PM Note: Sequester Furloughs Quietly Start, Obama Apologizes to AG, Fisker Layoffs

Sorry You're So Good Looking, Kamala Harris - President Obama Apologized to Kamala Harris Last Night. Today her spokesman said no big whoop. But for all the interest this story created online, it lacked any outrage from women's groups. Imagine if a President Romney had said Pam Bondi was hot. Or if it had been binders full of "best looking" women. Offensive comments, like beauty, may be in the eye of the beholder. Calls to women's groups requesting comment were not immediately returned. http://abcn.ws/12oTZk3

Sequester Furloughs Start… With a Whisper - Parts of the federal government are finally showing the effects of the furloughs prescribed by sequestration - one month and four days after the law went into effect. The Northern Division of Maryland's Federal Public Defender's office was closed all day today, with only one assistant federal public defender on hand. Upon calling the office, a message attributed the closure to "furloughs," which Katherine Newberger, the one lawyer on duty, confirmed were because of sequestration.

At the Department of Labor, where most furloughs don't go into effect until April 15, 150 employees waived that delay and have already begun taking their unpaid time off, as well. Several government agencies made doomsday predictions ahead of the onset of sequestration. They warned the budget cuts would lead to furloughs that would cripple the offices they rely on to maintain order and safety in America. But most agencies have yet to actually implement those furloughs.- http://abcn.ws/10Dz7kf

WH Warns of Sequestration 'Headwind' On Jobs- Alan Krueger, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said the jobs numbers released Friday are an example of the recovery, but he warned that sequestration cuts are a "headwind" on job growth. http://abcn.ws/14JTotv (Arlette Saenz)

Signs of Solyndra? Fisker Lays Off 75 Percent of Employees - ABC's Matthew Mosk reports - Stunned workers filed out of Fisker's Anaheim headquarters Friday morning with their belongings in boxes. One told ABC News that the employees had no advance notice the layoffs were coming, and they were told they would receive no severance. Among Fisker employees, the worker said, there was an overwhelming sense of sadness Friday that even after building a new, environmentally-focused line of gracefully-designed, high-end American cars, they had not been able to find financial success. http://abcn.ws/13YrtXB

White House Budget to Include Social Security Cuts- This is something we've never seen from a Democratic president: An official White House budget that includes cuts to both Social Security and Medicare. White House officials say the budget the president will unveil next week will include proposed cuts to Medicare (by increasing premiums for wealthier retirees) and Social Security (by reducing annual cost of living increases). http://abcn.ws/16wIhRi (Jon Karl)

Senate Stampede on Gay Marriage Continues - What began as a slow drip has turned into a flood over the last two weeks of Senate Democrats switching long-held positions and now coming out publically to endorse same sex marriage. The number of Senate Democrats left to endorse marriage equality is so small, that you can count them now on one hand - bringing much pressure from supporters of gay rights for the remaining "holdouts" to quickly change their position. The question now among Senate Democrats is not who has endorsed gay marriage anymore - but now, who hasn't? http://abcn.ws/10EVjsv

Ben Carson Apologizes for Comment on Homosexuality - http://abcn.ws/10Cgo8n

More States Loosening Gun Restrictions Than Tightening Them - Adam Winkler, professor of Constitutional law at UCLA, said these pro-gun bills are products of "symbolic politics" and it's taking place on both sides of the aisle. "I don't think there's a huge number of people who want to bring guns into churches," Winkler told ABC News. "As usual I think the deep division is unfortunate because we can't have a thoughtful discussion about gun policy. Right now it's everyone's pro gun or anti gun when the truth is the guns are here to stay no matter what anyone wants to do and we should all agree that keeping guns out of the hands of felons and the mentally ill is worth considerable effort." http://abcn.ws/YB1qS9

Obama Ends Easter With Prayer Breakfast- Rounding out the week's Easter celebrations, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden hosted faith leaders from across the country at a prayer breakfast in the East Room of the White House this morning. "To all the pastors in the house, I hope you've enjoyed some well-deserved rest after a very busy Holy Week. I see some chuckles, so maybe not," the president told the crowd of about 135 people. http://abcn.ws/16C3Ku3 (Arlette Saenz)

Senate Stampede on Gay Marriage Continues - And then there were four. Two more Senate Democrats flipped on the issue of same-sex marriage, underscoring yet again the remarkable speed with which senators are abandoning long-held positions on the controversial social issue. Today Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D- N.D., announced that they had changed their position and endorsed same-sex marriage. This leaves only four Senate Democrats who have not endorsed marriage equality. http://abcn.ws/10EVjsv (Sunlen Miller)

How to Open a Pot Dispensary Blocks From the US Capitol- After two years of preparations and fighting through red tape, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in investment, the Metropolitan Wellness Center is scheduled to open its doors this spring to licensed medical-pot users in the District of Columbia. Located above a Popeye's chicken in the Eastern Market neighborhood, the District's first legal marijuana store will sell pot, pipes and THC-infused baked goods seven blocks from the U.S. Capitol. http://abcn.ws/YAl80j (Chris Good)

Scott Brown Won't Rule Out New Hampshire Senate Bid- Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown told reporters Thursday night that he is not ruling out a run for Senate in the neighboring state of New Hampshire in 2014. Asked whether he is considering a challenge to Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Brown said he is still "recharging the batteries" but noted, "I'm not going to rule out anything right now," according to an audio recording of the former senator's remarks to reporters obtained by ABC News. http://abcn.ws/16Aijhu (Arlette Saenz, Michael Falcone)

Michelle Obama Slips, Says She's 'Single Mother'- First lady Michelle Obama slipped up in a local TV interview Thursday and accidentally called herself a "single mother."

"Believe me, as a busy single mother- or, I shouldn't say single, as a busy mother. Sometimes, you know, when you've got a husband who is president, it can feel a little single. But he's there," Mrs. Obama told Vermont CBS affiliate WCAX. http://abcn.ws/10CaFzy (Arlette Saenz)

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Ben Carson Apologizes For Comment on Homosexuality

Dr. Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon and recent star of the conservative movement, has apologized for comments on homosexuality that had Johns Hopkins students clamoring for his ouster as their commencement speaker.

"Although I do believe marriage is between a man and a woman, there are much less offensive ways to make that point," Carson wrote in a letter to the Hopkins community. "I hope all will look at a lifetime of service over some poorly chosen words."

During a March 26 TV interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity, Carson compared homosexuality to bestiality and pedophilia in explaining his view that "marriage" can only describe a heterosexual relationship.

"Marriage is between a man and a woman, it's a well established fundamental pillar of society," Carson told Hannity. "And no group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they people who believe in bestiality, it doesn't matter what they are. They don't get to change the definition, so it's not something that's against gays, it's agianst anybody who wants to come along and change the fundamental definitions of pillars of society-it has significant ramifications."

That comment had roiled some students, ahead of his scheduled commencement address at Hopkins' medical-school graduation ceremony.

"We retain the highest respect for Dr. Carson's achievements and value his right to publicly voice political views. Nevertheless, we feel that these expressed values are incongruous with the values of Johns Hopkins and deeply offensive to a large proportion our student body," the Health and Human Rights Student Group wrote on its Facebook page, asking the school to "select an alternative speaker."

Today, Dean of medical Faculty Paul Rothman called the comments "offensive" in an open letter and announced that faculty would meet with graduating students to discuss the matter. Carson, meanwhile, apologized.

"Controversial social issues are debated in the media on a regular basis, and yet it is rare that leaders of an academic medical center will join that type of public debate," Rothman wrote. "However, we recognize that tension now exists in our community because hurtful, offensive language was used by our colleague, Dr. Ben Carson, when conveying a personal opinion. Dr. Carson's comments are inconsistent with the culture of our institution."

Carson had previously told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell that his words were "completely taken out of context and completely misunderstood," while also offering the semi-apology, "If anyone was offended, I apologize to you" and noting that, as a Christian, he loves all people, including gays.

Today, he offered a fuller version in a letter to the Hopkins community:

Dear Colleagues, Friends and Associates:

As you know, I have been in the national news quite a bit recently and my 36 year association with Johns Hopkins has unfortunately dragged our institution into the spotlight as well. I am sorry for any embarrassment this has caused. But what really saddens me is that my poorly chosen words caused pain for some members of our community and for that I offer a most sincere and heartfelt apology. Hurting others is diametrically opposed to who I am and what I believe. There are many lessons to be learned when venturing into the political world and this is one I will not forget. Although I do believe marriage is between a man and a woman, there are much less offensive ways to make that point. I hope all will look at a lifetime of service over some poorly chosen words.

Sincerely yours,

Benjamin S Carson Sr MD

Carson has been a rising conservative star. At the National Prayer Breakfast in March, with President Obama seated just feet away from him, Carson delivered a speech in which he criticized political correctness and called for private health savings accounts to address health-care spending. His address prompted The Wall Street Journal to publish an editorial entitled, and the neurosurgeon delivered a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference later last month.

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