Whisper Campaigns And “Zipper Problems”: How Jeb Bush's Allies Tried — And Failed — To Stop Marco Rubio  —  On the night of the 2010 midterm elections, a portly, silver-haired Jeb Bush stood on a stage in the courtyard of Miami's luxe Biltmore Hotel, appearing to choke back tears.

Black Pastors Rail Against Closed-Door Meeting With Trump, Citing Racist Language And Incitement  —  Dozens of African American pastors gathered behind closed doors with GOP frontrunner Donald Trump at his office in New York City on Monday.  The Trump campaign originally told press the pastors …

Abortion opponents defend their movement after Colorado shooting  —  In the wake of Friday's deadly shooting at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic, groups that oppose abortion are defending themselves against the charge that their rhetoric helped inspire the killer.

Amy Schumer and Serena Williams' Nude Photoshoot Is a Big Middle Finger to Trolls  —  For more than half a century, Italian tire maker Pirelli has released an annual calendar full of photos of supermodels in pin-up poses wearing skimpy lingerie or nothing at all.

1 in custody in threat at University of Chicago linked to Laquan McDonald shooting  —  University of Chicago security officers patrol the Hyde Park campus quad on Nov. 30, 2015. … An online threat to kill 16 white male students or staff in retaliation for the shooting of Laquan McDonald forced …

Sheldon Silver, Ex-New York Assembly Speaker, Is Found Guilty on All Counts  —  Sheldon Silver, an assemblyman who rose from the Lower East Side of Manhattan to become one of New York State's most powerful politicians, was found guilty on Monday in a federal corruption trial …

Ex-US Intelligence Chief on Islamic State's Rise:  —  ‘We Were Too Dumb’  —  Interview Conducted By Matthias Gebauer and Holger Stark  —  Without the Iraq war, Islamic State wouldn't exist today, former US special forces chief Mike Flynn openly admits.  In an interview …

Clinton opened State Department office to dozens of corporate donors, Dem fundraisers  —  WASHINGTON - As secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton opened her office to dozens of influential Democratic party fundraisers, former Clinton administration and campaign loyalists …

Obama and World Leaders Open Paris Climate Talks, Seeking a Deal  —  LE BOURGET, France — The largest gathering of world leaders in history on Monday began a multinational effort toward forging what many called the planet's last, best hope to stave off the worst consequences of climate change.

More like Reagan than FDR: I'm a millennial and I'll never vote for Hillary Clinton  —  I never thought I'd be encouraging people to not vote for the Democratic nominee for president.  But I am  —  I am a 27-year-old, politically active, progressive millennial voter.

White House presses GOP on ISIS  —  The White House is pushing congressional Republicans to formally authorize military action against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and institute new rules to prevent terrorism in the United States.  —  The press comes in the wake …

State sues prisoners to pay for their room, board  —  Melvin Moore is a paroled inmate being sued by the Illinois Department of Corrections to recoup the costs of incarceration. … The $31,690 Johnny Melton received to settle a lawsuit over his mother's death was going to help him start life anew after prison.

We can save atheism from the New Atheists like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris  —  There must be another way for nonbelievers than to transform, as Dawkins and Harris have done, into toxic know-it-alls  —  hy are the New Atheists such jerks?  Case in point: Richard Dawkins' continuing pursuit …

Six GOP presidential candidates will attend Ryan, Scott poverty forum  —  Six GOP presidential candidates will attend Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Tim Scott's presidential forum on poverty in January, a significant show of support for the two men's efforts to change the way Republicans talk about poverty.

2 Degrees Will Change The World  —  More Floods, More Drought Inevitable.  How Bad Do We Want It To Get?  —  World leaders are meeting in Paris this month in what amounts to a last-ditch effort to avert the worst ravages of climate change.  Climatologists now say that the best case scenario …

EXCLUSIVE: Juror in the Jodi Arias trial fell in love with murderess and held out against the death penalty, claims prosecutor - who also discloses she had knives, condoms and a gun in her car  — Juan Martinez led case against Jodi Arias through trial and two death penalty hearings when ended in her escaping capital punishment

Algebra Scores Prompt Second Look at Revamped Regents Exams  —  Here is the thorny math problem facing New York State education officials: If the percentage of students passing the Algebra I exam falls to 63 percent from 72 percent, and the passing grade is scheduled to increase by 14 points in coming years …