Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert Indicted On Federal Charges  —  The Justice Department charged the Illinois Republican Thursday for evading reporting requirements and lying to the FBI as part of a scheme to pay off the victim of “prior bad acts.”  —  Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Sen. Bernie Sanders' Essay: Women ‘Fantasize About Being Raped’  —  In a 1972 essay, presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) opined that men fantasized about women being abused.  He also claimed that women fantasized about being gang raped.  —  In an article entitled “Men-And-Women …

Today's Editorial: We bungled the Obama attack letter  —  There is no excuse for the letter The Daily Item published on Memorial Day.  We did something we shouldn't have and the readers who called us on it deserve accountability.  —  The straight forward reason the letter headlined …

Scott Walker attacked over abortion quote that he didn't actually say  —  “Most people I talk to, whether they're pro-life or not, I find people all the time who'll get out their iPhone and show me a picture of their grandkids' ultrasound and how excited they are, so that's a lovely thing.

Release Detail  —  May 28, 2015 - Five Leaders In 2016 Republican White House Race, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Rubio, Paul Are Only Republicans Even Close To Clinton  —  There are five leaders - or no leaders - as Republican voters look at likely GOP candidates in the 2016 White House race …

Paula Jones warns against voting for Hillary Clinton because of Bill  — Paula Jones sued President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment, saying he propositioned her when he was Arkansas governor  — Her case led to investigation in which Bill Clinton denied under oath having sex with Monica Lewinsky …

Shepard Fairey on the Future of Political Art and Whether Obama Lived Up to His ‘Hope’ Poster  —  The street artist's web series, Rebel Music, tracks young people around the world using art and music to push back The Man.  —  Street artist Shepard Fairey and the Viacom-owned MTV …

SomeBlackLivesDontMatter  —  BlackLivesMatter, the slogan of the movement that began in earnest after the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, is a lie.  —  Taken at face value, the phrase is a truism, since obviously all lives matter.  But the people who use it as a shibboleth …

Donald Trump to make ‘major’ announcement in NYC on June 16  —  Outspoken billionaire exec will then travel to NH; presidential run appears likely  —  If you're a Donald Trump fan, mark June 16 on your calendar.  If you're a Donald Trump fan in New Hampshire, mark June 17.

Complaints prompt Catholic university to remove statue of priest praying over Indians  —  Saint Louis University has removed a statue on its campus depicting a famous Jesuit missionary priest praying over American Indians after a cohort of students and faculty continued to complain …

Politics: Rick Santorum announces doomed presidential bid in interview with pretend journalist  —  Ugh.  —  I may give Bernie Sanders a lot of flak for being unelectable, but I don't want anyone to think Democrats have the market cornered when it comes to candidates with no chance of winning.

GOP plans would destroy Obamacare to save it, new study finds  —  If the Supreme Court guts subsidies for millions, Republicans will probably try to pass some form of “contingency fix” plan that would keep those subsidies going — at least, until after the 2016 elections.

Despite Opposing Sandy Relief, Cruz Calls For Federal Aid For Texas Flood  —  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Wednesday assured Texans that the state would receive federal relief following major flooding, even though the senator opposed federal funding following Hurricane Sandy.

A Letter to My Liberal Jewish Friends  —  The president's address last week to Congregation Adas Israel as “an honorary member of the tribe” was something other than it seemed.  —  President Obama speaks at Congregation Adas Israel in Washington, DC on May 22.  Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

Man Threatens Suicide, Police Kill Him  —  Justin Way was in bed with a knife.  His girlfriend called a non-emergency number to try to get him into a hospital.  Minutes later, cops shot him dead.  —  On May 11, Justin Way was drinking and threatening to hurt himself.

GOP Senator Says ‘The Lego Movie’ Is Part Of An ‘Insidious’ Propaganda Campaign Against Business Owners  —  A concerted propaganda effort underway in America has created a “cultural attitude” in which people believe “government is good and business is bad,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told a local reporter for WisPolitics.com.

Ex-Schock aide dishes to FBI  —  A onetime aide raises questions about the legality of a flight with an insurance company exec.  —  A onetime aide to Aaron Schock told the FBI this week that the embattled ex-congressman and two employees flew on a private jet with an insurance company executive last year …

A Lifeline for Low-Income Americans  —  The Lifeline program was established in 1985 to help low-income Americans afford access to vital communications.  Our nation's enduring promise is opportunity for all, and helping financially struggling Americans access basic communications empowers individuals …

‘Draw Muhammad’ contest planned in Phoenix  —  An Phoenix area anti-Muslim activist is planning a “draw Muhammad” cartoon contest and rally in Phoenix on Friday.  The event is being dubbed a “Freedom of Speech Rally” and comes three weeks after a similar event in Garland, Texas, that prompted violence by two alleged ISIS sympathizers.

Even George Pataki Doesn't Want Those Damn Moderates  —  As I noted yesterday, it says a lot about the continued rightward drift in the GOP that even in a 18-candidate presidential field everybody still wants to be the “true conservative.”  We had a graphic illustration of that today …