Obama, Democrats at odds before State of the Union address  —  Tensions between liberal Democrats and President Obama are bubbling up as the president heads to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to deliver his final State of the Union address to a restless ­Congress.

Biden says Obama offered financial help amid son's illness  —  Washington (CNN)As his eldest son faced the prospect of resigning as Delaware's attorney general amid health concerns, Vice President Joe Biden received an offer that floored him: financial support from his boss, President Barack Obama.

Trump Has Started Playing ‘Born In The USA’ At Rallies To Taunt Cruz  —  Now that he has raised questions about Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-TX) Canadian birth and American citizenship, Donald Trump has started playing Bruce Springsteen's “Born in the USA” before campaign rallies, according to reports in The Weekly Standard and the Texas Tribune.

Strong Unions, Strong Democracy  —  IF the questions that came up during oral argument in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association on Monday are any guide, the ruling bloc of conservative justices appears ready to render a decision later this year that would significantly weaken public sector labor unions.

The Brutalism of Ted Cruz  —  In 1997, Michael Wayne Haley was arrested after stealing a calculator from Walmart.  This was a crime that merited a maximum two-year prison term.  But prosecutors incorrectly applied a habitual offender law.  Neither the judge nor the defense lawyer caught the error and Haley was sentenced to 16 years.

Whitesboro residents vote to keep controversial ‘racist’ village seal  —  The controversial Whitesboro village seal, which residents voted Monday night to keep.  (Provided photo)  —  Whitesboro residents voted Monday night to keep the village's controversial seal, rather than replace it with a new image.

German police: It's an Arab rape game called Taharrush, and now it has come to Europe  —  After the NYE mass assaults against women in several European cities, the German Federal Criminal Police Office, BKA, now say that the Arab “rape game” Taharrush has established itself in Europe.

Sanders: Law enforcement should handle campus rape  —  Bernie Sanders called for all rape accusations on college campuses to be handled through law enforcement, a controversial stance that puts him at odds with many advocates.  —  Decrying rape and sexual assault on campuses as an “epidemic …

RISE IN MIGRANTS LEAVING GERMANY FOLLOWING COLOGNE SEX ATTACKS  —  Germany has started sending a growing number of migrants back to Austria since the New Year's Eve sex attacks in Cologne shocked the country.  —  Some of the departing migrants said they did not want asylum in Germany …

ISIS member behind deadly Istanbul blast, PM says  —  Read more about this story at CNN Turk.  —  Istanbul (CNN)The suicide bomber who killed at least nine foreigners on Tuesday in a popular central Istanbul tourist area belonged to ISIS, officials said — an attack that shows the group's nerve, reach and capacity for terror.

George Miller will never make another ‘Mad Max’ movie  —  MORE FROM:  —  Ricky Gervais: “I never want to emcee the Oscars.  So stiff and uptight.  Boring as s - - t.  Not my gig.  But hosting the Golden Globes is a fun night.  You have a drink.  Everyone's loose.

Bevin notifies feds he'll dismantle kynect  —  FRANKFORT, Ky. Following through on a campaign pledge, Gov. Matt Bevin has notified federal authorities he plans to dismantle kynect, Kentucky's health insurance exchange created under the Affordable Care Act.  —  The decision drew immediate fire …