Clinton Most Admired Woman for Record 20th Time  —  PRINCETON, N.J. — Americans again name Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama the woman and man living anywhere in the world they admire most.  Both win by wide margins over the next-closest finishers, Malala Yousafzai for women and Pope Francis and Donald Trump for men.

Ben Carson on the brink: ‘A process like this is pretty brutal’  —  Two days before Christmas, with his presidential campaign fading fast, Ben Carson sought to take control at his manse in the countryside west of Baltimore.  —  A video crew was in the front living room preparing to film a campaign ad.

Meadowlark Lemon, Harlem Globetrotter Who Played Basketball and Pranks With Virtuosity, Dies at 83  —  Meadowlark Lemon, whose halfcourt hook shots, no-look behind-the-back passes and vivid clowning were marquee features of the feel-good traveling basketball show known as the Harlem Globetrotters …

Cleric denies ties to San Bernardino killers as phone records surface  —  The cleric acting as spokesman for the San Bernardino mosque where terrorist Syed Rizwan Farook worshipped claims he barely knew Farook and didn't know his terrorist wife at all.  But phone records and other evidence uncovered …

Disappearing Presidential Candidates  —  Hey, remember Scott Walker?  That corn-fed, Kohls-shopping, union-busting, unintimidated governor of a blue state who had a real shot at next July's nominating convention?  —  He's probably sitting in his Madison, Wisconsin, office right now reading …

A Texas restaurant chain posted a notice declaring itself ‘politically incorrect’  —  See Also  —  About two weeks ago, Berryhill Baja Grill, a restaurant chain that specializes in Mexican cuisine, posted notices outside each of their nine locations warning their customers that the restaurant is …

The dark side: The secret world of sports doping  —  Al Jazeera investigation raises questions about whether sports heroes are linked to performance-enhancing drugs  —  Inside a hotel room in Austin, Texas, a pharmacist advises a professional athlete on taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Republicans split on attacking climate science  —  The Republican Party is divided over whether to attack the science of climate change when opposing liberal policies.  —  Many of the most vocal Republicans say they have significant problems with the scientific consensus that the Earth …

David Spade: Obamas too ‘thirsty’ for attention  —  Actor David Spade says President Obama's appearances on reality TV shows like “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” are unbecoming of the presidency.  —  “I criticized Obama because I thought, you know, a president should have a little more dignity than …

EXCLUSIVE: Queens student claims cops wrongfully arrested, beat him for walking dog without leash  —  A 25-year-old college student says he was wrongfully arrested and beaten by Queens cops for walking his puppy outside his home without a leash.  —  Nicholson Gregoire stepped outside …

Fresno police investigate beating of Sikh man as hate crime  —  The victim was assaulted west of Highway 99 One of the suspects yelled, ‘Why are you here?’  —  Fresno police are conferring with FBI, Homeland Security on the assault … A Sikh man was attacked Saturday morning west …