Cruz apologizes for Biden joke at Livingston Co. dinner  —  Howell — GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz used a speech before Livingston County Republicans on Wednesday night to tell jokes about liberals and Democrats, including Joe Biden on the week the vice president lost his eldest son to brain cancer.

Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar: Sisters 'weren't even aware' of Josh's ‘wrongdoing’  —  Michelle Duggar told Megyn Kelly Wednesday that she and her husband were “devastated” when they learned their then-teenage son Josh had molested several of his sisters.  —  During an hour-long exclusive interview on …

Carly Fiorina reveals personal net worth of $59 million  —  GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina revealed on Wednesday evening that she and her husband have a net worth of $59 million — as she took a barely veiled shot at Hillary Clinton over transparency.

Is the Tide Turning against PC?  —  Has the contemptible Laura Kipnis Affair incensed the worm into turning?  Our own David French certainly hopes so.  “Feminists from Jezebel to The Nation have expressed concern about Kipnis's treatment,” French wrote on Monday, “and Jonathan Chait …

EPA: Fracking poses no ‘widespread, systemic’ harm to drinking water  —  A long-awaited EPA report on hydraulic fracturing hands a victory to the oil and gas industry, concluding that the extraction process has “not led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources.”

Huckabee Befuddled By Topless Women  —  “Are topless photos of women an offensive display of sexism, or an empowering display against sexism?  I have a feeling most men don't care much either way.”  —  Matt Sullivan / Getty Images  —  The Huckabee Report

White House Brief: Things to Know About Rick Perry  —  Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is entering the 2016 race for the Republican presidential nomination Thursday.  Key things to know about him:  —  THE BRIEF  —  The longest-serving governor in Texas history, Perry was a Democrat who became …

Hunting for Hackers, N.S.A. Secretly Expands Internet Spying at U.S. Border  —  WASHINGTON — Without public notice or debate, the Obama administration has expanded the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance of Americans' international Internet traffic to search for evidence …

Twitter Just Killed Politwoops  —  A Twitter spokesperson just provided the following statement to Gawker regarding the apparent suspension of Politwoops' access to Twitter's developer API, which enabled the Sunlight Foundation-funded site to track tweets deleted by hundreds of politicians.

9 Completely Bonkers Things The Newest GOP Presidential Candidate Believes About The Constitution  —  Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is expected to announce his bid to seek the GOP presidential nomination on Thursday.  It will be Perry's second attempt to secure a home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue …

John Cusack Talks ‘Love & Mercy,’ Drug Trips, and How Obama Is ‘Worse Than Bush’  —  In a wide-ranging chat, the celebrated film star discusses his excellent biopic on Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson, psychedelics, and why President Obama has let him down.  —  “I just say what I think, and if people don't like it, that's OK.”

Possible artifacts of data biases in the recent global surface warming hiatus  —  1National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Asheville, NC 28801, USA.  —  2LMI, McLean, VA, USA.  —  Much study has been devoted …

The Complex Power Coupledom of Chris Hughes and Sean Eldridge  —  Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and political activist Sean Eldridge were once the ultimate team, but Hughes's controversial purchase of The New Republic and Eldridge's failed run for Congress made the once-heroes villains.

Black Chicago Pastor: Dems ‘Failing’ Us  —  A pastor on the South Side is asking Republicans to talk to his flock after what he says are 50 years of disappointment from the other party.  —  CHICAGO — It is difficult to imagine a less likely GOP presidential campaign stop than O Block.

Lincoln Chafee doubles down on metric conversion  —  Democratic presidential candidate Lincoln Chafee did not give a centimeter on his defense of the metric system Thursday, touting the economic benefits and the symbolic importance of the United States joining the rest of the world in implementing the measurement scale.

The campaign to put Julian Castro on Hillary Clinton's VP shortlist  —  It's way too early, Clinton insiders say.  But the Castro buzz is useful as Democrats court Hispanics.  —  Getty  —  The Democratic National Convention isn't for 13 months, and Hillary Clinton isn't the party's nominee …

Lindsey Graham Compares Hillary Clinton To North Korea's Kim Jong Un  —  Presidential candidate Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) took a swipe at Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during a Thursday appearance on Fox News, comparing her to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Game of Thrones is secretly all about climate change  —  Did you know that Game of Thrones is secretly about the world's terrible failure to stop climate change?  Well, it is, and this video explains why:  —  The show's much more entertaining stand-in for climate change is the White Walkers …

Arrest Warrants Issued To People Who Cheered At High School Graduation  —  Senatobia, Miss. (CBS HOUSTON) — Four people who cheered at a Mississippi high school graduation may be thrown in jail after police issued warrants for their arrest.  The superintendent who filed the charges said it's …

Marco Rubio just made another confusing comment about his Middle East policy  —  Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) offered a somewhat confusing explanation of his Iraq policy in an appearance on Fox News' “Outnumbered” on Thursday.  —  Rubio seemed to express support for US troops being present in Iraq …

Broad Public Support for Legal Status for Undocumented Immigrants  —  Other Attitudes About Immigration More Mixed  —  With immigration shaping up to be a major issue in both the final years of the Obama administration and the 2016 presidential campaign, most Americans (72%) continue to say undocumented

Parents of teen who survived tragedy at Bear Lake speak; community rallies to mourn those who died  —  NORTH OGDEN, Utah — Monday afternoon, 7 best friends and 6 mothers headed to Bear Lake for a trip they had all spent months planning.  They ate lunch, swam, and then took turns touring the lake on a ski boat.

Dish Network in Merger Talks With T-Mobile US  —  Dish and T-Mobile have agreed Charlie Ergen would be chairman and John Legere CEO, sources say  —  Dish Network Corp. is in talks to merge with T-Mobile US Inc., people familiar with the matter said, a deal that would accelerate a wave …

Selfie With Parents' Sex Toys?  Alameda Teacher Accused Of Assigning Bizarre Extra Credit For Sophomores  —  ALAMEDA (CBS SF) — Parents of students at Encinal High School in Alameda want a teacher fired after they say he sent them home with an extra credit assignment of finding sex toys …

Bernie Sanders: Let's Spend $5.5 Billion to Employ 1 Million Young People  —  The Employ Young Americans Now Act is the sort of legislation that would have struggled even in a Democratic Congress.  In a Capitol controlled by Republicans, it might as well propose taxing churches to pay for sex reassignment surgeries on a moon base.