N.S.A. Phone Data Collection Illegal, Appeals Court Rules  —  WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court in New York on Thursday ruled that the once-secret National Security Agency program that is systematically collecting Americans' phone records in bulk is illegal.

Sources: Baltimore police investigation doesn't support some of prosecution's charges  —  Baltimore (CNN)The Baltimore police investigation into the death of Freddie Gray doesn't support some of the charges, including the most serious, filed by the Baltimore City State's Attorney …

Release Detail  —  What Trouble?  Clinton Has Early Lock On Iowa Caucus, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Sanders, Biden Are Only Dems Over 3%  —  Sample and Methodology detail  —  With 60 percent of the vote among Iowa likely Democratic Caucus participants, former Secretary …

The Price of Nice Nails  —  Manicurists are routinely underpaid and exploited, and endure ethnic bias and other abuse, The New York Times has found.  —  The women begin to arrive just before 8 a.m., every day and without fail, until there are thickets of young Asian and Hispanic women …

It's time to change the Iowa Straw Poll  —  Much has changed since 1979 and sometimes cherished traditions—like the Iowa GOP Straw Poll—must change too.  What is supposed to be a fun opportunity for Iowans and presidential candidates has turned into a high-stress and expensive endeavor.

Nick Kristof is not Smarter than an 8th Grader  —  This is a post by Eugene Stern, originally posted on his blog sensemadehere.wordpress.com.  —  About a week ago, Nick Kristof published this op-ed in the New York Times.  Entitled Are You Smarter than an 8th Grader, the piece discusses …

Heh: Carly Fiorina answers Seth Meyers question about domain snafu by buying SethMeyers.org  —  Carly Fiorina, who just jumped into the race for the presidency Monday, has spent the week coolly sitting for interviews and cleverly parrying jabs from reporters and critics.

How Britain's Election Has Stumped the Betting Markets  —  British voters are heading to the polls Thursday, and it looks as if it's going to be a nail-biter.  Political prediction markets suggest that it's basically a 50-50 bet as to whether the Conservative prime minister, David Cameron …

The Cavaliers Should Have Thought A Little Harder About This Promo  —  During last night's playoff game against the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers showed the video below on the in-arena jumbotron.  The premise of the skit, which is supposed to be a Dirty Dancing spoof …

Bush leads, Rubio up, Christie down in new WMUR poll  —  Tightly packed field continues with 9 months to go  —  Nine months is an eternity in politics, particularly in late-deciding New Hampshire.  And so not surprisingly, the Republican presidential primary field remains crowded with no true frontrunner …

Dorian Johnson, figure in Michael Brown case, arrested in St. Louis  —  ST. LOUIS  • Dorian Johnson, the man who was with Michael Brown when Brown was fatally shot by a Ferguson police officer last summer, has been arrested on suspicion of drug charges and resisting arrest, a St. Louis police source said Wednesday.

Chris Christie faces another blow  —  His “biggest” achievement, state pension reform, is likely to be dismantled by New Jersey courts.  —  Chris Christie's signature achievement as New Jersey governor may be going up in smoke.  —  The potential presidential candidate has said his …

Cruz: Iran legislation is a ‘bad bill’  —  Presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Wednesday slammed legislation that would allow Congress to review and vote on a final Iran nuclear deal, calling the proposal a “bad bill.”  —  “I agree that it is of paramount important to give Congress …

Mystery Planes in the Skies Above Baltimore  —  In Baltimore, Maryland, where law enforcement officials ought to be doing their utmost to win back the trust of brutalized residents who perceive a conspiracy against them, a shadowy police tactic is stoking more dark suspicions.

McDonald's was there for me when no one else was  —  Before stardom, James Franco was just a fast-food employee eating fries straight from the hopper.  —  McDonald's sales have slumped.  Maybe the public wants healthier food.  Maybe there's too much competition.  Maybe people aren't into the chipotle barbecue snack wrap.

Clinton Foundation's Missteps Point to Broader Problem  —  On the surface, the uproar over foreign contributions to the Clinton Foundation while Hillary Rodham Clinton was secretary of State looks like another example of the Clintons behaving badly.  But the problem goes beyond the Clintons and could tar Republicans as well.

Clinton Takes the Lead on Immigration  —  With her speech on immigration in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Hillary Rodham Clinton took a large step forward, up front and to the left of President Obama.  That is a good place to be for a presidential candidate who proposes to get the stalled debate moving again …

Online jihadist hails power of social media after Texas attack  —  US Muslims condemn Texas attack  —  Largest Muslim advocacy group in the US speaks out against Sunday's attack on a provocative anti-Islamic cartoon event.  —  An Australian Twitter user and Islamic State supporter …

Mike Huckabee: If trade agreement passes, workers would ‘take it in the backside’  —  In an MSNBC interview, 2016 Republican presidential candidate and ordained Baptist minister Mike Huckabee used some salty language to argue against fast-tracking the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

Piers Morgan Causes Mika Brzezinski To Roll Off ‘Morning Joe’ Set (VIDEO)  —  Former CNN personality Piers Morgan's opinions led to an Irish exit from co-host Mika Brzezinski on the set of MSNBC's “Morning Joe” on Thursday morning.  —  The moment came during a segment about paid paternity leave …