Trump ties with Pope Francis in U.S. poll for second most-admired man in the world  —  Americans named Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama as their most admired woman and man in the world in 2015, with Donald Trump earning the same share of admiration as Pope Francis …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Uncle accidentally shoots 2-year-old niece in the face while trying out new Christmas gift  —  DON'T MISS STORIES.  FOLLOW RAW STORY!  —  A 2-year-old girl in Oregon was rushed to the hospital after being shot in the face on Christmas morning by her uncle.

Democrat: Tighten social media screening of visa applicants  —  A senior Democratic congressman is calling for stepped-up monitoring of social media accounts belonging to people coming into the country through various visa programs, in response to the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif.

Winners and losers of the year  —  It's been a wild year in politics, both on the presidential campaign trail and in the halls of Congress.  —  But as 2015 draws to a close, it's time to take stock of who saw their fortunes rise, and who might want to put the past 12 months behind them.  —  WINNERS

Islam and Minnesota: Can we hear some straight talk for a change?  —  Don't miss Scott's article in tomorrow's Minneapolis Star Tribune, titled (by the Strib) “Islam and Minnesota: Can we hear some straight talk for a change?”  It's a great piece: … But how about those “Minnesota men” …

Colbert: Trump is playing my old character better than I could  —  Comedian Stephen Colbert says he had to give up his old faux conservative character on the “Colbert Report” because GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump is playing it better than he ever could.

The Enduring Popularity of Fraud  —  Steve's post earlier today is a great reminder of how over the last 200 years, free enterprise has led to an unprecedented explosion of wealth, individual liberty and creativity.  Nothing in human history-putting aside for the moment the claims of religion …

New riot ideology: Results through coercion  —  In the summer of 1966, Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach warned that there would be riots by angry, poor minority residents in “30 or 40” American cities if Congress didn't pass President Lyndon Johnson's Model Cities antipoverty legislation.