Romney, moving toward 2016 run, outlines vision to eradicate poverty  —  SAN DIEGO — Mitt Romney laid down a marker for a prospective presidential campaign in 2016, telling a Republican audience here Friday night that the party can win the White House with a conservative message …

St. Ann Police admit to injuring, arresting wrong person after chase  —  ST. ANN, Mo. (KMOV.com) - St. Ann Police apologized to a college student after they admitted to causing severe injuries to his face after accusing him of a crime he didn't commit on Thursday.

Cops: 2 dead, 1 injured after shooting at Melbourne Square mall  —  Two people are dead and one is injured after a shooting near the Melbourne Square mall food court this morning, police said.  —  The mall was evacuated and temporarily closed as police investigated.

More than half of US public school students live in poverty, report finds  —  Problem is growing, especially among children, as report finds the majority of public school students in nearly half of US states live in poverty  —  Want to know the real state of the US economy?

Ernst: New GOP power player  —  Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is enjoying a meteoric rise.  —  Just weeks removed from being a first-term state senator, she's now preparing to give the GOP's response to President Obama's State of the Union address.  —  It's the first time a newly sworn-in senator …

Republicans Introduce An Anti-Abortion Bill So Extreme That GOP Women In Congress Are Revolting  —  Several Republican congresswomen are reportedly splitting from their party on a national abortion bill that's scheduled for a vote in the House next week, raising concerns that the legislation …

Reporter Asks Sheriff If He ‘Regrets’ Comments About Murder Suspects in ‘Heat of the Moment’ — Watch the Question Backfire  —  Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd responded defiantly to a reporter on Friday when he was asked if he “regrets” saying that his officers were prepared for a “gunfight” with a group of dangerous murder suspects.

The Importance of Blasphemy  —  As a deeply religious person, I have no fondness for blasphemy.  My religion and its holy books are sacred to me.  And I understand perfectly well why a Muslim would not relish a cartoon of a naked Mohammed.  —  But the debates over freedom of speech …

Senator's husband stands to profit big from government deal  —  Ever wonder how lowly paid lawmakers leave office filthy rich?  —  Sen. Dianne Feinstein is showing how it's done.  —  The US Postal Service plans to sell 56 buildings — so it can lease space more expensively …