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 …

McConnell praises Obama for a change  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) offered rare words of praise for President Obama Tuesday by complimenting his commitment to free trade despite the opposition of many Democrats.  —  It was a surprising burst of warmth in an icy relationship …

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.

ISIS threatens controversial blogger Pamela Geller in message boasting of ‘71 trained soldiers in 15 different states’  —  ISIS appears to declare war on controversial blogger Pamela Geller on Tuesday in an ominous online message claiming it has fighters across America ready to attack “any target we desire.”

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.

Woman's 911 call to order pizza saves her from domestic abuse  —  A quick-thinking Highlands County woman saved herself and her children from possible harm when she ordered an online pizza with a secret message saying she was being held hostage.  —  Highlands County Sheriff's Office investigators …

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 …

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.

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 …

Obama Administration: Times Square's Iconic Billboards Must Be Removed Or Else  —  NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — You can call it a bureaucratic blunder ... or a Washington blooper.  —  But any way you slice it a move by the federal government to make the city remove Times Square's iconic billboards falls …

Democrat: My party didn't cause the problems in Baltimore  —  Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) on Wednesday rejected the idea that Democratic political leaders were responsible for problems in Baltimore.  —  “Chris, come on Chris,” he told CNN's Chris Cuomo on “New Day.”

Germanwings crash: Co-pilot Lubitz ‘practised rapid descent’  —  Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz is known to have suffered depression in the past  —  The co-pilot of the Germanwings plane that crashed in the French Alps in March appears to have practised a rapid descent on a previous flight, a report by French investigators says.

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 …

Cluelessness about Strategy, Tactics and Discretion  —  In his op-ed in the weekend Wall Street Journal, John Taylor restates his confused opposition to what Ben Bernanke calls the policy of constrained discretion followed by the Federal Reserve during his tenure at the Fed …

Nebraska Woman Files Suit Against All Homosexuals  —  A Nebraska woman is suing all homosexuals on Earth for breaking “religious and moral laws,” according to court records filed Tuesday.

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 …