Charleston Church Shooting Suspect, Dylann Storm Roof, Captured  —  CHARLESTON, S.C. — The man suspected of killing nine people at a prayer meeting at a historic black church in this city's downtown area was caught on Thursday some 200 miles away in North Carolina, local and federal officials said.

Alexander Hamilton: Immigrant, Bastard, Patriot  —  Alexander Hamilton was a bastard.  Indeed, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson never tired of calling him that - the ‘Bastard Brat of a Scots Pedlar’ who infuriated them time and again.  They called him this for one reason above all …

Brian Williams breaks silence in Matt Lauer interview  —  Suspended NBC news anchor Brian Williams has broken his silence in an interview with his colleague Matt Lauer.  —  The sit-down with Lauer, the co-host of the “Today” show, was taped earlier this week, according to two people at NBC.

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

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 …

Supreme Court Says Texas Can Reject Confederate Flag License Plates  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Texas did not violate the First Amendment when it refused to allow specialty license plates bearing the Confederate battle flag.  Such plates, Justice Stephen G. Breyer wrote …

Apple Watch 2: Apple plans FaceTime camera, iPhone-free Wi-Fi, $1000+ models, similar battery  —  Two months after the initial launch of the Apple Watch, and only a day following the device's debut at Apple Stores, sources have revealed Apple's considerations for the 2016 release of a second-generation model.

Blow Up the Tax Code and Start Over  —  Apply a 14.5% flat tax to personal income and to businesses.  Cut deductions.  Watch the economy roar.  —  Some of my fellow Republican candidates for the presidency have proposed plans to fix the tax system.  These proposals are a step in the right direction …

Ben Carson Says He Wants to Seal the Border to Keep Out People ‘That Want to Bomb Us’  —  The presidential contender spoke at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials' annual conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.  —  There is only one Republican presidential candidate …

First on CNN: GOP presidential hopefuls urged to reject same sex marriage  —  Washington (CNN)Candidates seeking the Republican presidential nomination will be urged Thursday to sign a pledge promising to support a constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between one man and one woman.