This is just the blood-letting the Republican Party needs  —  It's getting hot in here.  —  Tuesday morning, the political-action committee supporting Jeb Bush released an extraordinarily nasty — and inaccurate — ad bashing Marco Rubio for missing key intelligence briefings on the Paris and San Bernardino terrorist attacks.

Man charged with setting Houston mosque fire was a devout attendee  —  A Houston man has been arrested in connection with a suspected arson at a mosque on Christmas Day.  —  A spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed that the man was arrested early Wednesday …

Arrest Warrant Issued for Bill Cosby for Alleged January 2004 Sexual Assault of Andrea Constand  —  An arrest warrant has been issued for entertainer Bill Cosby for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple employee Andrea Constand at his Elkins Park, Pennsylvania mansion in January 2004 …

Beards, Why? … Paul Ryan: House speaker, Wisconsinite, Republican standard-bearer, and now, lumber-sexual?  In an Instagram post late last month, the congressman unveiled a spray of chestnut stubble across his face.  “I'm the first Speaker to sport a beard in about 100 years,” he said.

Tx. pol posts denied marital rape, tried cheating drug test  —  A Texas lawmaker's career could be over after his posts denying marital rape surfaced on Tuesday, along with a flood of other shady writing.  —  Texas state representative Jonathan Stickland's dirty digital tracks came to light …

Cleveland's Terrible Stain  —  Tamir Rice of Cleveland would be alive today had he been a white 12-year-old playing with a toy gun in just about any middle-class neighborhood in the country on the afternoon of Nov. 22, 2014.  —  But Tamir, who was shot to death by a white police officer that day …

Militiamen, ranchers in showdown for soul of Burns  —  BURNS - The strangers carrying the whisper of danger arrived in the vast territory of the Harney Basin just before the holidays.  —  Ammon Bundy once helped his father repulse the government in an armed showdown on a Nevada desert.

U.S. Spy Net on Israel Snares Congress  —  National Security Agency's targeting of Israeli leaders also swept up the content of private conversations with U.S. lawmakers  —  President Barack Obama announced two years ago he would curtail eavesdropping on friendly heads of state …

Racial prejudice is driving opposition to paying college athletes.  Here's the evidence.  —  With the money made from college sports increasing every year, the way colleges treat their athletes has become controversial.  —  That's because college sports is a tremendously lucrative business for everyone but the athletes.

TERROR WARNING: Dying woman ‘plans ISIS attack in Europe’ amid refugee infiltration fears  —  A WOMAN with terminal cancer is feared to be planning a sickening Islamic State terror attack in Europe by disguising herself as a Syrian refugee - as the West faces a security lockdown over the festive period.

AT&T to ditch most two-year phone contracts on January 8th  —  AT&T's long affair with the two-year contract continues to wind down, Engadget has learned.  According to an internal document sent to employees this morning, new and existing customers will only be able to get new phones by paying …