FROM THE BLOGS:

How to talk about a woman's looks
Salon.com's Irin Carmon thinks President Obama's comments about California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) were unnecessary.

US Army training manual: Catholics = al-Qaeda
Peter Kirsanow of National Review writes about how the Army Reserve's equal opportunity training brief associates Catholicism with religious extremism.

Show me da money
Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall questions whether or not money has played a role in the decision by multiple Senate Democrats to come out in support of same-sex marriage.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

White House promises Obama budget will 'blow your mind'
White House press secretary Jay Carney said Friday that President Obama's soon-to-be unveiled budget will be far more detailed than the Republican counterproposal, reports The Hill's Amie Parnes.

Federal judge lifts restrictions on sale of morning-after pill
A federal judge has ordered the Food and Drug Administration to lift restrictions on sales of the morning-after pill, according to The Hill's Elise Viebeck.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Oklahoma lawmaker only worried about potential before birth
Kaili Joy Gray from Wonkette takes a satirical approach to Oklahoma state Rep. Mike Reynolds' belief that every fetus has unfathomable potential... until that fetus is born, at which point "their potential to society is irrelevant." 

New York Times piece mistakes projected cost of dementia
Dean Baker of Beat the Press describes how The New York Times' recent piece on dementia is an example of how "the Washington elite" continually "highlight and exaggerate costs associated with an aging population."

Obama Administration deviates from North Korean playbook
Hot Air's Allahpundit debates the best way for the United States to respond to North Korea's most recent threats. 

The view from the border: The Gang of 8 offer a failed plan
RedState blogger Repair_Man_Jack says that when it comes to immigration reform, the Gang of 8 needs guidance from "the people who actually enforce the border."

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Inhofe: Prepare pre-emptive strike 'right now' on North Korea
The Hill's Justin Sink reports on Sen. James Inhofe's (R-Okla.) immense distrust of the "deranged" Kim Jong Un.

Obama 'optimistic' on immigration reform; gun control 'tougher'
The Hill's Amie Parnes reports on a speech Obama gave to donors in Atherton, Calif., in which he expressed his optimism in passing immigration reform and his concerns on gun control.

FROM THE BLOGS

The Tea Party's next bogeyman: Obama's Common Core conspiracy
Mother Jones's Tim Murphy reports on conservatives' view of new national education standards.

Blame income inequality?
Bloggers at The Foundry caution readers against making hasty assumptions about income inequality.

Rand Paul and the politics of paranoia
The Plum Line's Greg Sargent argues that Republicans should resist the far right on gun legislation.

North Korea is far from suicidal
At CNN, Sung-Yoon Lee argues that Americans should take threats by North Korea more seriously.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

After killings, Cornyn wants prosecutors allowed to carry guns into court
The Hill's Daniel Strauss reports that Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wants to allow federal officers to carry concealed weapons in court facilities.

Stephen Colbert rips Joe Scarborough
Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert poked fun at the MSNBC host over his support for former Gov. Mark Sanford (R), The Hill's Cameron Joseph reports.

FROM THE BLOGS:



The language at the center of the center of the immigration debate
Josh Vorhees of Slate looks at the decision by the Associated Press to drop the phrase "illegal immigrant" from its stylebook.

Congress can still mess up immigration reform
The Editors at Bloomberg outline the obstacles still facing immigration reform.

Why spend billions of dollars to map the human brain?
Dana Smith of The Atlantic saysPresident Obama has started an international brain mapping race.




FROM THE BLOGS:

Jobs?
This is an era of permanent campaigning and economic stagnation, writes The Weekly Standard's Geoffrey Norman.

Red states getting redder
The American Prospect's Jamelle Bouie writes about how states like Alabama and Mississippi are becoming even more restrictive on abortion and same-sex marriage.

'Traditional marriage's' lamest defense
Kate Blanchard of Salon.com debunks one conservative's message against gay marriage.

BRAIN initiative gives a big check to sci-tech elite
Tim Cavanaugh of The Daily Caller believes a new expenditure on brain research is just another way for the administration to take credit for something it doesn't deserve.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Christie applauds firing of abusive Rutgers coach
The Hill's Pete Kasperowicz reports the New Jersey governor supports the university's decision to fire the coach after the release of a controversial video.

Few senators sacrifice pay amid cuts
Only a small number of senators plan on donating a portion of their salary to charity per a recent budget amendment, The Hill's Russell Berman reports.

Rubio's immigration cowardice
The Daily Beast's Michael Tomasky suggests that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is keeping his options open when it comes to immigration reform to ensure his own presidential success

Attorney to Hannity: 'You've created a monster' with Ben Carson
Heather from Crooks and Liars commends talk show host and civil rights attorney Leo Terrell for calling out Hannity on his support for Ben Carson

Cruelest month - for taxpayers
RightWingNews blogger Debra Saunders says that "every day is April Fool's Day" during National Financial Capability Month

Limbaugh: Gay NFL players will distract from game
Rush Limbaugh says gay members of the NFL will cause a media frenzy that will take away from the real point of football

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Ben Carson blasts 'vicious,' white liberal critics as ‘the most racist out there’
The Hill's Jonathan Easley reports on Carson's response to those who criticized him for his controversial same-sex marriage remarks

UN approval of arms trade treaty sets up Obama, Senate showdown
The Hill's Julian Pecquet reports on the arms trade treaty that President Obama is expected to sign within the next few months

FROM THE BLOGS:

Marco Rubio’s immigration cowardice
Michael Tomasky at The Daily Beast says the Florida senator is placing political calculation over doing the right thing.

John McCain's pro-gun-control past
Greg Sargent of the Plum Line looks at Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) past initiatives to expand gun control measures.



Why I’m not cheering the economic recovery
John Judis at The New Republic says there’s still a lot of room for pessimism in the burgeoning recovery.

St. John’s must lose status as 'The Church of Presidents'
Keith Koffler at White House Dossier says the church’s Easter Sunday political statement in front of President Obama was inexcusable.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:



Hagel to take pay cut in solidarity with DOD furloughed workers
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will take the same pay cut as the 750,000 civilian Pentagon employees slated for furloughs in the coming months, reports Carlo Muñoz of The Hill.

Kirk backs gay marriage
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) announced his support for same-sex marriage on Tuesday, making him the second sitting GOP senator to do so, Daniel Strauss of The Hill reports.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Yvonne Brill and the beef-stroganoff illusion
The New Yorker's Amy Davidson gives her take on the controversial New York Times obituary of the renowned rocket scientist.

Why Democrats don't want Hillary for 2016
David Frum writes on CNN that the former secretary of State carries political and financial baggage.

GOP still demanding full repeal of ObamaCare 
FireDogLake's Jon Walker writes about the continued effort by republicans to overturn the Affordable Care Act.

Should taxpayers pay for 'gender reassignment' surgery?
The Blaze's Meredith Jessup discusses HHS's change of heart after its potential decision to use taxpayer dollars to pay for sex exchange procedures went viral.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

White House to furlough 480 staffers 
The Hill's Amie Parnes reports on the decision to make staffers at the Office of Management and Budget take unpaid days off in light of the sequester.

Dem Sen. Bob Casey supports gay marriage, urges repeal of DOMA
The Hill's Justin Sink reports on the latest Democratic senator to have evolved on the issue of gay marriage.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Are you ready for Hillary Clinton?
Slate's David Weigel looks inside a super-PAC paving the way for her to make another presidential run.

Sen. Reid's new tax on guns
The Foundry's David S. Addington argues that a new Senate gun bill challenges Second Amendment rights.

Don't blame gay marriage
Jennifer Rubin on Right Turn warns readers not to blame trends like higher divorce or delayed marriage on gay rights.

Transgender rights: Coming to a school near you?
Time's Adam Cohen notes that transgender rights are following a similar public trajectory to the current gay rights movement.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Obama goes 2 for 22 on basketball court
The Hill's Emily Goodin reports that the president had a tough time on the basketball court during Monday's Easter Egg Roll.

Jeb Bush scheduled to speak in Dallas on the same day as Hillary Clinton
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will deliver speeches in Dallas on the same day, fueling speculation that each is preparing to run for president in 2016, The Hill's Daniel Strauss reports.