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.

Chrome extension scrubs Trump from the web  —  Americans tired of the media fixation on real estate mogul and presidential candidate Donald Trump have a new tool at their disposal, courtesy of a Brooklyn web developer.  —  The Trump Filter extension for Chrome, created by Rob Spectre …

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 …

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 …

Florida mom shoots daughter dead after mistaking her for an intruder … A Florida woman killed her 27-year-old daughter after mistaking her for an intruder, officials in St. Cloud said on Wednesday.  —  Police said that the mother was sleeping when she heard something that sounded …

Behind the Lens: 2015 Year in Photographs  —  One of the best and most challenging aspects of my job is whittling down a year's worth of photographs to the final selections for my annual Year in Photographs.  Every year, I attempt to keep it less than 100 photos—and every year I fail in that goal.

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.

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 …

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 …

Pataki Was Running for the Nomination of a GOP That No Longer Exists  —  Once upon a time there was a “lane” for moderate Republicans in presidential primaries, and being governor of New York was an automatic qualifier for the nomination.  No more.  —  The classic comment about the impact …

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.

Palos Verdes police chief promises to take on the ‘Bay Boys’ of Lunada  —  Sef Krell is an attorney and a surfer who said he was harassed last year by ‘Bay Boys’ who try to drive away visitors who come to surf at Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes.  He filed a police complaint but the case has not been solved.