Politics

Lizz Winstead, the co-creator of The Daily Show, is facing serious criticism after joking that Monday's Oklahoma tornado was sent to target conservatives.

At least 24 people were killed by the massive storm.

Around 4:30 p.m. yesterday, with the twister moving in, Winstead tweeted: "This tornado is in Oklahoma so clearly it has been ordered to only target conservatives."

The tweet has since been deleted, but not before it sparked major controversy, along with her two other quips about the deadly weather event.

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President Barack Obama's historic embrace of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights has been widely praised ... and widely criticized.

It didn't hurt him with the public enough to sway the 2012 election results, but his support for gay causes lit a fire under many vocal opponents.

Which brings us to conservative pundit "Coach" Dave Daubenmire ... who is calling on Obama to come out of the closet and admit he's gay already.

Dave Daubenmire: Obama is Gay!

In a bizarre online rant, Dave emphasizes, "How about he come out and admit he's the first openly gay president or, better yet, openly bisexual president?"

He cites Obama's praise for Jason Collins and notes that the President's "face seems to really light up when he begins to talk about the gay agenda."

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Justifiably or not, President Barack Obama's approval rating has apparently not been hurt by a trio of scandals making headlines in the past week.

A new poll from CNN and ORC International found that 53 percent of Americans approve of the job Obama is doing, while 45 percent disapprove.

This number remains virtually unchanged from polls taken before the AP and IRS scandals hit and the Benghazi scandal reemerged due to hearings.

A CNN poll taken in early April showed Obama's approval rating at 51 percent. A Gallup poll taken in early May showed him hovering at 50 percent.

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Tommy Chong wants to legalize marijuana. Knock us over with a feather.

The comedian feels that pot hasn't been legalized is no laughing matter.

With the government standing to earn money off it, what's the holdup?

Chong tells The Philadelphia Daily News in an interview:

"Look at the situation we're in now. Sequesters. Cuts. Everything across the board. Now, the government is tapped into the biggest cash crop in the world."

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The Boston University College Republicans' news whites-only scholarship has sparked national attention, debate, and in some cases outrage.

The group's president admits his goal in establishing a $250 Caucasian Achievement and Recognition Scholarship was to kick the proverbial hornets' nest.

Mission accomplished, and then some.

"To tell you the truth, we didn't see this coming," Joe Mroszczyk said. "The Drudge Report picked it up yesterday, and today I just finished a round of national interviews."

"It's kind of overwhelming."

Applicants for the group's award must have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher; must write two essays; and must be at least one-quarter Caucasian.

The application offers an explanation: "We believe that racial preferences in all their forms are perhaps the worst form of bigotry confronting America today."

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President Barack Obama finds himself dealing with three separate scandals in a confluence of events that could threaten his second-term agenda.

He was already in damage control mode and trying to dismiss GOP criticism of his administration's handling of September's deadly Benghazi attacks.

Now, the Internal Revenue Service has been under scrutiny for targeting conservative groups - a surprising admission that Obama vocally criticized.

And meanwhile, a third scandal erupted after the Associated Press revealed that the Justice Department had secretly obtained its phone records.

Even the most ardent liberals can't ignore the impact of three potential scandals at once, as Obama's plans for his second term might be in real trouble.

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Minnesota is set to become the 12th U.S. state where gay couples can get married later today. Same-sex marriages will be permitted as of August 1.

Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton has pledged to sign the bill, which passed the state legislature Monday, at a scheduled a ceremony at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Minnesota is now the first state in Midwest to legalize gay marriage by legislative vote, and the third in just 10 days, joining Rhode Island and Delaware.

Thousands of gay marriage supporters thronging the Capitol erupted after the state Senate's 37-30 vote; the House passed it last week on a 75-59 vote.

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A gem of a YouTube video, featuring former Republican House leader and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, is making the online rounds today.

In it, Newt muses about cell phones and the lack of a term for one that's also Internet-enabled, apparently unaware that this is what "smart phone" means.

This has got to be a joke, right? See below:

Newt Gingrich Cell Phone Video

“You probably think it’s a cell phone,” said Gingrich. “But think about it, if it’s taking pictures, it’s not a cell phone. This device, is something new and different!"

"I’ve been calling it a handheld computer."

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Gun violence has actually plunged in the U.S. since its peak in the middle of the 1990s, according to two new studies of government data.

At the same time, a majority of Americans believe it is on the rise.

Gun crime statistics are comprised of murders, assaults, robberies and other crimes, and the Pew Research Center found that they're down overall.

In less than two decades, the gun murder rate has been nearly cut in half, their research suggested, while other gun crimes fell even more sharply.

This parallels a broader drop in violent crimes committed with or without guns, which peaked during the 1990s and has fallen sharply since then.

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Delaware became the 11th U.S. State to legalize same-sex marriage Tuesday following a lengthy debate and a close vote in its legislative body.

A half hour after the 12-9 State Senate vote, Gov. Jack Markell (D) signed the legislation into law on the main stairs in the lobby of Legislative Hall.

Sens. Bethany Hall-Long (D) and Catherine Cloutier (R), the lone GOP yes vote, provided the crucial swing votes in favor of the gay marriage legislation.

Delawareans will be able to enter into same-sex marriages July 1, and existing same-sex civil unions in Delaware can also be converted to marriages.

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