Some Democrats want to amend the immigration bill before the Senate to allow foreign-born same-sex spouses of Americans to qualify for green cards. Jason Reed/Reuters/Landov hide caption

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., shown on Capitol Hill on April 23, voted against a bill expanding background checks on gun sales, which has upset some of his constituents. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

Gondolas have long played a part in the Venetian tourist experience. But as tourism has grown and the local population has declined, everyday gondolas called traghetti have all but disappeared. Above, a group of tourists poses on a canal, circa 1900. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

Amanda as a teenager (left). She now lives in Manhattan and works as a massage therapist. Radio Diaries (left), David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

Thomas Cole completed Portage Falls on the Genesee in 1839. Courtesy Seward House Museum hide caption

The Senate on Monday approved a bill to allow states to collect sales taxes from online retailers. Proponents say sellers will get help navigating tax collection, but many retailers says complying will be burdensome and opens the door for unforeseen problems. iStockphoto.com hide caption

Medical marijuana has been legal in Colorado for more than a decade. Coloradans voted to legalize recreational use in November, but lawmakers say the industry can be properly regulated only if voters approve a new tax. Brennan Linsley/AP hide caption

Russian troops patrol Minutka square in the Chechen capital on Monday, Feb. 28, 2000. Alexander Zemlianichenko /AP hide caption

An arctic fox pup, just beginning to show its white winter coat, plays with a lemming carcass. Wrangel's foxes subsist largely on these snow-burrowing rodents, whose numbers fluctuate wildly from year to year. Sergey Gorshkov/National Geographic hide caption