Nine Are Killed in Charleston Church Shooting; Gunman Is Sought  —  CHARLESTON, S.C. — A white gunman opened fire Wednesday night at a historic black church in downtown Charleston, S.C., killing nine people before fleeing and setting off an overnight manhunt, the police said.

Pope Francis, in Sweeping Encyclical, Calls for Swift Action on Climate Change  —  VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Thursday called for a radical transformation of politics, economics and individual lifestyles to confront environmental degradation and climate change, as his much-awaited papal encyclical blended …

Brian Williams expected to stay at NBC  —  Brian Williams is down, but not out.  —  NBC and Williams have come to a tentative agreement that will keep Williams at the network after his six-month suspension ends in August.  —  The decision, described by people with knowledge of the plan …

Donald Trump Campaign Offered Actors $50 to Cheer for Him at Presidential Announcement  —  Donald Trump's big presidential announcement Tuesday was made a little bigger with help from paid actors — at $50 a pop.  —  New York-based Extra Mile Casting sent an email last Friday to its client list …

Hillary Clinton crafts defense on tenure at State Department  —  Hillary Clinton has started to formulate a strategy on one of the thorniest issues she will face on the campaign trail: her tenure as President Obama's secretary of State.  —  Republicans have ripped Clinton's reign …

Woman's Portrait Will Appear on the $10 Bill  —  WASHINGTON — Growing numbers of Americans are going cashless, but demands to finally put a woman on paper currency persist.  And now the Treasury has announced that a portrait of a woman, to be determined soon, will grace the $10 bill.

The Last Time Conservatives Dismissed a Major Encyclical, It Ended Terribly for Them  —  Despair is ranked as one of the unforgivable sins, yet right-wing Catholics deserve some mercy in their despondency.  The bulwark of their political creed is being subverted by both the new direction Pope Francis …

Fox News as we know it may be screwed: Roger Ailes' stunning rebuke could spell the end  —  With Rupert Murdoch stepping aside, Roger Ailes will now report to Murdoch's Fox-hating sons  —  After reports surfaced that Rupert Murdoch planned to step down as head of media giant 21st Century Fox …

Senate GOP floats 2-year Obamacare fix  —  Senate Republicans are coalescing around a plan to extend Obamacare subsidies for up to two years if the Supreme Court strikes them this month.  —  The court is due to rule within days on whether the president's health care law allows people using HealthCare.gov to get insurance subsidies.

Scott Walker's latest target: College professors  —  As Republican Gov. Scott Walker prepares to campaign for president as the man who tamed Wisconsin's unions, he's targeting tenure protections for professors at public colleges and universities.  —  Getty

N.H., Iowa Republicans fret about primary power loss  —  DERRY, N.H. — For nearly a half century, Iowa and New Hampshire have played a pivotal role in American electoral politics.  But their top place on the nominating calendar is under threat like never before.