Aide to Kamala Harris, 2 others accused of running rogue police force  —  An aide to state Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris and two others are accused of operating a rogue police force that claimed to exist for more than 3,000 years and have jurisdiction in 33 states and Mexico, authorities said Tuesday.

New Iowa poll: Scott Walker leads, Jeb Bush in 7th place  —  The latest Iowa polling numbers are great news for Scott Walker, and terrible news for Jeb Bush.  —  The Wisconsin governor retains his advantage among Iowa Republican caucus-goers, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday …

Republicans pass a budget, flexing power of majority  —  Congressional Republicans scored a major legislative victory on Tuesday as the Senate adopted the first bicameral GOP budget agreement in a decade.  —  The 51-48 vote capped weeks of work by Republican leaders in the House and Senate …

Alberta election 2015 results: NDP wave sweeps across province in historic win  —  Wildrose Party, led by newly elected leader Brian Jean, once again Alberta's Official Opposition  —  It's a massive shock that turns Canadian politics on its head: the NDP has won a majority government in Alberta.

Joss Whedon Calls “Horsesh*t” On Reports He Left Twitter Because Of Militant Feminists  —  “I just thought, Wait a minute, if I'm going to start writing again, I have to go to the quiet place, and this is the least quiet place I've ever been in my life,” Whedon told BuzzFeed News.

Conservatives Keep Pouring Fuel On The Texas Takeover Fire  —  The Pentagon has no plans to stage a military takeover of the Lone Star state.  There are no tunnels covertly being constructed under West Texas' shuttered Wal-Mart stores.  —  So why are the fringes of the Internet still abuzz …

Texas attack refocuses attention on fine line between free speech and hate speech  —  Pamela Geller is a 56-year-old Jewish arch-conservative from New York, a vehement critic of radical Islam who organized a provocative $10,000 cartoon contest in this placid Dallas suburb designed to caricature the prophet Muhammad.

Exclusive: Bill De Blasio plans ‘Contract with America’ for left  —  NYC's mayor will unveil his ‘Progressive Agenda’ next week at the U.S. Capitol.  —  New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, using his muscular perch to try to nudge the national Democratic Party to the left, next week will unveil …

Warren met privately with ‘Draft Warren’ supporters  —  The Massachusetts senator recently huddled with progressives affiliated with the campaign urging her to run for president.  Her office insists she was unaware of any connection.  —  Elizabeth Warren says she has no intention of jumping into the 2016 race.

A Digital Single Market for Europe: Commission sets out 16 initiatives to make it happen  —  The Internet and digital technologies are transforming our world - in every walk of life and in every line of business.  Europe must embrace the digital revolution and open up digital opportunities for people and businesses.

Catholicism Undervalues Women  —  Like a Pringles vendor sounding an alarm about obesity, Pope Francis fashioned himself a feminist last week.  —  You are not reading The Onion.  —  It was an epic mismatch of messenger and message, and I say that as someone who is thankful for this pope …

Huckabee Vows to Protect Programs for Older Americans  —  Mike Huckabee drew roaring cheers from supporters on Tuesday as the latest entrant in a sprawling field of Republican presidential candidates by declaring himself the guardian of so-called entitlement programs, warning …

Surveillance planes spotted in the sky for days after West Baltimore rioting  —  As Benjamin Shayne settled into his back yard to listen to the Orioles game on the radio Saturday night, he noticed a small plane looping low and tight over West Baltimore — almost exactly above where rioting …

Hillary Clinton's Appeal Survives Scrutiny, 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 that she is starting …

Commentary: Jeb Bush's War on Poverty revamp  —  The tragedy that took place on the streets of Baltimore starts with a young man whose life ended far too soon.  We will hopefully learn the full truth surrounding that death, and the initial reports are disturbing.

McCain in Big Trouble for GOP Primary  —  John McCain's troubles with conservatives have him in a whole lot of trouble for reelection next year.  Even among Republican primary voters just 41% approve of the job he's doing to 50% who disapprove.  Only 37% of primary voters say they generally support …

A sign of things to come in the Democratic party  —  Last night at a public hearing on the budget in Prince George's County, Maryland, a flyer with the following headline was circulated: … The flyer goes on to attack the “Israel lobby,” which allegedly is using Black politicians to split …

‘Safe-space’ America dangerous to dissenters  —  Accusations of hate speech are so mainstream, they scare or force opponents into silence  —  Christina Hoff Sommers has been speaking on college campuses for two decades challenging students to embrace what she calls “equity feminism” over “gender feminism.”

FLOTUS plays race card: Museums are for white people  —  First lady Michelle Obama used a speech Monday that was supposed to be celebrating the opening of a new museum to instead dig deeper the racial divide that's been growing ever wider during her husband's presidency.

3 reasons why Huckabee 2016 will be a bust  —  In 2008, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee surprised many Beltway pundits by coming out of nowhere on a shoestring budget to win the Iowa caucuses and finish as the runner-up to eventual nominee John McCain in the delegate count.

The 40-Hour Work Week Is a Thing of the Past  —  The phrase “nine to five” is becoming an anachronism.  —  About half of all managers work more than 40 hours a week, according to a new survey from tax and consulting firm EY, and 39% report that their hours have increased in the past five years.

Begich's big decision: Challenge Murkowski?  —  With Obama off the ballot in 2016, Begich could mount a serious challenge against Murkowski.  —  Mark Begich nearly withstood the anti-Obama wave last year, losing his Senate seat by just 2 points to Dan Sullivan in the deep red state of Alaska.