Donald Trump or Ted Cruz?  Republicans Argue Over Who Is Greater Threat  —  WASHINGTON — With Donald J. Trump and Senator Ted Cruz battling for the Republican nomination, two powerful factions of their party are now clashing over the question: Which man is more dangerous?

The Bush blame game begins  —  They think he wasted money on everything from an iPad-sized video mailer to direct mail for donors in states that don't yet matter.  They think his attacks on Marco Rubio are doing more harm than good.  And they worry that, at the end, all he will have accomplished …

Trump Fear Stalks Davos as Elite Pray for Spring Reality Check  —  Concerns over protectionism and U.S. reputation bubble up  —  Ex-White House advisor still thinks Trump will be nominee  —  If Donald Trump as president of the United States is the ghost that's stalking Davos …

Carly Fiorina accused of ‘ambushing’ children for anti-abortion rally  —  Party of schoolchildren visiting Iowa botanical garden become part of backdrop for Republican presidential candidate's speech on abortion  —  Carly Fiorina has been accused of “ambushing” a group of children …

Pentagon releases al Qaeda bomb expert from Guantánamo  —  The Pentagon on Thursday announced the transfer of two Guantánamo detainees, including an al Qaeda explosives expert who developed bombs to target U.S. forces.  —  Tariq Mahmoud Ahmed al-Sawah, 58, was transferred to Bosnia, where he holds citizenship.

Administration eases visa rules for travelers visiting terror hotspots  —  The Obama administration on Thursday eased visa rules for certain European travelers who have visited terror hotspots in the Middle East and Africa, triggering a backlash from congressional lawmakers who sought the restrictions for security reasons.

Bernie Sanders, and Simon and Garfunkel, Put Focus on Voters  —  With the help of the Simon and Garfunkel song “America,” Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has released a powerful 60-second commercial in Iowa that seeks to remind his supporters how far he, and they, have come — and to inspire them anew to caucus for him on Feb. 1.

As Water Problems Grew, Officials Belittled Complaints From Flint  —  LANSING, Mich. — A top aide to Michigan's governor referred to people raising questions about the quality of Flint's water as an “anti-everything group.”  Other critics were accused of turning complaints about water into a “political football.”

Vets: Don't Blame Obama for Track Palin's Behavior  —  Don't blame President Obama for the PTSD that Sarah Palin claims her oldest son is battling.  —  That was the message Wednesday from the head of a New York City-based veteran's organization that has fought for years to get Iraq …

Putin ‘Probably Approved’ Litvinenko Poisoning, British Inquiry Says  —  LONDON — A high-profile British inquiry into the poisoning of Alexander V. Litvinenko, a former K.G.B. officer and foe of the Kremlin, concluded on Thursday that his murder “was probably approved” by the head …