The man to beat in Iowa: Scott Walker  —  He is reluctant to embrace the front-runner's mantle.  But his Iowa roots, plain-spoken style, and familiarity as the governor next door have made him a force in the key early state.  —  M.Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO  —  BOONE, IA — In a fluid race …

Christie's last question on 2016: “Do I want to do it?”  —  Shares -  —  For Chris Christie, the final question on a potential 2016 bid is: “Do I want to do it?”  —  The New Jersey governor has said he'll decide whether to join the already-crowded field of candidates vying …

Hillary Clinton Traces Friendly Path, Troubling Party  —  WASHINGTON — Hillary Rodham Clinton appears to be dispensing with the nationwide electoral strategy that won her husband two terms in the White House and brought white working-class voters and great stretches of what is now red-state America back to Democrats.

‘Mattress Girl’ Emma Sulkowicz Just Released a Sex Tape: Here's My Review  —  In preparing for this review, my researcher had to watch Emma Sulkowicz, a.k.a. “Mattress Girl,” perform fellatio on an overweight man eleven times.  He tells me that he is now seriously considering homosexuality.

What Makes a Woman?  —  Do women and men have different brains?  —  Back when Lawrence H. Summers was president of Harvard and suggested that they did, the reaction was swift and merciless.  Pundits branded him sexist.  Faculty members deemed him a troglodyte.  Alumni withheld donations.

Dennis Hastert Rushed to Make Money as Payouts Grew  —  WASHINGTON — After a relatively slow start to his career as a consultant and lobbyist, J. Dennis Hastert, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, became very busy in 2010.  He was traveling to spots including Singapore and Montreal …

As he nears a 2016 bid, Louisiana's Bobby Jindal hits political bottom  —  BATON ROUGE — Just weeks before he is expected to announce his presidential campaign, Bobby Jindal is at the nadir of his political career.  —  The Republican governor is at open war with many of his erstwhile allies …

SEAL Team 6: A Secret History of Quiet Killings and Blurred Lines  —  During a chaotic battle in March 2002 on the Takur Ghar mountaintop close to the Pakistan border, Petty Officer First Class Neil C. Roberts, an assault specialist in SEAL Team 6, fell from a helicopter onto terrain held by Qaeda forces.

With Power Tools and a Ruse, 2 Killers Escape New York Prison  —  DANNEMORA, N.Y. — Two convicted murderers serving life sentences in adjoining cells staged an elaborate escape from New York's largest state-run prison between Friday night and Saturday morning, fooling guards with makeshift dummies …

AMERICAN PHAROAH BECOMES FIRST TRIPLE CROWN WINNER SINCE '78  —  American Pharoah became the first horse since 1978 to win the Triple Crown when he won the 147th Belmont Stakes on Saturday.  —  Jockey Victor Espinoza pushed Pharoah to the front soon after the race started …