Since 1911, boys who have joined the Boy Scouts of America have taken this vow: “On my honor, I promise to do my duty to God and my country; to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.”

It’s no wonder it took so long. The bipartisan immigration bill introduced this week in the Senate is a hefty, voluminous achievement.

So the Senate has decided that no federal response is needed to the massacre in Newtown — none at all. No wonder President Barack Obama, standing with former Rep. Gabby Giffords and families of the Newtown victims in the Rose Garden, was visibly angry as he called Wednesday a “shameful day for Washington” and called out the gun lobby for lying about gun safety legislation.

Commenting on the horrific explosions in Boston, President Barack Obama insisted Tuesday that “the American people refuse to be terrorized.”

Prosecutors have rebuffed an offer by James E. Holmes, the accused killer of 12 people in a movie theater rampage in Aurora, Colo., last year, to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of life in prison.

Defense Secretary Charles Hagel hasn’t held his job very long, but he’s already proved he can listen.

When the U.S. Postal Service announced in February that it would end Saturday mail delivery this summer, most Americans reacted with a mixture of wistfulness and resignation. Yes, it was sad that the mail carrier wouldn’t be dropping off letters on Saturday anymore, but scaling back to five days was a necessary concession to the agency’s financial problems and a reflection of changes in communication wrought by the Internet.

When we think about cyberattacks, it’s easy conjure up images of a massive intelligence agency plotting to disable missile systems or shut down the electric grid.

Another week and more tough talk from North Korea is likely.

A recent article by The Associated Press focuses on the Obama administration’s efforts to control the imagery and information flowing out of Washington, highlighting the benefits and pitfalls.