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.

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 …

Capitol Alert  —  California Attorney General Kamala Harris asked a court Wednesday to intervene and allow her to block an incendiary proposed ballot measure authorizing the killing of gays and lesbians.  —  Huntington Beach attorney Matt McLaughlin paid $200 to file the “Sodomite Suppression Act.”

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 …

Opening New Iraq Front, U.S. Strikes ISIS in 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 …

Saudi and Arab allies bomb Houthi positions in Yemen  —  Saudi envoy to US says his country has begun airstrikes against Houthi rebels to defend legitimate government of Yemen.  —  Saudi Arabia and a coalition of regional allies have launched a military operation in Yemen against the Houthi rebels …

Black business owners backing GOP estate tax repeal bid  —  Republicans seeking to repeal the estate tax have rolled out the endorsements of black business advocates who argue the levy is especially painful for minority entrepreneurs.  —  Harry Alford of the National Black Chamber of Commerce …

Of Course Ted Cruz Could Win  —  Columnists and their headline writers have a habit of offering hostages to Fate — e.g., “Let's not even pretend Ted Cruz has a chance of becoming president,” “Let's be serious about Ted Cruz from the start: He's too extreme and too disliked to win,” …

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.

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 …

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 …

Apple and Beats Developing Streaming Music Service to Rival Spotify  —  In what would be the biggest change to its music strategy in years, Apple is pressing ahead with a sweeping overhaul of its digital music services that would allow the company to compete directly with streaming upstarts like Spotify.

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.

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.