First on CNN: Graham ends his campaign for the White House  —  U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham suspends presidential campaign  — Sen. Lindsey Graham told CNN's Kate Bolduan in an exclusive interview that he is ending his presidential campaign  — Graham is an experienced foreign policy voice …

Video And Transcript: NPR's Interview With President Obama  —  Loading...  Listen to the Interview  —  NPR's Steve Inskeep interviews President Obama at the White House.  —  NPR YouTube  —  NPR's wide-ranging interview with President Obama covers his strategy fighting ISIS …

Clinton's brief absence at the Democratic debate explained  —  Coverage of the Saturday night Democratic debate has focused on Bernie Sanders' apology to Hillary Clinton for his staff's poor judgment in viewing her campaign's proprietary data.  But Clinton issued a “sorry” of her own — although for a far less serious matter.

Jeb Defends Trump: “Talk About Chutzpah” For Clinton To Say Trump Is In ISIS Videos  —  “Everybody knows the Benghazi excuse, that it was a video there.”  —  Justin Sullivan / Getty Images  —  w.soundcloud.com  —  Jeb Bush on Monday came to Donald Trump's defense against Hillary Clinton's claim …

Ted Cruz Is Still Best Positioned For The Nomination  —  I think Ted Cruz had a problematic week, but I do not think it has impacted him negatively with his base.  The most interesting observation to be made this coming week and over this past weekend is what Ted Cruz does with and how he treats …

Las Vegas Strip blocked off after car mows down pedestrians  —  11:45 p.m. ET: Officials don't yet know whether it was an accident or intentional.  —  11:44 p.m. ET: At least one dead and seven in critical condition, fire officials said.  There were a total of 37 patients.  —  [Original story]

Clinton campaign sweats out data breach damage  —  MANCHESTER, N.H. — Accusing your opponent of committing evil and unpardonable crimes is basic presidential campaign jujitsu.  But Hillary Clinton's team is genuinely jittery about the sneak peek taken by Bernie Sanders staffers into its secret voter file.

Woman Live-streams Video of Alleged Anthony Cumia Assault  —  Anthony Cumia was arrested and charged this weekend with strangulation in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, assault in the third degree, and criminal mischief in the third and fourth degree.

Heroic high school football player killed shielding teenage girls from gunmen  —  When the shooting began Thursday night in Knoxville, Tenn., Zaevion Dobson faced a split-second choice: run away and save himself or use his body as a shield to protect those around him.

FDA updates blood donor deferral policy to reflect the most current scientific evidence and continue to ensure the safety of the U.S. blood supply … For Immediate Release  —  Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued final guidance outlining updated blood donor deferral recommendations …

Miss Puerto Rico Destiny Velez suspended after anti-Muslim rant  —  There's nothing pretty about this beauty queen's comments.  —  Miss Puerto Rico Destiny Velez has been suspended indefinitely from Miss America competition after she fired off a series of vicious anti-Muslim tweets in response to the …

Anger: An American History  —  WHERE, many have asked these last weeks, do the rhetorical fireballs — the raging suspicion and rabid xenophobia — come from?  Barring people from our shores, Paul Ryan reminds us, is “not what this country stands for.”  Emma Lazarus would have agreed.

Cotton squares off against Apple CEO  —  Hawkish Sen. Tom Cotton is pushing back against Apple CEO Tim Cook's opposition to “backdoors” that would ensure the government has access to a suspect's encrypted data.  —  A day after Cook reiterated his support for strong encryption on CBS's …

Trump: I Have A “Good Feeling” About Putin, We Can Be A “Positive Force Together”  —  “I really believe that Russia and the United States can be a positive force together, as opposed to really working negatively with each other all the time.”  —  Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images  —  w.soundcloud.com

CBS Edits Out Criticisms of U.S. Policy From Frank Luntz Focus Group With Muslim Americans  —  When a CBS News segment featuring a focus group of American Muslims aired Friday, it highlighted their relationship to terrorism, with a particular fixation on how much responsibility they felt to condemn terrorist attacks.

Miscellaneous Americana for the New Year  —  John Wilkes [1727-1797].  You may have heard of “that devil [John] Wilkes.”  His publication—The North Briton—made him a hero in the eyes of American patriots and Whigs everywhere, and a thorn in the side of the British ministers …