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.

Can Martin O'Malley take flight?  —  The former Maryland governor wants to seize Elizabeth Warren's mantle and take on Hillary too.  Problem is almost no one knows him.  —  Lead image by Greg Kahn for Politico Magazine.  —  BALTIMORE—Martin O'Malley grins gamely when I ask him why there isn't yet a …

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,” …

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.

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 …

Longmont valedictorian silenced over speech disclosing he was gay  —  Twin Peaks charter principal also accused of outing 18-year-old to his parents  —  Second shot at a speech  —  Out Boulder is providing an opportunity for Twin Peaks Charter Academy High School valedictorian Evan Young …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.