OPTIMISM

Journalist: 2012 will be last year both parties oppose gay marriage

Ana Marie Cox via screenshot

Ana Marie Cox, political columnist for the Guardian, predicted the 2012 elections would mark the last time that both presidential candidates opposed same sex marriage.

RON PAUL REVOLUTION

Ron Paul supporters win over Maine and Nevada convention delegations

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) speaking at CPAC. Photo: Flickr user Gage Skidmore, creative commons licenses.

Texas congressman Ron Paul, who is the sole remaining challenger to presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney, has notched up victories in Nevada and Maine after his supporters won big majorities of their RNC delegates.

INTOLERANCE

Boy convicted of religiously harassing pagan girl

[Pentagram of fire via Shutterstock]

In what appears to be the first case of its kind, a teenager has been convicted of religiously harassing a female pagan who worked at McDonalds.

VOTER INTIMIDATION

Texas Democrats seek to expedite appeal against local tea party group

Kings Street Patriots logo via Facebook

The Texas Democratic Party on Tuesday filed a motion for expedited appeal in its case against the King Street Patriots, a tea party group based in Houston.

JUST SAY YES

Former DNC chair Tim Kaine evasive on same sex marriage

[Image via Billy Hunt, Creative Commons licensed]

Tim Kaine, Virginia Senate candidate and former chair of the Democratic National Convention, danced around the issue of same sex marriage on Tuesday.

FIGHTING LGBT BULLYING

Anti-bullying group barred from Catholic school ceremony

Matthew Shepard Scholars via screenshot

The Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, said Monday that a foundation supportive of LGBT students cannot present a scholarship to a student at one of the Diocese’s schools because the foundation’s mission is “contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church.”

Science

Major overhaul of U.S. life urged to cure obesity: experts

WASHINGTON — Two-thirds of American adults are too fat, and a major overhaul of US…

China probing claims of toxic cabbage

China is investigating claims vegetable sellers are spraying cabbage with harmful formaldehyde to keep it fresh, an official said on…

Long commutes linked to larger waistlines in U.S.

Rock analysis suggests France cave art is ‘oldest’

Tech News

Twitter challenges subpoena seeking user data

NEW YORK — Twitter is challenging a court order to turn over to law enforcement…

Google’s self-driving car licensed in Nevada

The state of Nevada has issued a license plate giving Google’s self-driving car the green…

Media

Marilyn Monroe ‘last’ pics fail to sell

NEW YORK — Nude photos from what is said to have been Marilyn Monroe’s last…

Al-Jazeera closes bureau after China bars reporter

Al-Jazeera said on Tuesday it has shut its English-language bureau in Beijing after Chinese authorities…

World

Air India pilots conduct ‘illegal’ strike

At least 100 pilots from India’s debt-laden national carrier Air India failed to turn up to work on Tuesday in…

British activists say elderly care is ‘chronically underfunded’

Some elderly and disabled people will be condemned to a life of “misery and fear” unless the government acts now…

Australian speaker steps down over sexual harassment allegations

Australian parliamentary Speaker Peter Slipper officially stood aside Tuesday amid sex harassment and travel fraud claims, while proclaiming his innocence…

Huffington Post expands Canada operations

The AOL-owned Huffington Post news website said Tuesday it would expand its Canadian operations with regionally focused editions for Alberta…

U.S. News

North Carolina polling stations report confrontations over Amendment One

The North Carolina election to decide on a state constitution amendment to ban same-sex unions…

Obama challenges Republicans with ‘to do list’

ALBANY, New York — US President Barack Obama opened a new line of attack Tuesday…

George Zimmerman waives right to speedy trial

MIAMI — George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer accused of killing an unarmed black teenager…

U.S. probing cyber attacks on gas pipelines

WASHINGTON — A series of cyber attacks has been targeting US natural gas pipeline operators,…

Republicans wary of socialist win in France

WASHINGTON — Republican US lawmakers gave cautious reaction Tuesday to socialist Francois Hollande’s presidential win…