Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert accused of hiding sex abuse of former student  —  J. Dennis Hastert stumbled into political power amid a Republican sex scandal in 1998 that unexpectedly elevated the husky Illinoisan to a position just two heartbeats away from the presidency.

Open carry will soon be the law in Texas … AUSTIN - Texas will soon be an open carry state.  —  The state House and Senate on Friday gave final approval to the legislation, which starting on Jan. 1 will allow those with a concealed carry license to openly tote their handguns in a shoulder or hip holster.

House Dem: Left has ‘hijacked’ party message  —  Rep. John Delaney (Md.), a centrist House Democrat, on Friday warned that voices on the left have “hijacked” his party's message.  —  “With Washington already broken, the last thing we need is a left-wing version of the tea party,” …

Cuba Officially Removed From U.S. State Sponsor of Terrorism List  —  After 45-day review, move clears hurdle for reestablishing diplomatic ties  —  WASHINGTON—Cuba's designation by U.S. officials as a state sponsor of terrorism was officially lifted Friday, the State Department said …

New ‘robocall’ rules could leave Americans in the dark  —  Pollsters see the FCC's proposed guidelines on automated calls as an existential threat.  —  For many Americans, the idea of technology that can block automated telephone calls sounds like a solution to all those annoying “robocalls” and interrupted family dinners.

Ross Ulbricht, Creator of Silk Road Website, Is Sentenced to Life in Prison  —  Ross W. Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, a notorious online marketplace for the sale of heroin, cocaine, LSD and other illegal drugs, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday in Federal District Court in Manhattan.

Cops: Teacher Showed Pupils Boob Job Pix  —  Virginia educator, 34, is being probed over before/after photos  —  Police are investigating a Virginia high school teacher who allegedly showed several students before and after photos of her breast enlargement surgery, according to a court filing.

Texas student sues after college bans gun rights sign  —  A Texas college student filed suit against her school this week, saying her constitutional rights were violated when she was shooed off the quad for displaying a pro-Second Amendment sign.  —  Nicole Sanders, 24, who attends Blinn College …

Ann Coulter: My Immigration Plan Would ‘Not Admit Overweight Girls’ Into US  —  Ann Coulter, conservative columnist, said Friday in an email to Breitbart News that if she ran the immigration system, she wouldn't “admit overweight girls” into the US.  —  Coulter's comments were reportedly …

Appeals Court Strikes Down Idaho's 20-Week Abortion Ban  —  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit struck down an Idaho law banning abortions 20 weeks into pregnancy Friday on the basis that the law unconstitutionally prohibits abortions before the point of viability.

In Europe, Fake Jobs Can Have Real Benefits  —  At 9:30 a.m. on a sunny weekday, the phones at Candelia, a purveyor of sleek office furniture in Lille, France, rang steadily with orders from customers across the country and from Switzerland and Germany.  A photocopier clacked rhythmically …

CNN's Jake Tapper won't moderate panel discussion at Clinton Global Initiative confab  —  CNN anchor Jake Tapper has pulled out of his scheduled duties moderating a panel on workforce investment at the upcoming Clinton Global Initiative America Meeting in Denver from June 8-10.

Exclusive: U.S. tried Stuxnet-style campaign against North Korea but failed - sources  —  The United States tried to deploy a version of the Stuxnet computer virus to attack North Korea's nuclear weapons program five years ago but ultimately failed, according to people familiar with the covert campaign.

North Carolina Governor Vetoes ‘License To Discriminate’ Bill  —  North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) has vetoed a bill that would have allowed state officials to refuse to officiate marriages.  The legislation (SB 2), which passed in the House on Thursday having previously passed in the Senate …