The Hill Articles: April 29, 2013

Obama phones Jason Collins, offers support after athlete admits he’s gay Treasury lawyer to become chief of staff Markey heavily favored among Dems in Massachusetts Senate primary Printers to Obama: Please regulate our cleaning rags Healthcare experts propose $1 trillion in savings House GOP demands details on Energy Department loan guarantees VA withholding bonuses over claims backlog Report: Rand Paul to endorse Mark Sanford Justice Breyer released from hospital Internet lobby vows ‘wiretap mandate’ will be ‘dead on arrival’ in Congress Senators tell energy market cops: End turf battles Hagel, White House assess Syrian chemical weapons use Bipartisan group calls for broader religious exemptions in ObamaCare Ron Paul: Police response to Boston bombing as frightening as attack DAY’S END ROUNDUP GAO: EPA’s toxic chemical program needs guidance Ending global poverty dependent on employment based growth Sebelius gets new chief of staff Obama taps Charlotte mayor for Transportation chief Grassley: Congress needs to ‘rein in’ political intelligence industry Poll: Public blames Obama, GOP equally for sequester flight delays Obama praises LaHood as ‘maybe the best secretary of transportation’ in U.S. history Obama shares Syria chemical weapons ‘concerns’ with Russia’s Putin Survey: Some public support for US military action in Syria McConnell responds to Obama jab with tweet Sen. Rockefeller: Foxx DOT nomination will move ‘as soon as possible’ Sen. Cruz: GOP colleagues ‘yelling’ at us for filibuster threat LaHood: Car fuel efficiency standards part of Obama ‘legacy’ Treasury to pay down debt for first time since Obama took office State: Our Benghazi probe ‘should be enough’ for Congress Report: Karzai admits CIA payouts for past decade Radio and TV correspondents’ dinner to have Mardi Gras theme Hagel: No rush to judgment on Syria’s chemical weapons Final foreclosure payments set to start going out on Friday Dem seeks constitutional amendment protecting school prayer Dem Rep. Maloney: Tougher gun control could prevent future terror attack Hospitals twist prescription assistance program for their own benefit Transit, bicycle groups see win in Foxx appointment as next DOT secretary Carney defends diversity of Obama’s Cabinet Pediatricians to push for gun control on Capitol Hill Obama taps Charlotte Mayor Foxx for secretary of Transportation Administration limits mining on renewable energy sites Obama keeps the jokes coming in first post-dinner speech Club for Growth, Norquist warn of tax hikes from chained CPI Rep. Amash: Ron, Rand Paul not pressuring me against Senate run Restricting Lifeline program funding won’t make it more efficient McConnell calls on Congress to stop ‘EPA’s attack’ on coal White House: No deadline for analysis of Syrian use of chemical weapons ‘Top Chef’ cast creates politically inspired dishes for post Correspondents’ meal Capitol Police clear suspicious substance in Rep. Meeks’s office Schumer touts bill to restrict painkillers Consumer bureau changes credit card rules to help stay-at-home spouses White House ‘commends’ Jason Collins for becoming first openly gay NBA player Feds targeting ‘persons of interest’ inside US in Boston bombing case A new Social Security formula Sprint to talk with Dish about bid Rubio immigration plan seeks improvement, momentum Poll: Markey leads Lynch in ‘bellwether’ towns Sources: Gary Peters to announce Michigan Senate bid Wednesday Supreme Court won’t hear Alabama immigration law Boxer faces opposition to her water bill from environmentalists Administration proposes increasing hospital Medicare payments Watchdog buys ads on DC buses to argue against milk industry First lady unveils program to help veterans find tech jobs The sequestration diet McCain, Coburn press Hagel on Pentagon ‘duplication’ Israel takes pressure off Obama to act on ‘red line’ for Syria NBA center Collins credits lawmaker’s Gay Pride march in coming out Making soda (not quite) a health food Former members of Congress to hear week of testimony about space aliens Former boxer Mike Tyson hopes ObamaCare saves his family money Report: Obama signature on FAA bill held up by spelling error WATCH LIVE: Obama announces nomination for Transportation secretary O’Connor worries Supreme Court was wrong to rule in Bush v. Gore Dem resolution warns climate change could push women to ‘transactional sex’ US and UN working towards global solutions on polio Senators take polling hit after voting against background checks bill Ford lobbying on Keystone pipeline Shining a light on Israel’s military detention abuses US: Iran oil exports hit 26-year low Bipartisan bill would ease prison overcrowding Tuesday’s meeting announcements: How to make do with less Netanyahu bars Israeli MK Feiglin from Temple Mount Pending home sales hit three-year high in March Correspondents’ dinner guest Katy Perry brunches in DC Man charged with sending ricin letters to appear in federal court New regs for Tuesday: Collecting cotton markets’ information Rep. Grimm: Sandy recovery ‘just starting’ Report: Cuomo won’t run if Clinton does Members look to ease federal rules that protect destructive birds News bites: Regulators worry about social media’s impact on markets News bites: Sick of cuts NRCC hits ex-Rep. Joe Baca with Web ad News bites: Nurses lobby for better wages as rules stall News bites: Keep it coming Black turnout passed white voters for first time in 2012 election Christie: No regrets for clashing with GOP over Sandy relief efforts Trump: Obama should ‘stay out’ of Syria News bites: EPA revises fracking methane leaks downward Poll: Two-thirds wanted Senate to pass background check bill Dems push gun control agenda in DC, but not in battleground states The five strangest moments of Sanford’s House campaign Opinion: Shifting demographics change face of politics in Washington, beyond