The White House held its annual Tribal Nations Conference yesterday at the Department of Interior in Washington, D.C. The President welcomed representatives from 566 federally recognized tribes to address concerns specific to America’s native communities.

Today is the first day that same-sex couples are allowed to get married in the state of Washington.  The legislation permitting same-sex marriage was passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Chris Gregoire on February 13, 2012, but it was stayed pending a vote of the people.  In every instance of same-sex marriage going to the vote of the people, it had been voted down.  But the general election of 2012 would turn out to be more interesting than all the years prior.