Alan Rickman, giant of British screen and stage, dies at 69  —  Much-loved star of stage, TV and films including Harry Potter and Die Hard - and owner of one of the most singular voices in acting ­- has died in London  —  Alan Rickman, one of the best-loved and most warmly admired British actors …

Iowa Poll: Clinton slides, leads Sanders by 2 points  —  Hillary Clinton has lost most of her lead over Bernie Sanders in the race to win Iowa's Democratic presidential caucuses, a new Iowa Poll shows.  —  Clinton, who has been the favorite all along, now leads Sanders by just 2 percentage points …

South Carolina GOP chairman: Coulter's attack on Haley ‘despicable’  —  The chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party on Wednesday blasted conservative commentator Ann Coulter for suggesting his state's governor, Nikki Haley, be deported.  —  “First off, what Ann Coulter said is despicable …

Ted Cruz Didn't Disclose Loan From Goldman Sachs for His First Senate Campaign  —  As Ted Cruz tells it, the story of how he financed his upstart campaign for the United States Senate four years ago is an endearing example of loyalty and shared sacrifice between a married couple.

How Badly Has the U.S. Been Humiliated?  Let's Count the Ways [Updated]  —  Paul has offered thoughts on the release of the U.S. sailors, all of which I agree with.  I want to add a few further observations.  —  The day began with Joe Biden touting the president's State of the Union speech on CBS.

Paul Ryan: Obama's State of the Union ‘degrades the presidency’  —  WASHINGTON — In a scathing response to President Obama's State of the Union Address, House Speaker Paul Ryan told USA TODAY on Wednesday that the speech's political tone toward Donald Trump and the Republican presidential field “degrades the presidency.”

Ben Carson's Finance Chair Resigns From Campaign  —  Dean Parker, the finance chair of retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson's presidential campaign, has resigned, according to a Thursday news release.  —  His resignation comes on the heels of a Politico story about the campaign's exorbitant spending …

Jakarta attacks: Bombs and gunfire rock Indonesian capital  —  A series of explosions has rocked the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, with gun battles on the streets.  —  The blasts were centred around Thamrin Street, a major shopping and business district close to foreign embassies and the United Nations offices.

Repeal and replace ... with what?  —  Every remaining Republican presidential candidate supports repealing the Affordable Care Act.  Yet their ideas for replacing the law are “still works in progress,” according to a headline last week in the Wall Street Journal.

Jeb: ‘Donald Trump is a jerk’ to disabled  —  Former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.) says that Donald Trump is “a jerk” for his past remarks toward the disabled in a new online ad released Thursday.  —  “I've got to get this off my chest — Donald Trump is a jerk,” the GOP presidential candidate said in the spot titled “Enough.”