Bowe Bergdahl, once missing U.S. soldier, charged with desertion  —  Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. soldier who was recovered in Afghanistan last spring after five years in captivity, faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, according to his lawyer.

Ted Cruz Wants You To Believe He's Legally Required To Sign Up For Obamacare.  He's Not.  —  Newly-minted presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) admitted that he would grudgingly sign up for health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday, just one day after announcing …

Tucker Carlson's Brother: De Blasio Spokesperson A “Self-Righteous Bitch”  —  Accidental reply-all: Buckley Carlson says mayor's spokesperson has “extreme dick-fright” in email she received.  —  Brendan Hoffman / Getty  —  WASHINGTON — Daily Caller founder Tucker Carlson's brother Buckley Carlson referred …

Congresswoman Demonstrates ‘Worst Parking Job Ever’ (Video)  —  Updated 5:02 p.m. |  Abandon all hope, ye who happen to park anywhere near geometrically challenged-motorist Eleanor Holmes Norton.  —  A HOH tipster watched in horror Wednesday as the D.C. delegate, 77, awkwardly forced …

Opinion analysis: A small victory for minority voters, or a case with “profound” constitutional implications?  —  It is easy to read the Supreme Court's five-to-four decision in Alabama Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama and Alabama Democratic Conference v. Alabama as a mostly inconsequential case giving …

Germanwings Pilot Was Locked Out of Cockpit Before Crash in France  —  PARIS — As officials struggled Wednesday to explain why a jet with 150 people on board crashed in relatively clear skies, an investigator said evidence from a cockpit voice recorder indicated one pilot left the cockpit …

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Issues Statement on Proposed Ballot Initiative  —  Contact: (415) 703-5837, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov  —  LOS ANGELES - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued the following statement on her decision to file an action for declaratory relief seeking …

Clinton hit with racketeering lawsuit over emails  —  The conservative group Freedom Watch has filed a racketeering lawsuit against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that accuses her of failing to produce documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Disciples of Christ threatens to cancel convention due to religious freedom bill  —  The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has sent a letter to Gov. Mike Pence threatening to cancel its 2017 convention in Indianapolis if he signs controversial legislation that could allow business owners to refuse services to same-sex couples.

Local 4 Defenders: Violent traffic stop in Inkster caught on camera … INKSTER, Mich. -  —  Video obtained exclusively by the Local 4 Defenders shows an African-American motorist being beaten by white police officers from the city of Inkster.  —  The primary officer involved says he was protecting himself.

Here's the new White House briefing room seating chart  —  The seating chart for the White House Press Briefing Room.  (Gregory Korte / USA TODAY)  —  There are hundreds — maybe thousands — of reporters in Washington who cover the White House from time to time, but only 49 seats in the White House briefing room.

'You can't govern the country based on being angry'  —  Lindsey Graham's unorthodox 2016 strategy: Telling Republicans what they don't want to hear.  —  Ted Cruz vows to repeal “every word” of Obamacare and Common Core if he becomes president.  He would “abolish” the IRS …

Hillary's nerd squad  —  Clinton's tech team signals a significant departure from her analog approach in 2008.  —  Hillary Clinton is assembling a technology team that signals a significant departure from her 2008 presidential run, led by Obama veterans and geared toward recasting her analog-era image.

Unhappy With a Moderate Jeb Bush, Conservatives Aim to Unite Behind an Alternative  —  OSKALOOSA, Iowa — Fearing that Republicans will ultimately nominate an establishment presidential candidate like Jeb Bush, leaders of the nation's Christian right have mounted an ambitious effort to coalesce …

Christie PAC hires firm for likely 2016 bid  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's political action committee on Wednesday hired a digital firm in the latest sign of the Republican's likely presidential run.  —  The Wall Street Journal reported that Leadership Matters for America hired Upstream Communications Wednesday afternoon.

In 2016 campaign, the lament of the not quite rich enough  —  At this point in the 2012 presidential race, Terry Neese was in hot demand.  —  “Gosh, I was hearing from everyone and meeting with everyone,” said Neese, an Oklahoma City entrepreneur and former “Ranger” for President George W. Bush …

Researchers Predict ‘Imminent Collapse’ Of Universe After Period Of Rapid Expansion  —  Davis, Calif. (CBS SACRAMENTO) - Physicists predict the universe is primed for a “cosmological collapse” that will cause the universe to stop expanding at its current rate and ultimately collapse in on itself to wipe away all known matter.

Carowinds officially unveils Fury 325 roller coaster  —  NBC Charlotte reporter Sam Baranowski and photographer Jennifer Kiser rode ?  #?Fury325? at Carowinds Amusement Park Wednesday for media day.  —  CONNECT  —  CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carowinds held a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday morning …

‘60 Minutes’ under fire for Africa coverage  —  Journalist and author Howard W. French and more than 150 other writers and professors sent a letter to 60 Minutes Executive Producer Jeff Fager on Wednesday faulting the CBS News program for its “frequent and recurring misrepresentation of the African continent.”

Man Christie told to ‘sit down and shut up’ will run for N.J. Assembly  —  James Keady, 43 of Spring Lake, holds up a sign during a speech by Gov. Chris Christie in Belmar on the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy.  Keady plans to run for Assembly (NJ Advance Media file photo)

U.S. Begins Striking ISIS in Iraq, Trying to Reclaim Tikrit  —  BAGHDAD — American warplanes began airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Tikrit late Wednesday, finally joining a stalled offensive to retake the Iraqi city as American officials sought to seize the initiative from Iran …