GOP clown car runs into ditch  —  Simon says the Republican Party's clown car has become a clown van.  —  DES MOINES — The Republican Party's clown car has become a clown van.  —  With nearly two dozen possible presidential candidates, the GOP is having a seriousness deficit.

Obama administration to propose new wilderness protections in Arctic refuge — Alaska Republicans declare war  —  The Obama administration will propose setting aside the 1.5 million-acre coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as wilderness, the White House announced Sunday …

Scott Walker takes Iowa by storm  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — Scott Walker's stock is soaring after a triumphant return to Iowa.  —  The Wisconsin Republican governor delivered a pitch-perfect speech to a room packed with influential Hawkeye State conservatives on Saturday …

De Blasio, Obama and a Flawed Vision of Liberalism  —  MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO recently got some good news in his standoff with the Police Department.  In the first major poll conducted after the high-profile murder of two patrolmen, 69 percent of New Yorkers said they objected to police officers' turning …

Ben Carson pulls crowd to its feet  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — Former neurosurgeon Ben Carson (R) delivered a rousing speech to the conservative faithful, earning the first standing ovation of the day at the Iowa Freedom Summit and showing why he's generating buzz with conservative activists.

Jewish outrage as ship named after SS war criminal arrives in Europe  —  As Holocaust day nears, anger erupts at arrival in Rotterdam of the Pieter Schelte, the world's largest vessel  —  Leaders of Jewish communities and Holocaust memorial groups in Britain and the Netherlands have reacted …

Pope's visit to stoke climate fight  —  Pope Francis's visit to the United States this fall will give him an important stage to push for climate change policies, in a year when global warming is shaping up to be a central issue both for the Vatican and Washington.

Senators: More US special ops troops may be needed in Yemen  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Two influential senators are calling on President Barack Obama to send more U.S. ground troops to hotspots around the Middle East.  —  The suggestion by Republican John McCain and Democrat Dianne Feinstein …

Greece election: Exit polls signal big Syriza win  —  Exit polls suggest a historic victory for the anti-austerity Syriza party in Greece's general election.  —  The polls indicate that Syriza took between 36% and 38% of the total vote, with the ruling New Democracy party a distant second with 26%-28%.

Brazil finds coffee protein with morphine effect  —  14 hrs ago  —  Brasília (AFP) - Brazilian scientists have discovered a protein in coffee that has effects similar to pain reliever morphine, researchers at the state University of Brasilia (UnB) and state-owned Brazilian Agricultural …