The GOP's First Big 2016 Test: Fitting Candidates on the Debate Stage  —  From 23 debates in 2012 to as many as 17 candidates in 2016.  —  The Republican Party has a whole new debate problem in 2016.  —  After suffering through a seemingly endless and unwieldy stream of 23 debates in the 2012 cycle …

ISIS claims responsibility for Texas shooting, threatens more attacks  —  Story highlights  —  (CNN)ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack outside a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest in Texas — and warned of more attacks to come.  —  In a broadcast on its official radio channel Tuesday …

How Mike Huckabee Became the New Sarah Palin  —  In late January a once-dominant figure in Republican politics suddenly began hinting at a presidential run and got a lot of negative feedback.  It had to make Mitt Romney feel better.  —  Yes, 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin pointedly refused …

Lindsey Graham: Everything That Starts With ‘Al-’ In Middle East Is Bad  —  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is not a linguist.  —  “Everything that starts with ‘Al’ in the Middle East is bad news,” Graham said at a dinner in Boston on Monday with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, according to investigative journalist Uri Blau.

Louie Gohmert Sounds The Alarm About Possible Military Takeover Of Texas  —  Tea party darling Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) on Tuesday demanded that the U.S. military alter a planned training exercise that some conspiracy theorists believe is cover for a possible takeover of the Lone Star state.

The Dangerous Myths Surrounding Charlie Hebdo  —  Two recent events—the spectacle of Garry Trudeau, the Doonesbury creator, attacking a group of murdered cartoonists for offending his sensibilities, and the protest organized by a group of bien-pensant writers against the PEN American Center …

Freddie Gray arrest documents drawn up for wrong people  —  Unlimited Access.  Try it Today!  Your First 10 Days Always $0.99

Hillary Clinton's rope-line antagonist  —  Andrea Mitchell's back on the trail, and she's not taking no for an answer.  —  In the usual scrum of reporters crowded around Hillary Clinton, sticking microphones, cameras and phones in the Democratic front-runner's face on her campaign trips to early states …

Auburn woman files federal case against homosexuals  —  An Auburn woman calling herself an ambassador for God and his son, Jesus Christ, filed a federal lawsuit Friday against all homosexuals.  —  Sylvia Driskell, 66, said in the suit that she is petitioning the U.S. District Court of Omaha to be heard “in the matter of homosexuality.

Couple found guilty of having sex on Bradenton Beach  —  MANATEE — After only 15 minutes of deliberation, a jury Monday found a couple guilty of having sex on Bradenton Beach.  —  The convictions carry maximum prison sentences of 15 years.  —  Jose Caballero, 40, and Elissa Alvarez, 20 …

Mayor de Blasio Is Irked by a Subway Delay  —  The email, blunt and to the point, popped into City Hall aides' inboxes at 12:17 p.m., and the subject line said it all: “2 problems today.”  —  Mayor Bill de Blasio, it seemed, was not pleased.  —  In a stern, bullet-pointed missive on Monday …

Online activists raised $60K for Tamir Rice's family — so where did all that money go?  —  Shaun King was furious.  —  The author and life coach turned activist has been one of the most prominent online voices in recent months, as protests of police impunity that began in Ferguson, Mo. …

For Top 25 Hedge Fund Managers, a Difficult 2014 Still Paid Well  —  For investors in hedge funds, like big pension funds, 2014 was not a lucrative year.  But for those who managed their money, the pay was spectacular.  —  The top 25 hedge fund managers reaped $11.62 billion in compensation in 2014 …

Hillary Clinton's Appeal Survives Scrutiny, Times/CBS News Poll Says  —  Hillary Rodham Clinton appears to have initially weathered a barrage of news about her use of a private email account when she was secretary of state and the practices of her family's foundation, an indication …

Bloomberg: on Bobby Jindal's watch, Louisiana's tattered finances the consequence of two key factors  —  This combination made from file photos shows Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, left, and Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson.  This is name-dropping season for the 2016 presidential hopefuls …

DEA agents jail student 5 days with no food, water; get slap on wrist  —  Federal agents responsible for leaving a 23-year-old UC San Diego engineering student in a holding cell for five days without food or water received only reprimands or short suspensions from the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to the Justice Department.

Group's prom picture with guns and a Confederate flag causes controversy … PARKER, Colo. — A prom picture is stirring up controversy in Parker.  —  Chaparral High School hosted prom in Denver on Saturday, but it's a picture of students posing with guns and the Confederate flag that is grabbing the town's attention.

FAIL: Only 18 Percent of 8th-Graders Proficient in US History  —  Results of the “Nation's Report Card” released this week by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that only 18 percent of 8th-graders are “proficient” or above in U.S. history, and only 23 percent are proficient in civics.

Failed Christian shoe promoter makes anti-gay first-person shooter  —  Pulled from Steam; dev made “the most overly offensive game possible to prove a point.”  —  The Steam downloadable games shop launched its “Greenlight” initiative in 2012 as a way to open its sales doors to smaller game developers.

Red Higher Ed Reforms Put Pressure on Carolina Blue  —  A right-leaning public policy foundation is making waves in North Carolina's public university system.  The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on how the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy is getting traction among the state's Republican political leadership.