President Obama is just a sliver ahead of Mitt Romney, his assumed challenger, in a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released Tuesday night. The poll puts President Obama at 47 percent, just four points ahead of Romney, at 43 percent. “Obama’s chances for reelection ... are no better than 50-50,” said Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who helped conduct the poll. The same poll had Obama with a 49 percent to 43 percent last month, and respondents’ lack of confidence in the economy seem to give Romney a chance to move up further. Just 33 percent of those polled think the economy will get better in the next year, compared with 40 percent who thought that in April.

Egyptians will be heading to the polls on Wednesday to vote for a new president, marking the final phase that began when Tahrir Square protesters helped oust Hosni Mubarak at the beginning of the Arab Spring. Since then, the nation, with a foundering economy, has had bumps with a military ruling council, which took over in the wake of the upheaval. The election pits Islamist against secularists and—for the first time in decades—is not predetermined. The candidates are competing to take over a country with difficult security issues, a great deal of divisiveness following the protests, and continuous claims of bribery. Voting will occur in more than 13,000 locations and last for two days.

Facebook stock has been backsliding since the initial public offering last week, and now we may know why. It appears that less than 72 hours before the company went public CFO David Ebersman decided to increase the number of shares that would be offered by 25 percent after officials at Morgan Stanley assured the company that there would be plenty of demand. The stock was initially priced at $38 a share, but fell to $31 after trading on Tuesday. Still, in most respects, the IPO was a success, raising $16 billion for Facebook, which has been valued at $104 billion. Sources revealed Tuesday, however, that price slashing went on prior to the IPO, sparking regulator interest in the instance, which could face a more thorough federal probe.

Four Secret Service members who were dismissed following the Colombia prostitute scandal are planning to fight the decision to strip them of their jobs. The agents are set to argue that the agency is making them scapegoats for behavior they say the Secret Service has long tolerated. Director Mark Sullivan will testify in front of a Senate committee Wednesday, his first public address of the scandal. The agents claim that the story presented by the media that a group of men went searching for prostitutes is not true, and that some of them went out separately, bringing back women they did not think would charge them money for sex. Agents claim that the "Secret Circus"—a self-mocking nickname—operates under a “what happens on the road, stays on the road” practice.

A US Airways flight from Paris to Charlotte, N.C., was diverted to Bangor, Maine, due to a “security issue,” the airline confirmed Tuesday. Flight 787 was reportedly re-routed after a female passenger told the crew she had a surgically implanted device. The plane, carrying 188 passengers, was escorted by a military aircraft to Bangor. "out of abundance of caution" a federal official said. There was no immediate indication that the device was a bomb, though the woman was arrested and taken in for questioning, Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said.

It was a tough day in Kentucky for President Obama, as “Uncommitted” on the Democratic primary ballot registered 42 percent of the vote. While Obama won the primary with nearly 58 percent of the vote, the seemingly close race is another PR hurdle for his team to overcome as nearly 87,000 Kentucky voters appeared to voice their frustration with the incumbent. Meanwhile, the Republican primary was less contested, with presumptive nominee Mitt Romney beating Ron Paul by 55 points. The win, along with a victory in Arkansas, pushes Romney to 1,024 of the 1,144 needed delegates to officially capture the Republican nomination.

Will this lead to another showdown between the U.S. and North Korea? Satellite imagery shows North Korea is revamping its old rocket-launch site to accommodate larger rockets, a U.S. institute claimed on Tuesday. North Korea threatened to push ahead with its nuclear program despite pressure from the international community to halt nuclear testing, after the U.N. condemned its failed rocket launch in mid-April. The U.S. and other nations have expressed concern that North Korea is expanding its rocket program so that its missiles will be able to carry nuclear weapons. North Korea shot back at U.S. attempts to ratchet up sanctions on its nuclear program, claiming they have “no option but to take countermeasures for self-defense.”

Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno will get a state pension of $13.4 million for his 61-year career at the state’s flagship university. Paterno resigned in disgrace in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sex-abuse scandal just months before his death in January. His family said in a statement that Paterno’s widow, Sue, will receive an initial payment of $10 million, and the rest will be paid in the future. They will also donate $1.5 million to Penn State–related charities.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation threatened legal action Tuesday after an online auctioneer put what is purportedly a vial of the deceased president’s blood on the auction block. “If indeed this story is true, it’s a craven act and we will use every legal means to stop its sale or purchase,” said John Heubusch, the foundation’s executive director, in a statement. The vial’s seller claims that the blood sample in the test tube was taken at George Washington University Hospital after John Hinckley fired half a dozen shots at Reagan in March 1981 outside the Washington Hilton. In a letter, the seller claims that his mother worked with a company that contracted to do blood work for the hospital. Bidding online for the vial reached $14,500 Tuesday with two days to go in the auction.

Can you show us that touchdown dance, Donald? Donald Driver, the NFL star on the Green Bay Packers, surprised many Dancing With the Stars fans Tuesday night when he capped an incredible run to the show’s title for Season 14. Driver and partner Peta Murgatroyd beat out British singer Katherine Jenkins and model/actor William Levy in the show’s finale. Driver did his final dance of the season shirtless, he and Murgatroyd scoring three perfect 10s for their cha-cha. “This is awesome!” Driver said after the win. Jenkins and Levy scored triple perfect scores as well, meaning fan votes for Driver pushed the wide receiver into the winner’s circle.

The beloved novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, is said to be headed for Hollywood’s silver screen, with Zach Galifianakis set to star as Reilly. The film will reportedly be directed by Muppets director James Bobin and is being produced by Scott Rudin and financed by Paramount Pictures. The movie is said to be headed to New Orleans for shooting. The news comes 30 years after John Belushi was tapped to play the role before dying of a drug overdose. Attempts in 1994, 1997, and 2007 all fell flat, as well.

Rep. James Clyburn claimed that Mitt Romney was involved in “raping companies” while at Bain Capital. The House’s No. 3 Democrat sounded off on MSNBC on Tuesday, saying, “This is not an attack on free enterprise. I don’t take contributions from payday lenders. I refuse to do that ... And there’s something about raping companies and leaving them in debt and setting up Swiss bank accounts and corporate businesses in the Grand Caymans. I have a real serious problem with that.” Clyburn’s spokesman said that the term was “a synonym for rob or plunder.” But an Obama campaign spokeswoman said that they “strongly” disagree with Clyburn’s “choice of words.”

President Obama and Mitt Romney are in a statistical dead heat over the economy, the issue that Americans said they care about most ahead of the November elections, a new Washington Post/ABC News poll found on Tuesday. According to the poll, 49 percent would lean toward Obama and 46 percent for Romney if the election were held tomorrow—but the two candidates were tied when it came to the economy. More than eight in 10 Americans still rate the economy negatively, but 54 percent of Americans say they are more hopeful than anxious about the situation over the next few years. But there is still trouble for Obama on the economy: 30 percent of Americans say they are worse off financially than in January 2009, when he took office, and only 16 percent say they are better off.

The body of a Chinese climber was spotted Tuesday on Mount Everest, not far from where the bodies of three other climbers were found over the weekend. A Nepalese guide who had been reported missing returned to the base camp, Nepali officials said, but a Chinese national is still missing. The body of Ha Wenyi, 55, was found near the top of the 8,848-meter peak where the bodies of Nepali-born Canadian Shriya Shah, 32, German Eberhard Schaaf, 61, and Song Won-bin, 44, of South Korea, were found. The climbers were returning after reaching the top of Mount Everest, and Nepali officials said the high number of climbers—150 climbers reached the summit over the weekend—could have contributed to the deaths.

Sources disclosed Monday that veteran U.S. diplomat Ryan Crocker is expected to step down from his position as special envoy to Afghanistan as early as this month. President Obama addressed the withdrawal of U.S. forces in the war-torn country Monday to close the NATO summit, saying that “real challenges” remain through much of the region. Crocker is said to be widely respected for his work in Kabul and the reason for his departure was not immediately clear. The president is reportedly considering Deputy Ambassador James Cunningham as Crocker’s replacement. Crocker came out of retirement in July 2011 to fill the post and participated in NATO summit talks about the country’s future.

It unseated Firefox last December for second place, and now Google’s Chrome has surpassed Internet Explorer to become the most-used Web browser worldwide. Between May 14 and May 20, Chrome logged the most hours of surfing, beating Internet Explorer for the first time. Apple’s Safari placed a distant third. Internet Explorer still dominates in the U.S., but new users in India and South America propelled Chrome’s rise to the top.

Lawyers on both sides of the Dharun Ravi case announced they would appeal the sentence handed down for the ex-Rutgers student Monday. Lead prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said the 30-day jail term that Ravi was given was insufficient. Meanwhile, the defense called Ravi's conviction an error. Ravi was found guilty on counts including bias intimidation and witness tampering after the suicide of Tyler Clementi in 2010, and was sentenced to thirty days in prison by a New Jersey court. The death of 18-year-old Clementi became a national issue, sparking conversation about bullying and whether Ravi intentionally humiliated Clementi for his homosexuality. Ravi, a native of India, was studying at New Jersey’s Rutgers University at the time of the suicide, and could have faced deportation as part of his sentence.

Eight people were shot Monday night just blocks away from Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena, where the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers to advance to the next round of the NBA playoffs. Police said the shootings occurred as thousands of people were exiting the arena around 11:35 p.m. Of the victims, one is in critical condition and seven suffered non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said. Additionally, a woman was injured when she was punched and kicked in the crowded streets.

At least 25 people were killed and dozens more injured early Tuesday in southern India after a passenger train rammed into a freight train. The vehicles caught fire as rescue workers tried to pull out survivors. Around 70 people were rescued from the wreckage in the six hours after the crash, and at least 40 people were hospitalized with injuries and 10 in critical condition. The first passenger car caught fire, and the 16 people on-board burned to death. Firefighters and police put out the flames within three hours. Officials said they are still working on identifying the bodies and are investigating whether the driver of the passenger train missed a signal or if the signal malfunctioned.

Newark mayor Cory Booker said Monday night that he is “very upset” that he is being “used” by the Republican party after they launched a “Stand With Cory Booker” campaign, as he also tried to back off his earlier statements attacking a key Democratic Party strategy. On Sunday’s Meet the Press, Booker said he found Democratic attacks on Mitt Romney’s time at Bain Capital “nauseating,” although he also called for Republicans to stop “using Jeremiah Wright,” President Obama’s former pastor. By Monday, Booker was quick to point out all the issues on which he has agreed with Obama, and Booker said Republicans have never been “willing to stand with me in places like Newark, New Jersey, Camden, New Jersey, Paterson—places that often the GOP seems to want to imagine don’t exist.”

The gentleman from Georgia’s work as a “historian” represented only part of his income between his time as Speaker of the House and his recent run for the Republican presidential nomination. But now, the conglomeration of Newt Gingrich-led companies that drew in $110 million for the former Speaker over the last ten years are hard up for cash, with bankruptcy proceedings under way in Atlanta that may take a substantial chunk out of Gingrich’s personal worth. Newt sold his stake in the Center for Health Transformation last May, but payments promised him may go unpaid as the company enters its final throes. It’s bad news for Gingrich, who closed out his failed campaign shouldering close to $5 million in debt.

An official trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master was released Monday, giving a sneak peek into the long-awaited film that has been dubbed Anderson’s “Scientology movie.” The film is supposed to look at the origins of Scientology, but the trailer mainly features star Joaquin Phoenix being zonked out and grilled by a naval officer about his misbehavior. In earlier press reports, Phoenix has been listed as playing disciple to Philip Seymour Hoffman’s religious leader, but the trailer mainly featured Phoenix. Amy Adams and Laura Dern co-star in the film, which is scheduled to open Oct. 12.

Ronald Reagan’s foundation said Monday that a German company’s plan to auction a vial of the late president’s blood is a “craven act,” and they pledged to use “every legal means” to prevent the sale. PFC Auctions, a company based in Britain, announced Sunday that it will sell a vial of the blood obtained from George Washington Hospital in Washington, D.C., after Reagan was shot in 1981. PFC’s website said the latest online bid for the vial stood at £6,270, or $9,910. The seller said he or she had contacted the Reagan Library months ago but had been told that his family would like the vial given to them. The seller said in a statement that “I was a real fan of Reaganomics and felt that President Reagan himself would rather see me sell it rather than donating it.”

This is not the way anyone likes to debut. Facebook shares fell 7 percent at the opening of the market on Tuesday. Facebook debuted on the market on Friday at $42 a share, slightly above its initial public offering of $38 a share and finished the day at just $42.23 and then tumbled 11 percent on Monday. Meanwhile, the top regulator at the Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday the problems surrounding Facebook’s IPO should be reviewed. Reuters reported Tuesday that Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter on the social network’s IPO, unexpectedly dealt Facebook a negative outlook just before it went public on Friday—a huge shock to many, as the company’s IPO had been touted as a sure deal.

Renting is apparently overrated. Sales of U.S. homes rose in April for the first time in three months in a clear sign that the housing market is stabilizing. The jump in sales is attributed to employment gains (115,000 jobs in the month of April alone) and record-low mortgage rates, which are spurring buyer confidence and in turn eliminating what was once a major weakness in the U.S. economy. However, the recovery will be gradual as foreclosure reductions are just now beginning to take root. There are also signs that home prices may stabilize.

A man survived the 180-foot plunge into Niagara Falls on Monday, becoming only the fourth person to live through the jump without any protective gear. The man, who has not been identified and is believed to be around 40 years old, reportedly climbed over a retaining wall above the Canadian Horeshoe Falls before jumping into the Niagara River and being swept into the falls. He was eventually pulled to safety on the Canadian side of the river and has sustained several serious injuries, including a collapsed lung and broken bones. Authorities said the man willingly jumped into the water, but they did not say whether they believed it was a suicide attempt; officials said they see one to two suicide attempts per week.

It’s official: Dragon has launched. The private, unmanned space shuttle built by a California’s SpaceX successfully launched early Tuesday morning from Cape Canaveral, Fla.—the first mission by a spacecraft not commissioned by the government. The Dragon capsule blasted atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, and the space station was flying 249 miles above the north Atlantic Ocean as the rocket lifted off, NASA officials said. If the mission is a success, it represents a potential new stage in American space exploration: NASA hopes low-Earth orbits will be privately funded, allowing the space agency to focus on new spacecraft and missions to Mars, as well as asteroids and the moon.

Just when it seemed like things couldn’t get worse in Facebook’s new world of public trading—they did. As Facebook shares tumbled Tuesday, an investor sued the Nasdaq OMZ Group, which hosts the stock, claiming that the exchange operator was negligent in handling orders on Friday during the company’s first day of trading, causing losses for investors. Phillip Goldberg is seeking a class-action suit on behalf of all investors who lost money because Nasdaq delayed or otherwise mishandled their orders Friday. Nasdaq publicly apologized for the technical glitch that caused headaches after Facebook began trading in the morning, its CEO saying the company “clearly had mistakes in the Facebook listing.” Goldberg, a Maryland resident, filed his lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

Now that Newt Gingrich is out of the presidential race, he can offer up some wisdom he gained on the trail. Last week, he promised the Obama campaign their attacks on Mitt Romney's record at Bain wouldn't work to discredit him. This week, he took to The Sean Hannity Radio Show to warn his former opponent to beware of Ron Paul and his many delegates. "I think the biggest danger in the short run is that they not think through how they're going to handle the convention in Tampa, and how they're going to handle the Ron Paul forces," he said.

Who says mutant superheroes can’t get gay married? In the 50th issue of Marvel Comics’s Astonishing X-Men, the gay mutant hero Northstar proposes to his boyfriend, Kyle, and a same-sex wedding with everyone’s favorite superheroes on the guest list is expected next month. Marvel’s editor in chief, Axel Alonso, says gay marriage is just another aspect of real life that he hopes will enrich his stories, in which most of the characters reside in New York, where gay marriage is legal. But he doesn’t expect the wedding to go off without a hitch. “Whenever you tell a story that touches upon an issue people are passionate about, you open yourself up to controversy and some very heated comments,” he told USA Today.

The head of the United Nations nuclear agency said Tuesday that he has reached a deal to investigate Iran’s budding nuclear program—and he expects an agreement will be “signed quite soon.” Upon his return from Tehran, Yukiya Amano said some details of the plan need to be worked out, but he insisted that Iranian officials said they will not stand in the way of signing a deal. Amano visited Tehran to resume the investigation into the rumors that Iran has secretly been developing a nuclear weapon—an investigation that has been stalled for more than four years. Iranian officials have called for the U.N. to end the sanctions imposed to curb the suspected nuclear program.