ONE...
Obama demands new rules
to allow same-sex couples to make medical decisions for each other and be
granted hospital visiting rights.
It's
hard to believe, but gay partners can be banned from hospital visits because
they aren't legally family. Problem is, if you're gay, you're not legally
allowed to marry in 45 of 50 states, and thus may be banned even if you wanted
to make your union legal.
So
Obama asked the
health secretary to change the rules. (Here's a good example of the challenges gay couples face
in hospitals.)
TWO...
Tea Partiers rallied on Tax Day to protest,
well, taxes; poll finds them wealthier than the average American.
Eighteen
percent of Americans identify themselves as part of the Tea Party movement,
which was out
in full force across the country on Thursday.
According
the poll:
37%
are college educated (vs 25% overall)
75%
are older than 45
89%
are white
59%
are male
36%
are Southerners
39%
are "very conservative"
See
the poll here.
THREE...
Lots
of nuclear talk...
Forty-seven
nations convened in Washington
for a Nuclear Summit and discussed ways to keep nuclear arms
away from "non-state" actors--groups like al Qaeda. May be
easier said than done as these groups bleed across borders and operate very
differently than organized countries.
The big six—France, Germany,
Russia, United States, China
and Britain—separately discussed a possible fourth
round of sanctions on Iran over their
nuclear aspirations.
A FEW + ONE...(on the lighter side)
Competition is fierce ahead of the Kentucky
Derby on May 1.
How
much a horse earns determines if it gets one of the 20 spots in the Derby.
Last year the lowest-ranked horse earned just $55,000. This year the low
guy has made over
$200,000, meaning it's a competitive field. Lookin at Lucky has earned
the most--$1.5 million in his three short years.
Alas,
it's an all boy's race this year. Makes us long for Rachel
Alexandra.
