GOP presidential convention to be held earlier in 2016  —  Republicans will select their presidential candidate in 2016 more than a month earlier than they did in 2012.  —  The Republican National Committee announced late Wednesday that the party's national convention would take place in Cleveland, Ohio between July 18 and July 21.

Muslim Students at Duke to Begin Weekly Call-to-Prayer  —  Members of the Duke Muslim Students Association will chant a weekly call-to-prayer from the Duke Chapel bell tower  —  DURHAM, NC - Members of the Duke Muslim Students Association will chant a weekly call-to-prayer from the Duke Chapel bell tower beginning Friday, Jan. 16.

Terrorism doesn't justify insulting Islam  —  Muslim activist: Cartoons no justification for attacks 06:08  —  Story highlights … (CNN)The latest Charlie Hebdo cartoon, produced after last week's horrific attacks on the Paris magazine's offices, literally adds insult to injury.

Ohio Man Arrested for Alleged ISIS-Inspired Plot on US Capitol, FBI Says … The FBI has arrested an Ohio man for allegedly plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on the U.S. Capitol, where he hoped to set off a series of bombs aimed at lawmakers, whom he allegedly considered enemies.

One of new chairman's first act?:  Removing last chairman's portrait  —  It appears new House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) really doesn't want to sit in the shadow of his predecessor and fellow Republican, Darrell Issa (R-Calif.).  —  At least, that's what his critics are saying.

Detailed study confirms high suicide rate among recent veterans  —  Recent veterans have committed suicide at a much higher rate than people who never served in the military, according to a new analysis that provides the most thorough accounting so far of the problem.

Feds target fried food, juice at day cares  —  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing strict new dietary guidelines for day cares that would prohibit them from frying food that is served to children.  —  Child care providers would also be formally required to provide children …

Not Everyone's Internal Clock Is Set for the 9-to-5  —  No matter how early she went to bed, Maggie couldn't fall asleep until the early hours of the morning.  Though constantly exhausted, Maggie (she asked that I not use her last name) got good grades in high school, but she'd frequently …

Police Slowdown Cost New York City an Estimated $5 Million in Lost Fines  —  Now that New York's police force has returned to enforcing the laws at a pace closer to normal, city officials are calculating the costs of its protracted slowdown.  Their best guess so far is that the tally will be no more than several million dollars.

Not waiting: Rand Paul is already in campaign mode  —  Rand Paul is in full-blown campaign mode.  —  While most potential GOP contenders' early efforts are taking place behind closed doors with donors and top strategists, the Kentucky senator is engaged in the kind of retail politicking …

Romney crafting a rationale for 2016 run  —  Focus on poor, foreign policy

4 top Secret Service executives told to leave their posts in agency shake-up  —  Members of the Secret Service follow President Obama as he arrives at Northwestern University on Oct. 2, 2014, in Evanston, Ill. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)  —  The Secret Service has decided …

Shunning ObamaCare  —  Of my company's 5,453 eligible employees, only 420 actually enrolled.  The other 5,033 opted to pay a penalty.  —  Among the Affordable Care Act's many economic and political disruptions, the law has unintentionally encouraged employers to convert full-time jobs into part-time jobs.

Substitute teacher on trial over showing explicit film at East High School  —  A Franklin County jury must decide whether a former substitute teacher for the Columbus City Schools committed a crime when she showed a movie filled with graphic sex and violence to five Spanish classes at East High School.

Romney tops Iowa GOP poll  —  Mitt Romney is leading yet another GOP presidential poll as intrigue over whether he'll run for a third time continues to grow.  —  The new poll from Townhall and Gravis Marketing shows Romney tops among Iowa Republicans with 21 percent of registered voters.

Arrested teen hailed as hero after helping cop who collapsed … Get unlimited digital access.  99¢ for 4 weeks.

Caught on camera, Tom O'Mara apologizes for outburst  —  State Sen. Tom O'Mara apologized Tuesday for his outburst at a man who had been peppering him with questions about the lawmaker's support for the proposed liquified petroleum gas storage facility near Seneca Lake, a project that has drawn the ire of many environmental groups.

Why a Generation of Adoptees Is Returning to South Korea  —  Credit: Mark Neville for The New York Times  —  Laura Klunder's newest tattoo runs down the inside of her left forearm and reads “K85-160,” a number that dates to her infancy.  Klunder was 9 months old when her South Korean mother left her at a police station in Seoul.

Exclusive: Samsung makes takeover approach to BlackBerry - sources  —  (Reuters) - Smartphone company Samsung has recently approached BlackBerry Ltd to buy the company for as much as $7.5 billion, looking to gain access to its patent portfolio, according to a person familiar with the matter and documents seen by Reuters.

El Capitan's Dawn Wall Climbers Reach Top at Yosemite  —  YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — On the 19th day, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, both now bearded, reached the summit of El Capitan's Dawn Wall on Wednesday, completing a quest that included years of planning and that many considered …

House OKs panic buttons in wake of open carry confrontation  —  AUSTIN - The Texas House approved rules Wednesday to be able to install panic buttons and eject hostile members of the public from their offices, after a confrontation between lawmakers and open carry advocates visiting the Capitol on the opening day of the 2015 session.

REPORT: DETAINED WASHINGTON POST JOURNALIST INDICTED IN IRAN  —  TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A Washington Post journalist detained in Iran for months has been indicted and will stand trial, Iran's state news agency reported Wednesday, without elaborating on what charges he faced.