For Robert Dear, Religion and Rage Before Planned Parenthood Attack  —  CHARLESTON, S.C. — The man she had married professed to be deeply religious.  But after more than seven years with Robert L. Dear Jr., Barbara Micheau had come to see life with him as a kind of hell on earth.

A letter to our daughter  —  Your mother and I don't yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future.  Your new life is full of promise, and we hope you will be happy and healthy so you can explore it fully.  You've already given us a reason to reflect on the world we hope you live in.

Emanuel fires McCarthy  —  Chicago Police Supt.  Garry McCarthy has been fired by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the mayor confirmed Tuesday.  —  McCarthy was called into City Hall on Monday and when he left City Hall he still had a job.  But overnight, the mayor called McCarthy to tell him he was out …

MTV News posts 2001 clip that sparked Trump 9/11 claim  —  As Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to offer newspaper clippings and soundbites he says are proof of his claim that he saw “thousands and thousands” of Muslim Americans cheering the terror attacks of Sept. 11 …

Unearthing America's Deep Network of Climate Change Deniers  —  A new study attempts the first tally of those driving the peculiarly American strain of climate change denial.  —  The American public has turned away from outright denial of climate change.  Sixty-three percent of adults describe …

You won't believe why N.H.'s top paper endorsed Christie |  Moran  —  If you haven't read the fulsome endorsement of Gov. Chris Christie from New Hampshire's most influential paper, take a minute.  This could be important.  —  Know two things about this endorsement from the Manchester Union-Leader.

Hillary Clinton is getting crushed on social media, captured in one word cloud  —  Above is a word cloud of all mentions related to Hillary Clinton during the month of November, through midnight Eastern time.  —  The graphic, via our analytics partners at Zignal Labs, does not exactly highlight …

Speaker Paul Ryan eyes strategy for government shutdown fight  —  House Speaker Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) strategy for avoiding a government shutdown is taking shape, with his leadership team seeking a clean break from the divisive intraparty warfare that plagued John Boehner's (R-Ohio) tenure.

Trump mulls debate boycott unless CNN donates $5M  —  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (Steven Senne, AP)  —  Donald Trump proposed demanding $5 million from CNN in order for him to participate in the next Republican presidential debate during a rally in Macon, Ga. on Monday.

The Reagan Administration's Unearthed Response to the AIDS Crisis Is Chilling  —  A new short film, When AIDS Was Funny, unearths never-before-heard audio reaction to the escalating AIDS crisis.  —  One of the most prominent stains on the reputation of the much-mythologized Reagan administration …

Rubio: Paris Attacks and 9/11 Are Part of God's Plan for Our Lives  —  Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio spoke about seeking God's guidance, arguing that the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris last month and in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, were both part of God's mysterious plan for the universe.

You Can't Understand American Politics Without Reading This Study  —  I don't say this lightly or often.  But this is one of the most important studies in years in terms of understanding the current state of American politics and society.  The study is the work of two Princeton University scholars …

Cruz Excoriates Rubio on Foreign Policy, Links Him to Clinton  —  In an exclusive interview, the Texas Republican positions himself as a third way between “neo-con” interventionism and isolationism.  —  Ted Cruz on Monday offered his strongest denunciation so far of Marco Rubio's foreign policy views …

‘Exploding’ hoverboard blamed for destroying Lafitte family's home  —  LAFITTE, La. (WGNO)- Jessica Horne can't believe that the hoverboard her son couldn't wait to get— could have killed him.  Now she blames the toy for a fire that destroyed her home.  —  Just five days before Thanksgiving …

Wary of Donald Trump, G.O.P. Leaders Are Caught in a Standoff  —  WASHINGTON — For months, much of the Republican Party's establishment has been uneasy about the rise of Donald J. Trump, concerned that he was overwhelming the presidential primary contest and encouraging other candidates to mimic his incendiary speech.