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

Trump stokes 2016 talk, schedules ‘major announcement’  —  Donald Trump will make a “major announcement” on June 16 at New York City's Trump Tower before heading to New Hampshire the next day, according to WMUR-9 in New Hampshire.  —  The schedule adds to the speculation Trump will run …

Bernie Sanders distances himself from ‘dumb’ 1972 essay on rape  —  Bernie Sanders wrote about rape fantasies in 1970s 06:17  —  New York (CNN)Bernie Sanders' campaign tried on Thursday to distance the presidential candidate from a 1972 essay in which he wrote — among other things …

The Fake Clinton Scandals Are Back  —  The right's newest crusade has an old fake villain.  —  Lead image by AP Photo.  —  Has Washington learned nothing from Whitewater?  The Clintons have spent their entire political lives in the capital dogged by one fake scandal after another.

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.

The reign in Spain is no longer on the wane  —  King Felipe and Queen Letizia, an “in touch” duo that's trying to keep together a weakened kingdom.  —  MADRID — Spain has been magnificent at giving birth to painters and poets, impressive at minting novelists, chefs and soccer players, but thoroughly inept at producing good kings.

An Award for Bill Clinton Came With $500,000 for His Foundation  —  To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Petra Nemcova, a Czech model who survived the disaster by clinging to a palm tree, decided to pull out all the stops for the annual fund-raiser of her school-building charity, the Happy Hearts Fund.

Rand Paul's money problem  —  Behind the Kentucky senator's NSA ‘filibuster’ lies a desperate quest for cash.  —  In a presidential campaign defined by billionaire sugar daddy donors, Rand Paul has a problem: He doesn't seem to have one.  —  While his rivals cultivate wealthy backers …

Oologah officer injured in shooting during pursuit  —  NOWATA, Okla. —  Quick Facts:  — Officer shot during pursuit of suspects north of Nowata  — Officer was transported to the hospital in serious condition  — Pursuit continued across Kansas line where 2 suspects were taken into custody

Christie: Dump Common Core education standards  —  PEMBERTON — Navigating New Jersey interests and a likely presidential campaign, Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday proposed dropping national Common Core education standards he once supported but have since become a lighting rod issue for Republican voters.

The Insecure American  —  America remains, despite the damage inflicted by the Great Recession and its aftermath, a very rich country.  But many Americans are economically insecure, with little protection from life's risks.  They frequently experience financial hardship …

The U.S. must do more to help Iraq fight the Islamic State  —  THE OBAMA administration has responded to the recent gains by the Islamic State in Iraq with several remedial measures, including accelerating a shipment of antitank weapons to Iraqi forces and pledging to push harder for the delivery of arms to Sunni tribes.

Scott Walker to Sign Ban on Abortions for Rape, Incest  —  Potentially complicating his 2016 bid, the Wisconsin governor has said he will sign a 20-week abortion bill that includes no exemption for rape or incest.  —  When it comes to abortion, Scott Walker aims to keep his promises.

Hawks of a Feather  —  The Republican candidates and foreign policy.  —  Oklahoma City  —  The Republican candidates in the crowded and growing presidential field may each be trying to break out of the pack, but there's one policy area where debate is scarce.

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 …