Trump dominates GOP field heading into 2016  —  Washington (CNN)Donald Trump seems set to end 2015 as the dominant force in the race for next year's Republican nomination for president, with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz now a clear — yet distant — second after a strong debate performance, a new CNN/ORC poll released on Wednesday has found.

What Ted Cruz said behind closed doors  —  In June, Ted Cruz promised on NPR that opposition to gay marriage would be “front and center” in his 2016 campaign.  —  In July, he said the Supreme Court's decision allowing same-sex marriage was the “very definition of tyranny” and urged states to ignore the ruling.

FOX Business Network Announces Entry Criteria for GOP Primary Debates on Jan. 14  —  FOX Business Network has announced the candidate criteria for its two Republican presidential primary debates on January 14, 2016.  —  The debates, which have been sanctioned by the Republican National Committee …

Being a woman costs more than being a man: Study  —  Women based products face higher prices than men's  —  A new study finds female based products cost more than those for men  —  Women are paying thousands of dollars more over the course of their lives than men to purchase similar products …

To Rein In Wall Street, Fix the Fed  —  WALL STREET is still out of control.  Seven years ago, the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department bailed out the largest financial institutions in this country because they were considered too big to fail.  But almost every one is bigger today than it was before the bailout.

US stops British Muslim family from boarding flight to visit Disneyland  —  A British Muslim family heading for Disneyland was barred from boarding a flight to Los Angeles by US authorities at London's Gatwick airport amid concerns of an American overreaction to the perceived terrorist threat.

Bush did not invent this quasi-monarchical process.  But he did embrace it. … “This is, in my opinion, nothing more than a Jim Crow law that we have unfortunately maintained to the current era.” … “Florida is a purple state...You can't help but suspect a partisan motivation.”

The Long Battle for Ramadi  —  Iraqi ground forces stormed Ramadi on Tuesday in an attempt to wrest control of the Iraqi city from the Islamic State, which has controlled it for months.  —  The troops began their offensive Monday night on the edges of the city, and by midday Tuesday …

Police sgt. says governor was ‘inebriated’  —  SANTA FE - A Santa Fe police officer's recording shows the officer and a Santa Fe hotel security guard discussing whether Gov. Susana Martinez was intoxicated in the moments after she talked to them about a report of loud noise and bottles …

Progressives have a sexual harassment problem  —  Share Tweet Reddit Digg Mail Print SMS More  —  The Left loves to claim moral superiority over the Right when it comes to women, coining phrases like “the war on women” and claiming Republicans want to take America back back to the “Mad Men” era.

N.B.A. Lends Its Name and Its Stars to Campaign Against Gun Violence  —  The National Basketball Association, alarmed by the death toll from shootings across the country, is stepping directly into the polarizing debate over guns, regulation and the Second Amendment with an unusual advertising campaign …

The super-rich ruler who stones gays, now bans Christmas: Sultan of Brunei threatens Muslims who celebrate it with up to five years in prison while Christians must keep theirs secret  — In 2014 the country introduced an anti-gay Sharia Penal Code, which includes the execution of any Muslim for sodomy

Mitch McConnell and the Coal Industry's Last Stand  —  Shale gas, solar, wind, new regulations and environmentalists have put relentless pressure on coal.  But the Senate majority leader still believes he can stem the tide.  —  jarowley  —  A ballad called “Coal Keeps the Lights On” …

FBI failed to heed public warnings of Mohammed cartoon contest attack in Garland, TX … Undermining FBI Director James Comey's claim that encryption hinders terrorism investigations, the director of SITE Intelligence Group said the FBI was warned a week before the Garland, Texas attack occurred …

U.S. Cold War Nuclear Target Lists Declassified for First Time  —  According to 1956 Plan, H-Bombs were to be Used Against Priority “Air Power” Targets in the Soviet Union, China, and Eastern Europe  —  Major Cities in Soviet Bloc, Including East Berlin, Were High Priorities in “Systematic Destruction” for Atomic Bombings