Clinton says Trump's vulgarity doesn't shock her  —  FAIRFIELD, Ia.  — Hillary Clinton said she wasn't surprised to hear that Donald Trump had used a vulgarity to refer to her this week, but she doesn't plan to rise to his bait by responding directly to his insults.

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.

Ted Cruz uses his kids as political props  —  There is an unspoken rule in editorial cartooning that a politician's children are off-limits.  People don't get to choose their family members so obviously it's unfair to ridicule kids for their parent's behavior while in office or on the campaign trail- besides, they're children.

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 …

Support for legal abortion at highest level in 2 years  —  1 photo  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Support for legal abortion in the U.S. has edged up to its highest level in the past two years, with an Associated Press-GfK poll showing an apparent increase in support among Democrats and Republicans alike over the last year.

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.

Only six GOP candidates likely to make next debate stage  —  The criteria for the next Republican debate could shrink the debate stage to just six candidates, potentially pushing John Kasich, Carly Fiorina and Rand Paul out of the main event and into the undercard debate, POLITICO has learned.

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.

AZ lawmaker who believes Earth 6,000 years old leads education panel  —  An Arizona lawmaker who believes the Earth is 6,000 years old is the new chairwoman of the state Senate committee that oversees education-related legislation.  —  Republican Sen. Sylvia Allen of Snowflake has a gift …

The 10 best food cities in America, ranked  —  T o be a great food city, it helps to have a large body of water nearby, a classic dish or three, and a population with a fondness for drink.  —  Those are among my impressions after spending more than 60 days on the road this year …

Fiorina Slams Cruz Campaign, Iowa Radio Host Over “Full Vagina” Comment  —  “V as in victor.”  —  Scott Olson / Getty Images  —  w.soundcloud.com  —  Carly Fiorina on Tuesday slammed Iowa radio host Steve Deace, a prominent surrogate for Ted Cruz' presidential campaign the state …

Showdown at the Mall of America  —  Last Christmas season, a “Black Lives Matter” demonstration disrupted the Mall of America and led to criminal charges against a number of protesters.  Leaders of the BLM movement have scheduled another such protest at the mall for tomorrow, so the Mall went to court to seek an injunction.

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

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” …