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.

Photo of birthday cake decorated at Meijer goes viral for good reasons … GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A picture of a cake decorated at the Gaines Township Meijer is making the rounds on social media as people learn the story behind who created it.  —  Over the weekend, Lisa Aldrich posted a photo of a cake she purchased at Meijer.

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.

Jeb on VP pick: I think she will be a great partner … Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush hinted on Tuesday that he is considering a female running mate in 2016.  —  “Should I be elected president, I would have my vice president — I think she will be a great partner,” the Republican White House hopeful said in Waterloo, Iowa.

GOP lawmaker sees ‘common denominator’ in shooter, abortion  —  Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), a leading House abortion opponent, says last week's shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic should “only increase” efforts to defund the organization.  —  Franks said that the shooting at a clinic …

Donald Trump is a bigot and a racist  —  Let's not mince words: Donald Trump is a bigot and a racist.  —  Some will think this an outrageous label to apply to the frontrunner for a major party's presidential nomination.  Ordinarily, I would agree that name-calling is part of what's wrong with our politics.

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 …

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.

Man charged for murdering Ferguson woman after Facebook meeting  —  FERGUSON, MO (KTVI) - A man has been charged with shooting a Ferguson single mother, Sharae Bradford, 25, last Saturday.  Stassie Greer, 20, of Jennings has been charged with 1st degree murder, 1st degree robbery, and two counts of armed criminal action.

Red Sox, David Price reach deal that is largest ever for a pitcher  —  The Red Sox are taking no shortcuts with their rotation this time.  According to a source briefed on the negotiations, they agreed on Tuesday on a seven-year, $217 million contract with lefthander David Price.

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.

Long-Hidden Details Reveal Cruelty of 1972 Munich Attackers  —  In September 1992, two Israeli widows went to the home of their lawyer.  When the women arrived, the lawyer told them that he had received some photographs during his recent trip to Munich but that he did not think they should view them.

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 …

Is Donald Trump too chicken to debate?  —  In the latest bit of political insanity, Donald Trump has threatened not to show up at the next debate unless CNN agrees to give $5 million to charity.  Trump surely knows this is preposterous and would be rejected out of hand.

Former intel chief says WH worried over re-elect ‘narrative’  —  Washington (CNN)President Barack Obama's former top military intelligence official said Tuesday that the White House ignored reports prefacing the rise of ISIS in 2011 and 2012 because they did not fit their re-election “narrative.”

DICAPRIO RAPED BY BEAR IN FOX MOVIE  —  The new movie ‘REVENANT’ features a shocking scene of a wild bear raping Leo DiCaprio!  —  The explicit moment from Oscar winning director Alejandro Inarritu has caused maximum controversy in early screenings.  Some in the audience escaped to the exits …

Twitter threats to black Kean students made by black alum, police say  —  ELIZABETH — A recent Kean graduate has been charged with being responsible for a series of tweets threatening black students at the school two weeks ago, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Tuesday.

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 …

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.

Black Friday breaks record with 185K gun background checks  —  More Americans had their backgrounds checked purchasing guns on Black Friday than any day in the on record, according to data released by the FBI this week.  —  The National Instant Criminal Background Check System processed 185,345 requests …

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 …

How history got the Rosa Parks story wrong  —  The quiet seamstress we want on our $10 bill was a radical active in the Black Power movement.  —  Sixty years ago, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Ala. Her courageous act is now American legend.

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 …

Video: Food fight inside Concord 7-Eleven store  —  Concord (KRON) — KRON4 has exclusively obtained video of a food fight inside of a Concord 7-Eleven store.  —  This incident occurred back on November 20 at the story on Monument Boulevard.  —  The clerk refused sell cigars to two female customers without identification.

Top 2015 baby names inspired by Instagram, ‘Empire’ … Jackson and Sophia may be the long-reigning king and queen of baby names, but this year they're accompanied by Royalty... literally.  —  The gender-neutral name Royalty is up 90% in 2015, as are other regal names like Duchess (up 75% from 2014) Reign (up 54%) and Sultan (up 25%).

Iowa lawmaker supports executing some felons in US illegally  —  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa state senator and congressional candidate was criticized by Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday after he said he supports executing immigrant felons who seek to re-enter the U.S. illegally after being deported.