RNC pulls out of NBC debate  —  The Republican National Committee has pulled out of a planned Feb. 26 debate with NBC News after widespread criticism of this week's CNBC debate from both the party and campaigns.  —  “We are suspending the partnership with NBC News for the Republican primary debate …

U.S. to deploy small number of special forces to Syria in advisory role  —  U.S. President Barack Obama plans to deploy a small number of special operations forces to Syria to advise rebels Washington deems moderate, U.S. sources said on Friday, a step he has long resisted to avoid getting dragged into another war in the Middle East.

The Not Ready for Prime Time Bush  —  Like Scott Walker, Jeb couldn't rise to the demands of the national stage.  —  We'll begin with what went wrong with the Republican debate in Boulder, Colo., then look at what went wrong with Jeb Bush.  —  CNBC's debate moderators have famously come under fire …

Obama drawn into Clinton email controversy  —  President Barack Obama found himself drawn into Hillary Clinton's email controversy Friday as the White House acknowledged the State Department is withholding a set of messages Obama and Clinton exchanged during her four years as secretary of state.

‘Shell-shocked’ CNBC staffers had long flight home  —  For the CNBC employees who boarded a charter plane right after Wednesday's bruising GOP debate, the redeye flight was physically smooth but emotionally turbulent.  —  People were exhausted, but also rattled and worried.

Obama to Boehner: 'Man, I'm gonna miss you'  —  President Barack Obama placed a call to John Boehner on his penultimate day as Speaker, telling the Ohio Republican he was sorry to see him go.  —  “He said, 'Boehner, man, I'm gonna miss you,' ” Boehner recalled in an interview broadcast Friday on Fox News.

Chief Operating Officer Leaves Jeb Bush Campaign  —  The highest-ranking official known to lose her job in Jeb Bush's flagging campaign is Christine Ciccone, the campaign's chief operating officer.  —  News of Ms. Ciccone's departure comes a week after the Bush campaign announced a re-organization …

Storm gusts blow giant, inflatable pumpkin through Peoria  —  Halloween came early for drivers and pedestrians as a giant, inflatable pumpkin emerged from a group of trees before bouncing through a Peoria intersection and down the roadway in video captured on Thursday.

Black Lives Matter protesters interrupt Hillary rally  —  Protesters with the Black Lives Matters movement interrupted a Hillary Clinton rally in Atlanta on Friday, where she planned to unveil her criminal justice reform plan.  —  Members of the civil rights group in the crowd chanted …

Policy and Character  —  David Brooks writes a pro-Marco-Rubio column, and in passing says this: … It won't surprise you to learn that I disagree deeply.  My experience is that the best way to figure out a candidate's true priorities — and his or her character — is to look hard at policy proposals.

SXSW Announces March 12 Online Harassment Summit  —  Earlier this week we made a mistake.  By cancelling two sessions we sent an unintended message that SXSW not only tolerates online harassment but condones it, and for that we are truly sorry.  —  The resulting feedback from the individuals involved …

Alabama Teacher of the Year who left Mountain Brook for Birmingham is resigning  —  Ann Marie Corgill, 2015 National Teacher of the Year finalist and 2014-2015 Alabama Teacher of the Year, has submitted a letter of resignation to Birmingham City Schools.  —  Corgill, a fifth-grade teacher …

NASA Adds to Evidence of Mysterious Ancient Earthworks  —  High in the skies over Kazakhstan, space-age technology has revealed an ancient mystery on the ground.  —  Satellite pictures of a remote and treeless northern steppe reveal colossal earthworks — geometric figures of squares …

If You're Black, Lead the Pack  —  Ben Carson shows that being a minority and a conservative is not a contradiction.  —  H  —  ere's something you may not know: Dr. Ben Carson is black.  —  Of course, I'm being a little cute here.  The only way you wouldn't know he's black is if you were blind and only listened to the news.