Senate deals stinging defeat to Obama trade agenda  —  Senate Democrats on Tuesday delivered a stinging blow to President Obama's trade agenda by voting to prevent the chamber from picking up fast-track legislation.  —  A motion to cut off a filibuster and proceed to the trade bill fell short of a 60-vote hurdle, 52-45.

America's Changing Religious Landscape  —  Christians Decline Sharply as Share of Population; Unaffiliated and Other Faiths Continue to Grow  —  The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the number of U.S. adults who do not identify with any organized religion is growing …

Who should save sight of S.C. man who can't afford surgery?  —  Luis Lang, an uninsured resident of Fort Mill, S.C., needs an expensive operation to save his sight.  Ann Doss Helms ahelms@charlotteobserver.com  —  ahelms@charlotteobserver.com  —  To start a lively discussion …

Ex-Bush Aide: Jeb Told Me He Misheard Question About Invading Iraq (VIDEO)  —  Ana Navarro, a former aide to ex-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), said on CNN Tuesday that the potential presidential candidate told her he'd misheard a question about the Iraq War.  —  Navarro, who was Bush's director …

AOL Has Been in Talks to Spin Off HuffPost as Part of Verizon Acquisition Deal  —  According to numerous sources, while it has been negotiating its deal to sell to Verizon, AOL has also been in advanced discussions with a number of parties to spin off its flagship Huffington Post content unit.

U-Va. dean sues Rolling Stone for ‘false’ portrayal in retracted rape story  —  This image is included in a $7.5 million defamation lawsuit against Rolling Stone.  U-Va. associate dean Nicole Eramo argues that an image from the Cavalier Daily student newspaper (left) was turned into an illustration …

More ominous signs of Christian persecution  —  My daughter Aubrey and I arrived in Dallas and our home in Woodbridge on Sunday morning.  We had departed from Palm Beach Gardens Saturday evening after we watched Austen head off for her senior prom — a doggone big deal, dads!

Ben Carson Invokes Dred Scott Decision as Precedent for Ignoring Supreme Court Rulings  —  Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson raised eyebrows last week when he told Newsmax that a potential Supreme Court ruling to legalize same-sex marriage across the country would not have to be implemented …

Gov. Scott Walker: 'I don't know' whether Obama is a Christian  —  Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a prospective Republican presidential contender, said Saturday he does not know whether President Obama is a Christian.  —  “I don't know,” Walker said in an interview at the JW Marriott hotel in Washington …

Hillary Clinton Hasn't Answered a Press Question in 21 Days (And Her Opponents Are Taking Notice) … Today is the one month anniversary of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.  It also marks 21 days since she answered a question from the press.  —  During this “ramp up” …

Rand Paul: Advocates for the Disabled Should Help Brainstorm Ways to Cut Social Security Spending  —  Kinder, gentler, cheaper (maybe).  —  t daveweigel  —  Every election cycle, candidates who want to burnish their fiscal hawk credentials warn that entitlements are going to run out of money.

Days Before Prom in Shelton, Conn., a Dress Code Adds to the Stress  —  SHELTON, Conn. — As surely as flowers bloom, springtime brings prom drama around the country.  The dates, the dancing, the photos, the cost — it is all fraught.  And the dresses.  Oh, the dresses.

Voters Worry Military Exercises May Lead to Federal Control Of States  —  Eight weeks of U.S. military exercises this summer in several southwestern states - dubbed Jade Helm 15 - have some wondering if the government is preparing for martial law.  Most voters don't oppose such exercises …

Key advisor blasts US criticism to pope's environmental stance  —  ROME — Pope Francis' closest cardinal advisor on Tuesday blasted “movements in the United States” hostile to the pontiff's forthcoming document on the environment, claiming the criticism is fueled by a form of capitalism protecting its own interests.

Brazil's World Cup Legacy Includes $550M Stadium-Turned-Parking Lot  —  Listen to the Story  —  It has been almost a year since the World Cup in Brazil.  The party is long over, but the country is still dealing with the hangover — in the form of “white elephant” stadiums and unfinished infrastructure projects.

GOP senator presses DOD on sports promotions  —  Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) is demanding answers from the Defense Department following reports that the Pentagon spent $5.4 million in federal funds to 14 NFL teams from 2011 to 2014 to honor service members during games.

Banks brace for Bernie Sanders  —  Wall Street is worried that Sen. Bernie Sanders's vigorous calls for banking industry reform will pull Hillary Clinton to the left, as the two presidential candidates battle for the 2016 Democratic nomination.  —  Sanders (I-Vt.) last week unveiled …