CNN / ORC Poll: Trump tops in Iowa as Scott Walker drops  —  Washington (CNN)Donald Trump has a significant lead in the race to win over likely Iowa caucus-goers, according to the first CNN/ORC poll in the state this cycle.  —  Trump tops the field with 22% and is the candidate seen …

The Queen of Paradox and Her Crumbling Stone Wall  —  Hillary Clinton is both a political colossus and a catastrophe.  —  For once, Hillary Rodham Clinton seemed to be a decent candidate.  Taking aim at weak spots in the GOP lines, she attacked Jeb Bush on women's health, Marco Rubio on abortion …

China blasts: Casualties in Tianjin port city explosions  —  Massive explosions have hit China's northern city of Tianjin, leaving at least 17 people dead and hundreds more injured.  —  State media said the blasts happened in a warehouse storing “dangerous and chemical goods” in the port area of the city.

Donald Trump mocks Rand Paul, calls on him to quit presidential race  —  UPDATE: At 6:50 p.m., Donald Trump sent The Washington Post a lengthy response to Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's ad.  Here it is, in full. … At 7:32 p.m., Paul campaign strategist Doug Stafford sent this response.

Hillary elites are freaking out.  This memo tells them to STOP.  —  Hillary Clinton's campaign circulated a memo to top allies in Washington this week with an unmistakably Obama-esque theme: Don't worry, we've got this.  —  It comes at a time when Clinton's elite Acela-corridor allies …

The myth of Trump's angry legions  —  Voters of America: Get ahold of yourselves, please.  —  I know you're irrational and seething with anger.  I know this because I keep reading about it, in every somber piece of punditry about Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders or what's going to drive the 2016 campaign.

The Google Search That Made the CIA Spy on the US Senate  —  John Brennan was about to say he was sorry.  —  On July 28, 2014, the CIA director wrote a letter to senators Dianne Feinstein and Saxby Chambliss — the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee (SSCI) and the panel's ranking Republican, respectively.

Jimmy Carter says he has cancer, revealed by recent surgery  —  2 photos  —  ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Jimmy Carter announced he has been diagnosed with cancer in a brief statement issued Wednesday.  —  “Recent liver surgery revealed that I have cancer that now is in other parts of my body …

Sneed exclusive: Trump willing to consider a woman for VP  —  Sign-up for Chicago Sun-Times newsletters. … Getty Images  —  The Trump report  —  GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump tells Sneed he would be open to having a woman as his running mate.

Howard Dean and Bernie Sanders — compare and contrast  —  Joe Trippi, who managed Howard Dean's insurgent campaign in 2003-04, compares Bernie Sanders' campaign to Dean's in an interview with the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza.  —  Speaking of Trippi, why has Fox News replaced …

Can We Interest You In Teaching?  —  Teaching can't compete.  —  When the economy improves and job prospects multiply, college students turn their attention elsewhere, to professions that promise more money, more independence, more respect.  —  That was one takeaway from a widely discussed story …

Woman killed by LAPD after robbery reported in South L.A.  —  Los Angeles police shot and killed a woman Wednesday afternoon in South L.A. after officers received a report of a robbery, officials said.  —  The incident unfolded about 1:40 p.m., when officers from the LAPD's Southwest Division went …

Huckabee: DOJ Should ‘Criminally Prosecute Planned Parenthood’  —  Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) on Wednesday laid out how he would tackle Planned Parenthood without the support of Congress if he were elected president.  —  When asked on about Iowa radio host Simon Conway …

How to watch the Perseid meteor shower  —  Pop some kernels and head outside for the meteor show Wednesday night!  —  Skywatchers can catch the Perseid meteor shower in one of its brightest displays in years thanks to a coinciding new moon.  —  “The Perseids feature fast and bright meteors …

Whole Foods' John Mackey: Why Intellectuals Hate Capitalism  —  They're jealous, he says, they side with rulers, and they don't understand how markets work.  —  “Intellectuals have always disdained commerce” says Whole Foods Market co-founder John Mackey.  They “have always sided …

Wisconsin governor signs bill to fund new Milwaukee Bucks arena  —  Pablo Torre breaks down why he believes Milwaukee and St. Louis are both falling victim to scams in order to finance new arenas.

5 GAO workers charged with fraud in obtaining school lunch subsidies  —  Five employees of a federal government watchdog agency, one of whom is a member of the Prince George's County school board, were indicted Tuesday on charges of illegally obtaining reduced-price school lunches for their children, officials said.

Brandi Lee Weaver-Gates, Pennsylvania Beauty Queen, Arrested After Allegedly Faking Cancer  —  A Pennsylvania beauty queen is facing felony charges for allegedly raising thousands of dollars from donors whom she tricked into believing she was battling cancer, police say.