Carson doubles down on no Muslims in the White House  —  Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson is standing by his view that a Muslim should not be president of the United States, telling The Hill in an interview on Sunday that whoever takes the White House should be “sworn in on a stack of Bibles, not a Koran.”

Poll: Clinton's lead over Sanders grows  — If Joe Biden doesn't enter the race, Clinton's lead would grow to nearly 2-to-1 over Bernie Sanders  —  Washington (CNN)Hillary Clinton's lead in the Democratic presidential primary race has grown — and if Vice President Joe Biden decides to stay …

Political Split Awaits Pope Francis on Eve of U.S. Visit  —  WASHINGTON — Pope Francis will arrive at a military base outside the capital on Tuesday afternoon to open his first visit to the United States, and President Obama will be there to welcome him.  It is a gesture the president …

Lord Ashcroft's David Cameron biography is the political book of the decade  —  Today we lift the lid on the extraordinary feud between David Cameron and a billionaire Tory donor that has triggered the most explosive political biography of the decade.  —  In the dynamite book …

Far from destroying our democracy, he's exposing all its phoniness and corruption in ways as serious as he is not.  And changing it in the process.  —  As the summer of Donald Trump came to its end — and the prospect of a springtime for Trump no longer seemed like a gag …

U.S. Soldiers Told to Ignore Afghan Allies' Abuse of Boys  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — In his last phone call home, Lance Cpl. Gregory Buckley Jr. told his father what was troubling him: From his bunk in southern Afghanistan, he could hear Afghan police officers sexually abusing boys they had brought to the base.

Cancer-stricken children, parents ejected from park near White House  —  The U.S. Secret Service ordered hundreds of parents and their cancer-stricken children out of Lafayette Square on Saturday night, barricading the park for at least two hours and disrupting the group's plans for a candlelight vigil …

Scott Walker Mounts a Last Stand in Iowa  —  It's been a thrilling—and harrowing—roller coaster ride for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.  —  First, the Republican presidential candidate suddenly rose and broke from the pack with a well-received speech at the Iowa Freedom Summit in January …

Exclusive: This Is the ISIS Intel the U.S. Military Dumbed Down  —  The intelligence pros said killing certain ISIS leaders might not diminish the group and that airstrikes might not be working.  The bosses didn't like those answers—not at all.  —  Senior intelligence officials …

Oregon's Legal Sale of Marijuana Comes With Reprieve  —  PORTLAND, Ore. — About 15 years ago, when she was in her 20s, Erika Walton handed a bong to someone who turned out be a police officer, and was cited for marijuana possession.  She paid the fine, she said, but the violation lingered on, haunting her record.