The Ted Cruz pile on: GOP senators warn of revolt should he win nomination  —  Washington (CNN)Republican Party leaders and prominent senators are sharpening their knives against Ted Cruz, expressing growing alarm over his candidacy as he continues to mount a serious threat in Iowa.

Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders hold solid leads in Iowa, CNN/ORC poll finds  —  Washington (CNN)Donald Trump holds a commanding lead in Iowa as Sen. Bernie Sanders takes control of the Democratic race in the critical first-in-the-nation voting state, according to a new CNN/ORC poll released Thursday.

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 …

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 …

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.

The ‘Obama is a Muslim’ conspiracy theory is still reverberating in the Middle East  —  When Barack Obama stepped onto the national political stage almost a decade ago, rumors swirled that he was secretly a Muslim.  These rumors have frequently been debunked — the U.S. president is a practicing Christian …

Bill Clinton questions Hillary's Super Tuesday plan  —  Bill Clinton is getting nervous.  —  With polls showing Bernie Sanders ahead in New Hampshire and barely behind, if at all, in Iowa, the former president is urging his wife to start looking toward the delegate-rich March primaries …

The smoking gun?  —  Special Access Programs (SAP) is a game changer.  It is now undeniably clear that the results of the FBI investigation will be the end of one of two things: Hillary's bid for the White House or the legitimacy of the FBI—at least when it comes to prosecuting cases on the mishandling of classified material.

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.”

Search crews find Noah Chamberlin dead  —  CHESTER COUNTY, Tenn. — Rescue crews have found 2-year-old Noah Chamberlin.  —  The little boy was found dead by rescue crews about a mile from the home.  —  A visibly upset search and rescue crew asked people to keep the family of Noah in your prayers.

BREAKING: Oklahoma City Cop Will Serve 263 Years In Prison For Serial Rape Of Black Women  —  Former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw was sentenced to a full 263 years in prison on Thursday for a series of rapes and sexual assaults against black women living on his beat.