Donald Trump's Strongest Supporters: A Certain Kind of Democrat  —  Donald Trump holds a dominant position in national polls in no small part because he is extremely strong among people on the periphery of the Republican coalition.  —  He is strongest among Republicans who are less affluent …

Obama Administration Preparing Fresh Iran Sanctions  —  Nearly a dozen companies and individuals targeted over ballistic-missile program  —  The Obama administration is preparing to impose its first financial sanctions on Iran since it forged a landmark nuclear agreement in July …

Man Charged With Arson in Houston Mosque Fire  —  Authorities say a man who has been charged with arson in a Christmas Day fire at a Houston mosque told an investigator he worshipped there.  —  U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent Nicole Strong …

Justice comes for Cosby: Already guilty in the court of public opinion, America's Predatory Step Uncle now gets his day in court  —  More than two decades and 60 accusers after women first called Bill Cosby a rapist and sex abuser, a prosecutor will try to prove beyond a reasonable doubt …

Jonathan Stickland's Pot Antics are Comical.  His Views on Rape are Terrifying.  —  Update, 12:48 p.m.: After my piece ran Wednesday morning, Stickland called to say he “severely regrets” the comments he'd made in the past.  His official statement: “I do not feel that way today.

Cops: Mom shot, killed daughter mistaken for intruder  —  Police say a St. Cloud mother accidentally shot and killed her daughter late Tuesday night, mistaking her for an intruder. … Privacy Policy  —  Police say a St. Cloud mom accidentally shot and killed her 27-year-old daughter late Tuesday night …

How Rubio helped his ex-con brother-in-law acquire a real estate license  —  When Marco Rubio was majority whip of the Florida House of Representatives, he used his official position to urge state regulators to grant a real estate license to his brother-in-law, a convicted cocaine trafficker …

Speaking Fees Meet Politics for Clintons  —  Former president spoke to groups with issues before State Department  —  At Hillary Clinton's confirmation hearing for secretary of state, she promised she would take “extraordinary steps...to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.”

Ted Cruz's Fundraising Jumps in 4th Quarter  —  Sen. Ted Cruz raised almost $20 million for his presidential campaign in the fourth quarter — a 66% increase over the previous three-month period, according to a campaign officials and a memo that shows how the Texas Republican's fundraising pace accelerated as he has gained in the polls.

New Year's Surprise: Obama Regulation To Give Work-Permits To Foreign College-Graduates  —  As the nation prepares to ring in the New Year, President Barack Obama is preparing a colossal new executive action that could print-up work permits for a huge number of foreign white-collar graduates every year …

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.

Fairfield grandmother drowns 4-year-old boy and leaves his body in hallway, police say  —  None of Dawn Raines-Hewes' neighbors in Fairfield knew what to think when the woman ran out of her house screaming Tuesday morning.  —  Police say neighbors peered out their windows …

Freak storm pushes North Pole 50 degrees above normal to melting point  —  A powerful winter cyclone — the same storm that led to two tornado outbreaks in the United States and disastrous river flooding — has driven the North Pole to the freezing point this week, 50 degrees above average for this time of year.

Caught on Video: Hoverboard Fire on Koreatown Sidewalk Prompts LAFD Response  —  In an incident that was caught on video, Los Angeles firefighters extinguished the flames from a burning hoverboard in the Koreatown neighborhood on Wednesday.  —  Firefighters from Station 13 were returning …