the way for states to bar public colleges from considering race in admissions.  —  The 6-2 decision upheld a Michigan constitutional amendment …

Marionville mayor resigns  —  Marionville Mayor Dan Clevenger resigned Monday night for making anti-Semitic comments in the wake of the arrest of white supremacist Frazier Glenn Miller and after aldermen voted 4-1 to start the impeachment process.  —  Clevenger, 59, said he was personally hurt …

President Obama, disregarding his own red line, dithers on Ukraine  —  AFTER AN agreement to “de-escalate tensions and restore security” in Ukraine was announced Thursday, Secretary of State John F. Kerry was very explicit about U.S. expectations.  “We fully expect the Russians . .  …

Horses, teepees arrive on Mall for Keystone protest  —  Horses, Daryl Hannah, sacred fires and Neil Young — these are some of the things you'll see on the National Mall starting Tuesday as part of the latest protest against the Keystone XL pipeline.  —  The “Reject and Protect” …

Who Will Win The Senate? … Every day, our computer churns through the latest polls and reams of historical data to calculate both parties' chances of winning control of the Senate.  Although the Democrats currently have a 51 percent chance, that doesn't mean we're predicting the Democrats …

One in Four in U.S. Are Solidly Skeptical of Global Warming  —  Nearly 40% are “Concerned Believers” in global warming, others are mixed  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Over the past decade, Americans have clustered into three broad groups on global warming.  The largest, currently describing 39% of U.S. adults …

The GOP's Limp ‘Emasculate Obama’ Ploy  —  Republicans can mock Obama for having a ‘manhood problem,’ but they're woefully out of touch with the new masculinity.  —  Out and about this weekend, I saw no less than three men who appeared to be heterosexual wearing little buns on the tops of their heads.

Morning Plum: What does ‘running on Obamacare’ look like?  —  Ever since President Obama seized on the announcement of eight million Obamacare sign-ups to urge Democratic candidates to run proudly on the law, commentators have been debating whether Dem candidates should — or would — listen.

Allyson Schwartz ad touts Obamacare in Pennsylvania  —  Most Democratic candidates in competitive races this year are avoiding talking about the Affordable Care Act, but a new ad from Rep. Allyson Schwartz — one of the four Democrats vying to take on Pennsylvania GOP Gov. Tom Corbett …

Death and Anger on Everest  —  For many years, the most lucrative commercial guiding operation on Mt. Everest has been a company called Himalayan Experience, or Himex, which is owned by a New Zealand mountaineer named Russell Brice.  In the spring of 2012, more than a month into the climbing season …

Mrs. Clinton's New Memoir  —  Yesterday on a panel on “Face the Nation,” we briefly discussed Hillary Clinton's forthcoming memoir of her four years as secretary of state.  It is called “Hard Choices”—they appear to be running low at the book-title store—and will be published June 10.

Lawmaker pulls bill to make Holy Bible Louisiana's official state book  —  The Louisiana House of Representatives was scheduled to take up a bill to declare the Holy Bible that official state book on Monday evening.  —  Rep. Thomas Carmody, R-Shreveport, scrapped his proposal to make the Holy Bible …

Thomas Piketty Revives Marx for the 21st Century  —  An 80% tax rate on incomes above $500,000 is not meant to bring in money for education or benefits, but ‘to put an end to such incomes.’  —  Thomas Piketty likes capitalism because it efficiently allocates resources.  But he does not like how it allocates income.

The Class War Inside the Republican Party  —  It took David Perdue about 20 seconds of speechifying to expose a tension roiling the Republican Party.  Speaking in January, the former business executive turned Georgia candidate for U.S. Senate asked a group of local Republicans to parse the resumes of his primary foes.

Student Loans Can Suddenly Come Due When Co-Signers Die, a Report Finds  —  For students who borrow on the private market to pay for school, the death of a parent can come with an unexpected, added blow, a federal watchdog warns.  Even borrowers who have good payment records can face sudden demands for full …

Looking at Costs and Risks, Many Skip Health Insurance  —  LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Steve Huber, an affable salesman who is still paying off an unexpected medical bill, was not among the millions of Americans who signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act during the enrollment period that ended March 31.

There Goes the Sun  —  Like just about everyone who has looked at the numbers on renewable energy, solar power in particular, I was wowed by the progress.  Something really good is in reach.  —  And so, inevitably, the usual suspects are trying to kill it.  —  For the Kochs, it's partly a matter of financial interest.