Jill Abramson and the Times: What Went Wrong?  —  In the gossipy world of New York journalism, the firing of Jill Abramson from her position as the executive editor of the Times provoked a veritable explosion of talk, posts, and Instagram pictures of the objects of interest.

The case for skepticism about climate scientists.  —  Florida's Sen. Marco Rubio came under attack this week for refusing to submit to scientific authority.  “I do not believe that human activity is causing these dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying it,” he said in an interview with Jonathan Karl.

Wolfeboro residents demand commissioner resign over racial slur  —  A police commissioner in a predominantly white New Hampshire town said he won't apologize for calling President Barack Obama the N-word, and he sat with his arms crossed while angry residents at a meeting called for his resignation on Thursday.

Democratic Party Still Seen More Favorably Than GOP  —  Both parties face “upside down” net favorable ratings  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans view the Democratic Party more favorably than the Republican Party, even though both parties have a net unfavorable rating.

Editors' note  —  (CNN) — CNN has discovered multiple instances of plagiarism by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, a former CNN news editor.  She wrote frequently about international news, writing and reporting about Africa, Europe, and the Middle East from our London bureau.

Head Of ‘Benghazi Truth Squad’ Comes Up Short On Answers To Basic Questions  —  Former Clinton Administration official Lanny Davis is all about damage control.  In fact, his latest book is called Crisis Tales and it's all about his career helping important people out of very tough jams.

Sources: Donald Sterling refuses NBA sanctions, threatens to sue  —  Through his attorney, Donald Sterling has directly refused to adhere to serious NBA sanctions.  —  SI.com has learned that Clippers owner Donald Sterling has hired prominent antitrust litigator Maxwell Blecher …

Conservatives seek to regain control of Republican agenda  —  Although many Republicans are optimistic about their chances in this year's elections, some of Washington's leading conservatives gathered Thursday to privately vent frustrations about what kind of party they will be left with after November.

Obamas Had Up to $7 Million in Assets in '13, Records Show  —  The assets of President Obama and his wife, Michelle, were valued as high as $7 million last year, according to a financial disclosure form released by the White House on Thursday.  —  Most of the president's income came …

Ore. Senate hopeful accused of stalking boyfriend  —  Oregon GOP Senate candidate Monica Wehby was accused by her ex-boyfriend last year of “stalking” him, entering his home without his permission and “harassing” his employees, according to a Portland, Oregon police report.

Spitting, Stalking, Rape Threats: How Gun Extremists Target Women  —  Welcome to the dark side of America's war over guns.  —  A threatening “Mother's Day” video aimed at women calling for gun reforms  —  AS JENNIFER LONGDON STEERED her wheelchair through the Indianapolis airport on April 25 …

Congress Party Concedes Defeat as India Backs Modi  —  NEW DELHI — The Indian National Congress, which has headed India's government for nearly all the country's post-Independence history, conceded defeat to the opposition leader Narendra Modi on Friday, as voters rendered a crushing verdict …

Thank You to Everyone for Making Me the Children's Choice Book Awards “Author of the Year”  —  RUSH: The awards were handed out last night by the Children's Book Council, and I want to take a moment here to thank everyone in the audience, particularly the young people who voted.

Amid protests, U.S. FCC proposes new ‘net neutrality’ rules  —  (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Thursday advanced a “net neutrality” proposal that would ban Internet providers from blocking or slowing down access to websites but may let them charge content companies for faster and more reliable delivery of their traffic to users.

Fast food workers rally for higher wages  —  Dozens of fast food workers held a demonstration outside of a McDonald's in Manhattan Thursday morning.  They were part of a worldwide day of protests in 230 cities. … NEW YORK — Hundreds of fast food workers walked off their jobs in many U.S. cities …