WALKERTON, IN  —  $57,135 of $45k  —  Raised by 1,612 people in 14 hours  —  Purpose: To relieve the financial loss endured by the proprietors' stand for faith.  —  Indiana Pizzeria Faces Backlash After Saying It Won't Cater Gay Weddings  —  NEW YORK (CBSNewYork.com) — There's no such thing as bad publicity right?

The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050  —  Why Muslims Are Rising Fastest and the Unaffiliated Are Shrinking as a Share of the World's Population  —  The religious profile of the world is rapidly changing, driven primarily by differences in fertility rates …

Poll: Bush now tops GOP field; Clinton runs ahead of all Republicans  —  Former Florida governor Jeb Bush now leads the field of Republican candidates for the party's 2016 presidential nomination, but former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton enjoys a decided advantage over Bush …

Menendez: Resign and spare us the drama |  Editorial  —  Star-Ledger Editorial Board By Star-Ledger Editorial Board  —  It is hard to fathom the lack of judgment: Why would he even dance close to this line?  —  U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez now begins a fight for his political life that could last for years.

Senator Says Critics Of Indiana Should Get ‘Perspective,’ Be Thankful State Doesn't Execute Gays  —  Appearing yesterday on CNN, Senator Tom Cotton (R) urged critics of Indiana's “religious freedom” law to get “perspective,” suggesting the treatment of LGBT people in Indiana compared favorably to countries where gay people are executed.

Get Ready For the Munich Analogies  —  If the negotiators from the U.S. and other nations succeed in getting an agreement to restrain Iran's nuclear program, Republicans will of course object that the deal is terrible and gives away the store to the Ayatollahs.

Al-Shabaab ‘holding many Christians alive’ amid attack on Kenyan university  —  Al-Shabaab says they are “holding many Christians alive” after claiming responsibility for an attack at Garissa University in eastern Kenya Thursday that left at least 15 people dead, dozens more injured and hundreds of students unaccounted for.

Durbin's job in jeopardy?  —  Sen. Dick Durbin's job as Democratic whip is in danger in the absence of a crucial endorsement from New York Sen. Charles Schumer, the incoming Democratic leader, say Senate aides.  —  Democratic aides say Schumer's backing could make or break Durbin's bid …

Menendez charges put Iran legislation in doubt  —  Sen. Robert Menendez's (N.J.) decision to step aside temporarily as ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee following his indictment on Wednesday could jeopardize Congress's chances of passing Iran legislation.

Taxpayers paid portion of Cruz's political trips  —  WASHINGTON — Two months after staging a marathon Senate speech to protest the growth of government spending, Sen. Ted Cruz took a New York fundraising swing highlighted by a visit with Donald Trump — and put it on the taxpayers' tab.

Ted Cruz Campaign Points to Hefty Donations  —  About $4 million flowed into coffers in eight days after he formally announced presidential bid  —  Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas raised about $4 million in the eight days after he formally announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination …

Boehner in Israel: ‘The world is on fire’  —  JERUSALEM — John Boehner thinks the “world is on fire.”  And America isn't doing nearly enough to stamp it out.  —  The House speaker's decision to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before Congress last month sparked criticism …

THE DARK SIDE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: AN INEVITABLE NEW SERVICE  —  This post is by Christina Mozaffari, vice president for Phillips Media Relations.  —  Social media is a double-edged sword.  On the one hand, there's an expectation that we maximize the amazing tools available to us to interact personally …

It's time to go, John: The never-ending Iran talks  —  Iranian leaders and aides speak outside after a meeting with Sec. of State John Kerry in Lausanne, Iran.  —  The only remaining leverage the United States has in negotiations with Iran is the central presence at those negotiations of our secretary of state, John Kerry.