Cruz sternly rebuked by GOP  —  <p>Ted Cruz can't even get a protest vote in the Senate anymore. </p><p>On Monday night, Cruz's colleagues ignored his attempt to disrupt Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's efforts to fund the government without attacking Planned Parenthood.

Carly Fiorina Doubles Down On Planned Parenthood Lies  —  GOP presidential candidate and failed former HP CEO Carly Fiorina doubled down on her lies about Planned Parenthood “harvesting” baby parts during an appearance on NBC this Sunday.  Meet the Press host Chuck Todd did actually call Fiorina …

NBC/WSJ Poll: Anger Defines 2016 Electorate  —  One word seems to define the American public's mood more than 13 months until Election Day 2016 — anger.  —  According to the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 62 percent of respondents believe the country is headed in the wrong direction …

Obama has turned Putin into the world's most powerful leader  —  Barack Obama extends his hand to Vladimir Putin during their meeting at the United Nations General Assembly.  —  The baton was officially transferred Monday to the world's new sole superpower — and Vladimir Putin willingly picked it up.

Donald Trump Is Not Going Anywhere … don't worry about anything," Donald J. Trump told me aboard his 757 as we were flying to the recent Republican debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. He was dividing his attention between the brick-size slice of red-velvet cake …

Ta-Nehisi Coates  —  Journalist  —  Ta-Nehisi Coates is a journalist, blogger, and memoirist who brings personal reflection and historical scholarship to bear on America's most contested issues.  Writing without shallow polemic and in a measured style, Coates addresses complex …

Bush camp moves to ease donor angst  —  Assessing the state of anxiety on a scale of one to 10, one donor puts the panic level at a ‘six or seven.’ … For the past week, Jeb Bush's campaign advisers have been using a new data point to convince nervous donors that he's still the candidate to beat …

EXCLUSIVE: Brooklyn judge says ex-con's assault victims were ‘not angels’  —  An ex-con charged with assaulting two women while on federal supervised release got the break of his life when his violation hearing was heard by a controversial Brooklyn judge who said the victims “weren't angels” …

How Sweden's negative interest rates experiment has turned economics on its head  —  Nordic experimentation with sub-zero interest rates has changed the way central bankers think about fighting recessions  —  It has long been believed that when it comes to interest rates, zero is as low as you can go.

On taxes?  Not so populist  —  Analysis: Trump's plan would benefit the rich, and cost $2-3 trillion  —  On Monday, Donald Trump released his tax plan—for the most part, a classic supply-side approach that would simplify the number of tax brackets and cut the corporate rate to 15 percent.

Schumer in talks with Ryan on major tax, infrastructure deal  —  The two, along with Sen. Rob Portman, are trying to hash out a sweeping bipartisan package. … Three years ago, Chuck Schumer called Paul Ryan's plans for deficit reduction a “fraud.”  Now the future Democratic leader wants to cut a deal with him.

Hillsboro fugitive nabbed in Mexico  —  HILLSBORO, Ore ... A fugitive who had been on the run for more than 20 years is behind bars after federal agents found him in Mexico.  —  Paul Jackson and his brother, Vance Roberts, were suspected of holding two young women captive in the basement of their Hillsboro home.

Carly Fiorina's ultraconservative rage  —  How angry is Carly Fiorina?  So angry she can't see straight.  That's the only explanation for the yawning gulf between what she says and the plainly visible facts.  —  Fiorina stands out among the Republican presidential candidates …

Before mayor's call, 2 council members urged coal divestment  —  When Mayor Bill de Blasio calls on the city's five pension funds to divest from coal this week, he will not be alone.  In fact, two Council members beat him to it.  —  Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal and Councilman Costa Constantinides sent …

Why Robert Mugabe just shouted “We are not gays” in his UN speech  —  Robert Mugabe, the 91-year-old leader of Zimbabwe, deviated slightly from his prepared remarks, during his Monday evening address to the United Nations General Assembly, to do something that he does frequently: slur against homosexuality.