Trump rises, Carson collapses in Post/ABC poll  —  Donald Trump has hit his highest level of support yet in a new Washington Post/ABC News poll of registered Republicans out Tuesday: 38 percent.  —  Despite the widespread blowback over Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. …

U.S. Working on Plan to Scrutinize Social Media in Visa Reviews  —  Move is part of new focus following San Bernardino shootings  —  WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is working on a plan to scrutinize social media posts as part of its visa application process …

‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Director Tackling Ted Kennedy Thriller ‘Chappaquiddick’ (Exclusive)  —  The script was just named to the 2015 Blacklist.  —  Sam Taylor-Johnson, who directed Fifty Shades of Grey, is in talks to direct Apex Entertainment's feature Chappaquiddick.

Obama spokesman takes a dig at Trump's medical report  —  President Obama's top spokesman isn't buying Donald Trump's medical report declaring the GOP front-runner would be the healthiest person ever elected president.  —  “Is the suggestion that Mr. Trump's doctor conducted …

On ‘Princess Bride’ Portrayals, Mandy Patinkin Thinks Ted Cruz Doesn't Get It  —  In recent days, the actor Mandy Patinkin, who played the master swordsman Inigo Montoya in the classic 1987 film “The Princess Bride,” has received emails from friends alerting him to pictures on the Internet …

State Department sued over refugee plan  —  A conservative legal watchdog is suing the State Department to obtain documents about its work with aid organizations to resettle refugees in the United States.  —  Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit, months after failing to obtain the records through a Freedom of Information Act request.

McConnell vows ambitious agenda in treacherous 2016  —  Mitch McConnell vowed when he took over as Senate majority leader to get the notoriously gridlocked Senate moving again.  Eleven months later, he can claim bona fide progress on several fronts — such as a bipartisan budget deal …

EPA's water-rule blitz was ‘covert propaganda,’ GAO says  —  The EPA broke the law with its social media campaign promoting a controversial Obama administration water rule that has drawn fierce resistance from farming, development, oil and other industries, government watchdogs said Monday.

Carson, Huckabee, Fiorina earned speaking fees during campaign  —  Presidential candidates typically take a timeout from the paid-speech circuit to avoid potential conflicts of interest and thorny restrictions on mixing campaign and personal business.  But that hasn't stopped Ben Carson …

Bowe Bergdahl to Face Court-Martial on Desertion Charges  —  A top Army commander on Monday ordered that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl face a court-martial on charges of desertion and endangering troops stemming from his decision to leave his outpost in 2009, prompting a huge manhunt in the wilds …

NBA referee Bill Kennedy reveals he is gay; Rajon Rondo alleged to have made slur to him  —  Bill Kennedy, one of the NBA's top referees, has revealed he is gay.  —  “I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man,” Kennedy told Yahoo Sports on Sunday night.

Judge acquits Chicago police commander of abuse charge despite DNA evidence  —  Glenn Evans, one of the Chicago Police Department's 22 district commanders, is accused of chasing a suspect, Rickey Williams, into a building, shoving the barrel of his service weapon “deep down” his throat …

Missouri Bill Would Strip Scholarships If Athletes Strike  —  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A state legislator is proposing that student athletes should lose their scholarships if they go on strike, a response to a threat by University of Missouri football players not to play over criticism …

Disgruntled Guest Rams Truck Into Oklahoma Hotel Desk, Just Missing Two Women  —  Stunning video released Monday shows an angry man ramming his pickup truck through the lobby and into the front desk of an Oklahoma hotel as two women dive for safety at the last second.

Pharma Bro's Latest Move Targets Latinos  —  After dropping $2 million on a Wu-Tang Clan album, the pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli has found a new project: making an essential treatment unaffordable for poor immigrants from Latin America.  —  Shkreli, otherwise known as “pharma bro …

Chicago Teachers Union votes to back strike  —  Sign-up for Chicago Sun-Times newsletters. … Nearly every one of the thousands of Chicago teachers who cast ballots last week to determine whether they could go on strike voted to do so, blowing past a 75 percent approval mandated by the state.

Apple Opens Secret Laboratory in Taiwan To Develop New Screens  —  Engineers developing LCD, OLED technologies for devices  —  Facility in remote science park has no external signs of Apple  —  Apple Inc. opened a production laboratory in northern Taiwan where engineers are developing …

MSNBC's Harris-Perry Gripes Over ‘Totally Black Guy’ Darth Vader As Evil Character  —  Share it Tweet it  —  On her eponymously named Sunday morning show, MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry went into a mini-rant about racism in Star Wars as she complained about villain Darth Vader being …