Conflicting reports on Boston arrest  —  After the explosion: Moment-by-moment  —  (CNN) — Investigators scrambling to solve the fatal bombing at the Boston Marathon have made “significant progress” in the case but no arrests, a federal law enforcement source told CNN's John King Wednesday.

Republicans pull plug on Mark Sanford  —  National Republicans are pulling the plug on Mark Sanford's suddenly besieged congressional campaign, POLITICO has learned — a potentially fatal blow to the former South Carolina governor's dramatic comeback bid.  —  Blindsided by news …

New poison letter sent to Obama; police clear packages at Capitol  —  Authorities said Wednesday they had intercepted a letter to the White House that tested positive for ricin poison.  —  The Secret Service acknowledged the letter addressed to President Obama contained a suspicious substance …

Sen. Manchin: Background Checks Won't Survive Today's Vote  —  Potential GOP supporters out front on immigration won't risk second battle with conservative base on guns, Manchin tells NBC News..  —  In this April 10, 2013 file photo, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., left, and Sen. Patrick Toomey …

Claire McCaskill: If Boston bombings are terrorism, why not Sandy Hook?  —  If President Barack Obama and the U.S. government consider the perpetrator of the Boston bombings a terrorist, then why not the shooter who killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School?

‘Daily News’ doctored front-page photo from Boston bombing  —  Detail from the original photo (left) and the News' version. via Charles Apple  — Looking for answers for nypost.com, Rupert Murdoch and Col Allan rely on a standby general: Jesse Angelo  —  The New York Post was derided Tuesday …

Congressman Says Bombings Reveal Danger Of Immigration Bill: ‘Radical Islamists...Are Trained To Act Hispanic’  —  During an appearance on CSPAN's Washington Journal on Wednesday, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) claimed that this week's bombings of the Boston Marathon should give pause …

Vagina's and Children First!  —  The NH House recently passed HB 135, a bill aimed at repealing parts of the so-called Stand Your Ground law that was passed by the last legislature.  —  A great deal of hysteria has ensued.  One would think that the many urgent problems that beset our state …

Roofer Union Calls for Repeal of Obama Health Law  —  A labor union representing roofers is reversing course and calling for repeal of the federal health law, citing concerns the law will raise its cost for insuring members.  —  Organized labor was instrumental in getting the Affordable Care Act passed …

Further Further Thoughts On Death By Excel  —  A few somewhat unrelated notes on the Reinhart-Rogoff fiasco:  —  1. I thought I remembered another recent Excel disaster — and sure enough, spreadsheet coding played a role in the London Whale disaster at JP Morgan:

Margaret Thatcher funeral procession: How applause drowned out the jeers  —  Michael Deacon reports on the funeral procession for Baroness Thatcher, as crowds crammed the streets from Trafalgar Square to St Paul's.  —  It seemed to come out of nowhere.  No one knew who'd started it - perhaps it was purely instinctual.

Patti Davis, Daughter Of Nancy Reagan, Says Her Mother Supports Gay Marriage  —  Patti Davis, the daughter of former President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan, made headlines two weeks ago when she said her father would have backed same-sex marriage.

Why Republicans Suddenly Became Afraid Of Their Own Budget Shadow  —  Republicans spent the last four years criticizing Senate Democrats for failing to pass a budget resolution, and for operating outside of what's known as “regular order” on Capitol Hill, resorting instead to informal processes and “back room deals.”