Midday Roundup: Jumping on the gay 'marriage' bandwagon

Look left. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced today she supports same-sex “marriage.” Although her husband took a more moderate approach to the issue during his time as president, Clinton’s enthusiasm for redefining marriage should not come as any surprise. Most people expect her to run for president in 2016, and all the other Democrats likely to vie for the office already are on record as supporting same-sex unions. Clinton’s announcement, made via a video posted online, comes just three days after Sen. Rob Portman became the highest-ranking Republican to say gay “marriage” should be legal.

Eurozone crisis reemerges. The debate in the tiny eurozone nation of Cyprus over how to raise the money to secure a bank bailout sent worldwide stock markets tumbling today. The Cypriot government wants to levy a 10 percent tax on all bank accounts as part of a $13 billion European Union bailout the country needs to avoid going bankrupt. Investors fear the return of the eurozone crisis, which threatened last year to tip the world back into recession. Cypriot leaders will vote on the tax measure tomorrow. If it doesn’t pass, Cyprus could be expelled from the European Union.

Worldwide gun show. China has surpassed Great Britain as one of the world’s top arms exporters, coming in at number five on the list of weapons sales. Most of the military hardware from China goes to Pakistan, with exports rising 162 percent between 2008 and 2012. Experts say China uses its exports to help raise its international status and influence. The United States is now the only country spending more than China on military expenses.

Fifty Shades snub. Not everyone in Hollywood is enamored with Fifty Shades of Grey, the bestselling trashy trilogy about domination and dysfunction. Harry Potter star Emma Watson took to Twitter this weekend to shoot down rumors she would take the starring role in the movie adaptation of E.L. James’ book: “Who here actually thinks I would do 50 Shades of Grey as a movie? Like really. For real. In real life.” Despite Watson’s snub, the movie will go on, although how producers will turn the X-rated novel into something fit for the theater is anyone’s guess.