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In Case You Missed It - The week's hot topic was gun control versus gun owners' rights. The NRA offered a plan to arm school officials, President Obama urged lawmakers to stand up for common-sense gun control measures, a New York lawmaker received death threats for doing just that – and more. – By Joyce Jones

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The NRA Has a Plan - A National Rifle Association-funded task force released a 225-page plan on April 2 to calls for armed police officers, security guards or staff members in the nation's schools. It also calls for states to change laws to allow certain teachers and administrators to carry firearms. A dozen plain-clothes and uniformed officers as well as a bomb-sniffing Labrador retriever stood by as former Republican congressman Asa Hutchinson unveiled the report at a Washington press conference. (Photo: AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

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Not Backing Down - The New York City office of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney has received threatening calls related to a legislation she's introduced that would require gun owners to carry liability insurance like car owners do. “They said they were going to kill me,” she told the New York Post. Maloney found the calls unsettling, but is determined to move forward. “A gun is more dangerous than a car,” she said.  (Photo: EPA/MIKE THEILER /Landov)

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All Ears - Obama participated in a roundtable discussion at the Denver Police Academy, which focused on three gun control bills recently passed in Colorado. "Really what I want to do is listen and hear from all of you, having gone through the process here in Colorado, how you think we can best frame some of these issues," the president said.(Photo: AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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Safety First? - Lawmakers take note. A Marist poll published April 3 found that 53 percent of Americans believe that controlling gun violence trumps protecting gun rights, up from 49 percent. Broken down by party, gun control is more important to 77 percent of Democrats and 34 percent of Americans. In addition, 63 percent of gun owners say it’s more important to protect their rights. (Photo: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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Taking a Stand - Connecticut is one state that can never be accused of forgetting the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. A wide-ranging, bipartisan bill is headed to the governor's desk that includes a ban on large-capacity magazines and more than 100 previously legal firearms, expands the state's assault weapons ban and requires background checks for the sale of all firearms. (Photo: AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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Politically Incorrect? - A Twitter debate and flurry of blogs ensued after Obama called California Attorney General Kamala Harris "by far the best looking attorney general," at an April 4 fundraising event. He also said she's both brilliant and tough, but one person predicted the president would be sleeping on the Lincoln Bedroom couch that night. A few hours later, the president called Harris to apologize for creating a distraction. (Photos from left: Jerod Harris/Getty Images for TheWrap, John Gurzinski/Getty Images)

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Odd Couple - Former Republican House speaker and failed 2012 presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is crafting his own plan to bring GOP House members to African-American districts. According to a Politico report, Gingrich has discussed it with Congressional Black Caucus chair Rep. Marcia Fudge and Univision has agreed to host town hall visits to the districts. (Photo: Pete Marovich/Getty Images)

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Giving Back - Although Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was the first to offer to give a portion of his salary back to the treasury, Obama's announcement that he will do the same is starting a trend. Add to the list Secretary of State John Kerry, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who will give a portion of their salaries to charity. Attorney General Eric Holder said he will give back some of his pay if the Justice Department has to furlough employees.(Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Lost - After Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe rejected a voter ID bill, calling it "an expensive solution in search of a problem," Arkansas legislators voted to override the veto. "He made his case as to why he thought it wasn't going to be good for Arkansas, but they have the final say and they've had that say," said Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample.(Photo: UPI/Brian Kersey /LANDOV)

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Stay in Your Lane - Neurosurgeon Ben Carson has been under fire for remarks that seemed to link gay marriage to bestiality and pedophilia. Fox News host Sean Hannity and Carson believe that Black conservatives are too harshly criticized. But civil rights attorney Leo Terrell has a different view. “Sean Hannity, you created a monster. Ben Carson, you’re a doctor. You’re not a politician,” he said in a heated exchange with Hannity, adding that Carson has ruined his name.(Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for The Jackie Robinson Foundation)

Photo By Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for The Jackie Robinson Foundation

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People Say the Stupidest Things - After MSNBC announced it has added Karen Finney, an African-American political analyst, to its weekend lineup, Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the conservative Media Research Center, tweeted this: "MSNBC touting Karen Finney as another African-American host. Would the average viewer be able to guess that? Or is Boehner a shade more tan?" (Photo: FOX News)

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No Crime, but Punishment - A new bill sponsored by two Tennessee state lawmakers would reduce by 20 percent welfare payments made to parents or guardians of TANF recipients who don't get satisfactory grades in math, reading or language arts. “It’s just one more way to punish families who have fallen on hard times,” said state Rep. Gloria Johnson. “I don’t believe for a second this will do anything to improve a child’s education."   (Photo: Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/ MCT /LANDOV)

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Sequester Bites - The White House announced that 480 staffers have learned they will have to take unpaid days off because of the sequester. “As the impact of the sequester progresses, furlough and pay cuts remain possibilities – or additional furloughs as well as pay cuts remain possibilities for additional White House employees,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on April 1.(Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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Busted - Even though New York City Republicans are kind of hard up for a mayoral candidate, state Sen. Malcolm Smith, a Democrat, thought it would be a good idea to pay a "pretty penny" to bribe his way onto the GOP ballot. After an FBI sting operation that led to his arrest on April 2, the Black lawmaker is probably now wishing he'd hatched a more sensible plan. (Photo: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images)

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An American Agenda - As the nation prepares for another jobs report, a new Marist poll released April 3, finds that 64 percent of Americans want Obama and Congress to make job creation their top priority. That includes 76 percent of Democrats, 60 percent of independents and 46 percent of Republicans.(Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)