Big fertilizer plant explosion in Waco, Texas. More soon.

Late Update: Incredible, horrifying video of the explosion.

Late Update, 11:27: Details on the explosion here.

Rubio rushes to stave off a conservative backlash over the Gang of 8 immigration bill and tamp down the right wing rumor mill.

The demise of expanded background check legislation in the Senate today will be especially disappointing to gun control advocates who also backed strong filibuster reforms earlier this year. But the filibuster is what it is, and now that the Manchin-Toomey amendment is dead, it’s especially crucial that reporters covering the story accurately characterize what happened.

Of course, that’s always important. But as in any story some facts are more central to the plot than others. Tonight, I’m seeing a lot of early reports to the effect that the Senate has rejected the background check amendment. That’s not false, but it is highly obfuscatory. Read More