Ben Carson blasts RNC, threatens to leave Republican Party  —  Ben Carson on Friday blasted the Republican National Committee following a Washington Post report that nearly two-dozen establishment party figures were prepping for a potential brokered convention as Donald Trump continues to lead most polls.

House: Could Trump Lead to Apocalypse for Republicans?  —  To most Republican strategists, there's no bigger nightmare than Donald Trump as the GOP's presidential nominee in 2016.  This week, just about every Democrat running for president, Senate, House, and their respective campaign committees sought …

Trump: I will mandate death penalty for killing police officers  —  Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Thursday vowed to issue an executive order to mandate the death penalty for anyone who kills a police officer.  —  “One of the first things I'd do in terms of executive order …

Homeland Security Shut Down Investigation Into Farook And Malik Linked Islamist Group To Protect ‘Civil Liberties’ Of Potential Terrorists  —  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been accused of deleting intelligence records relating to dangerous Islamists linked to terrorists Sayed Farook …

WATCH: Carly Fiorina snarls at CNN host after he confronts her over Planned Parenthood smears  —  DON'T MISS STORIES.  FOLLOW RAW STORY!  —  Aspiring 2016 GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina went from smiling to combative in a split-second during a contentious debate …

Rand Paul could be booted from main debate stage  —  Rand Paul, once considered the main contender for the anti-establishment GOP vote, will likely be pushed off the debate stage next week when CNN announces the lineup for the fifth Republican forum.  —  Chris Christie, however …

San Bernardino Attackers' Friend Spoke of ‘Sleeper Cells’  —  RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The regulars did not take it seriously when Enrique Marquez mused about terrorism at Morgan's Tavern, a dank dive bar where the bespectacled 24-year-old hauled ice, cleaned bathrooms and checked ID's at the door.

AS TRUMP RISES, CLINTON PREACHES LOVE AND KINDNESS  —  URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) — Hillary Clinton had just finished detailing the dangers of terrorism, recalling tough calls in the White House situation room as secretary of state and lashing out at her Republican rivals for threatening the safety of Americans.

McConnell poised to give Jon Stewart what he wants  —  After weeks of withering criticism from comedian Jon Stewart, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell guaranteed on Friday that a health care bill for 9/11 first responders will be included in a must-pass, year-end spending deal.

Empowering the Ugliness  —  We live in an era of political news that is, all too often, shocking but not surprising.  The rise of Donald Trump definitely falls into that category.  And so does the electoral earthquake that struck France in Sunday's regional elections, with the right-wing …

Donald Trump Really Doesn't Want Me to Tell You This, But ...  Over a long weekend on assignment for Playboy magazine, Mark Bowden found that behind the garish Trump façade lies only more ugliness.  —  I spent a long, awkward weekend with Donald Trump in November 1996 …

Lindsey Graham: Trump Leading Because 40% Of GOP Voters Think Obama Is Kenyan Muslim  —  “I can promise you that Hillary Clinton will clean his clock,” Graham added.  —  Saul Loeb / AFP / Getty Images  —  South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said his presidential opponent Donald Trump …

Marco Rubio has already cut ObamaCare's throat  —  ObamaCare is on death watch.  —  On Wednesday, Cigna CEO David Cordani said the giant insurer won't commit to offering policies on the ObamaCare exchanges beyond next year.  This, just two weeks after a similar announcement from the country's largest insurer, UnitedHealth.

WMUR booted from next Democratic debate  —  New Hampshire's most influential television station is being pushed out of next week's Democratic debate.  —  The reason?  A labor dispute between a handful of employees at the station, WMUR, and its owner, the Hearst CorporationS.

Survey of Kentucky Residents on State Health Policy  —  Liz Hamel, Mira Norton, and Mollyann Brodie  —  Executive Summary  —  Kentucky has received national attention as the only Southern state to fully embrace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by creating its own state-based health insurance marketplace …

America's Immigration Challenge  —  On Wednesday, FBI director James Comey alleged that the San Bernardino shooters were already plotting a mass-murder attack on the United States before Tafsheen Malik received the K-1 visa admitting her to the United States.  Her husband-to-be, Syed Farook, was born a U.S. citizen.

Leo DiCaprio Now Officially a Joke in Canada: Confuses Chinook Wind with Climate Change  —  Leonardo DiCaprio has spoken movingly about how he witnessed at first hand the horrors of climate change during the making of his Oscar-tipped movie The Revenant.  —  Most of the wintry revenge Western …

Men are so lazy  —  I'm not sure exactly when my wife finished her Christmas shopping, but it seems like a long time ago.  And ever since, she's been issuing me subtle warnings disguised as questions.  —  “Well, honey, I'm all done Christmas shopping — how about you?”

Camille Paglia Takes on Taylor Swift, Hollywood's #GirlSquad Culture  —  Can group selfies advance women's goals?  In an essay for The Hollywood Reporter, the famed feminist urges social media packs to skip the “tittering, tongues-out mugging of Taylor Swift” — whose “twinkly persona …

Priest paid his male ‘sex master’ from collection plate: lawsuit  —  A Catholic priest swiped collection-plate donations to pay for drug-fueled sex romps with a heavily muscled S&M “master,” a new lawsuit charges.  —  Parishioners claim the Rev. Peter Miqueli has stolen at least $1 million since 2003 …