Dead at 92: Robert Byrd, the longest-serving U.S. Senator ever.

Supreme Court: Says the Second Amendment applies locally, meaning a Chicago suburb's gun ban, for example, is in trouble.

Consumer spending: Up by .02 percent.

Krugman: "We are now, I fear, in the early stages of a third depression."

Obama: Threatening to call the Republicans' bluff on deficit reduction.

The Kagan confirmation hearings: Starting today.

Tropical Storm Alex: Not heading for the Gulf oil spill area.

Suzan DelBene: Running on the economy in her campaign against eastside Republican Dave Reichtert, and putting in $500,000 of her own money so far.

A phone call from Ken Hutcherson: In which he said "90 percent of homosexuals don’t want to know the truth about your lifestyle"—and, after which, his associate clarified his position on God, gays, and rainbows.

What, exactly, do the homosexuals of Seattle really need? The city wants to know, and has put out a 10-minute online survey in an attempt to figure it out.

And re: the above two items, one more time: