Politics

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Education Secretary Arne Duncan chimed in Monday in support of federal recognition of same-sex marriage. (Associated Press)

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A watchmaker for Nomos assembles a watch in Glashutte, Germany. At least 50 percent of the timekeeping movement must be made here by hand. The watches sell from $1,315 to $5,000. (Christian Burkert/Special to The Washington Times)

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David Axelrod, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama, speaks during a panel discussion, "2012: The Path to the Presidency", at the University of Chicago in Chicago on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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"We must make certain they do not harm the economy by drowning small business lenders in a sea of red tape," says Rep. Spencer Bachus, Alabama Republican, of the health care law.

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Traders Michael Zicchinolfi (left) and Vincent Quinones keep an eye on prices Monday on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. U.S. stocks were under pressure after angry voters in Greece and France rejected painful budget cuts demanded by international lenders. But investors did not panic about the election news. (Associated Press)

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets Monday with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is trying to keep foreign retailers such as Wal-Mart from entering the market. (Associated Press)

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Candidates - from left, Tom Barrett, Kathleen Falk, Doug La Follette and Kathleen Vinehout - wait before the start of a live debate between Democratic candidates for Wisconsin governor at the Wisconsin Public Television studio in Madison, Wis., on Friday. The Democratic front-runners vying for a chance to take on Republican Gov. Scott Walker in a June recall election bashed the governor during the debate, accusing him of failing to create jobs and dividing the state along ideological lines. (Associated Press)

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Vladimir Putin enters St. Andrew's Hall on Monday to take the oath of office as Russia's president in the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow. Mr. Putin was sworn in for a third term after four years as prime minister. (Associated Press)

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Sudanese President Omar Bashir is condemned by South Sudan's chief negotiator as not a man of peace. “He is a warmonger and a racist, and someone who is calling for genocide.” (Associated Press)

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Sen. Spencer Bachus, Alabama Republican, warns of a "sea of red tape" associated with the Dodd-Franks Act. (Image from Rep. Spencer Bachus)

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Passengers line up to check with customs officials before departing in 2010 from Jose Marti International Airport in Havana. A TV screen shows Cuba's revoluntionary leader Fidel Castro during an interview. Cuba's communist government is rumored to be on the verge of a momentous decision to end a half-century of travel restrictions. (Associated Press)

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In this Friday, April 3, 2009 file photo, people wait for relatives arriving from the U.S. outside the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba. Cuba's government appears on the verge of a momentous decision that could end a half-century of travel restrictions that make it difficult to leave the Communist-run island, even for vacation. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano, File)

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ABC News and Univision announce plans to start and English-language news network aimed at Latinos who prefer to get their news in English. Making the announcement Monday in New York are (from left) ABC News President Ben Sherwood, Univision Networks President Cesar Conde and Univision News President Isaac Lee. (ABC via Associated Press)