Columbia University is petitioning to change one of their graduate school fellowships that is currently whites-only. The Lydia C. Roberts graduate fellowship stipulates that the recipient must be Caucasian and must be from Iowa. The scholarship was established in 1920, but hasn't been awarded since 1997. The Ivy League school is currently asking the courts to allow a change of the scholarship's whites-only requirement, presumably so they can continue awarding the scholarship, this time with a clear conscience.

Even before he stepped into the spotlight during Hurricane Sandy and made headlines for -- gasp! -- befriending President Obama, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been buzzed about as a potential presidential contender for the Republican ticket in 2016. Given the magnitude of buzz, it's hard not to envision Christie vs. Hillary Clinton when thinking about who may be running three years from now. But many have been clucking for a while now that there's no way Christie can become POTUS, given his own "magnitude."

Enter a possible gamechanger and proof he's totally in it to win the White House: He secretly underwent lap-band stomach surgery, the governor revealed to The New York Post last night. He says he did it at the urging of family and friends after his 50th birthday last September. In other words, he's not saying trying to lose weight has anything to do with a presidential campaign, but pfft, come on!

It's never been a mystery what side of the gun control debate Sarah Palin lands on. She's made no secret of her family's love of hunting; her daughters gave her a pink handgun for her birthday; and perhaps most telling, her son Trigg's nickname is Trigger. So she was the perfect person to fire up the ammo-loving crowd at the NRA convention in Houston, Texas today. Sporting a pink lettered "Women Hunt" tee, she quoted Shakespeare (yes, the playwright) and Margaret Thatcher. Was that unexpected? You betcha!

Now historically, I have not been much of a fan of the one-time Alaskan governor, but her impassioned rant -- however misguided many may think it is -- just may have been one of her best. Check out Palin's 8 most inspirational quotes from the NRA convention.

Last time we heard from Anthony Weiner, he was sexting up a storm with dozens of women, none of whom was his pregnant wife Huma Abedin. The scandal forced Weiner to resign from his position as New York Congressman. I can honestly say I've never been so disappointed in a politician. Well, except maybe Eliot Spitzer. And Bill Clinton. I'm sure there's some I'm forgetting. That said, Weiner is now reportedly thinking of running for mayor of New York City. If not for the scandal, I can honestly say I would vote for him. But now. I don't know. Can I forgive? Can all of us forgive?

Despite their party's official stance on the issue, more and more Republicans have been coming out of the woodwork to say they support marriage equality. And now, Ronald Reagan's daughter, Patti Davis, is saying her father, the 20th century president the GOP seems to revere more than any other, would have been a-okay with gay marriage, too. Huh?! 

Well, as counterintuitive as it sounds that Reagan and modern day Republicans should be on the side of same-sex couples', it really does makes perfect sense. That is, if you consider some conservatives' Libertarian views that government oughta keep its nose out of Americans' personal business. But the political rationale is just one of the reasons Davis says her dad would have been cool with the legalization of same-sex marriage.

To say that "marriage equality" is the phrase of the week is an understatement. For those of you out of the loop, yesterday the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in cases that could dramatically change how the country treats marriage. Specifically, gay marriage.

Today oral arguments will be heard about the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as something between a man and a woman. Because of DOMA, same-sex couples who live in states where their marriage is legally recognized can't benefit from the loads of marriage protections under federal law. Marriage protections like spousal benefits under Social Security or the ability to file joint taxes, for starters.

Well, people are camped out everywhere protesting, speaking out, wanting everyone to hear their message. Whether or not you're for marriage equality, there's no denying that these activists sure are creative. Check our 6 favorite marriage equality signs from the Supreme Court rallies:

When it comes to abortion laws, there's absolutely no consensus on what we all as Americans feel is appropriate. But in Arkansas this week, state lawmakers have decided they know what's best -- passing a law that prohibits abortion at 12 weeks of pregnancy, which is when a fetal heartbeat can typically be detected by an abdominal ultrasound. Even after Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat, called it "blatantly unconstitutional" and vetoed it. Now the state has what will be by far the country's most restrictive ban on abortion.

To be fair, it's a very hazy issue on which even people who consider themselves pro-choice find themselves grappling with. When should it simply be just too late to terminate a pregnancy? I'd argue that 12 weeks is far too early. Fetal heartbeat or not, there is a need for abortions to be legal that "late in the game."

Hold the presses! This conservative Republican chick agrees with John Kerry about something. While addressing a group of students in Berlin, the Secretary of State said that in America, “you have a right to be stupid if you want to be.”

That’s completely true. In the land of the free and the home of the brave, we protect people’s right to say the dumbest stuff ever. Thank goodness for our politicians, because sometimes they really should think before they speak.

In honor of John Kerry, here’s a list of some dumb things that our elected officials have said recently: