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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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

What really happened at Fairfield pool?  —  Cellphone videos from bystanders show police restraining and arresting teens at Fairfield pool.  Some teens hospitalized and claim police abuse.  Provided/Edited by Glenn Hartong  —  CONNECT  —  An altercation between Fairfield police and patrons …

Military clearance OPM data breach ‘absolute calamity’  —  Anxiety is spreading among defense officials and the military community that the recent theft of federal government data linked to China may affect hundreds of thousands of service members.  —  Compounding those concerns …