Houston, We Have a Problem  —  National Review was asked by the RNC to partner in the GOP debates.  We agreed.  Our initial partner was NBC, with whom we were to help moderate the pre-Super Tuesday debate, originally to be held on February 26 in Houston, then suspended by the RNC in retribution …

How Change Happens  —  There are still quite a few pundits determined to pretend that America's two great parties are symmetric — equally unwilling to face reality, equally pushed into extreme positions by special interests and rabid partisans.  It's nonsense, of course.

A G.O.P. Majority in New Hampshire Pipes Up: We're Not for Donald Trump  —  BROOKLINE, N.H. — Jeanne Cleveland, a retired teacher, pursed her lips sourly at the mention of his name and tried to summarize her distaste in diplomatic terms.  —  “I think he's arrogant,” she said.  “I think he's rude.

Ted Cruz Forgets To Sign Up For Health Insurance, Blames Obamacare  —  GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz says his family is no longer covered by health insurance, and he thinks it's all Obamacare's fault.  —  “I'll tell you, you know who one of those millions of Americans is who's lost their health care because of Obamacare?

Inside the Carson campaign meltdown  —  On Thanksgiving night, Ben Carson sat in a chartered plane on a Baltimore airport tarmac surrounded by his wife and campaign advisers.  The destination: Jordan.  —  A secret mission to the Middle East, his team hoped, would help reestablish …

Flint lead crisis getting a tad overdone: David Mastio  —  Before hitting the panic button, remember we are winning the war on lead poisoning  —  Now that the leaching of poisonous lead into the tap water of Flint, Mich., has been declared a national emergency, it might be time to dial back the panic just a notch (or two).

Obama Administration: ‘Possible, If Not Likely,’ That Some of the Billions in Iran Sanctions Relief Will Fund Terrorism  —  Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday that some of the $55 billion in sanctions relief for Iran will likely fund acts of terrorism, and the White House later backed him up on that point.

Oscars 2016: Charlotte Rampling says diversity row is ‘racist to white people’  —  The British actor, who is nominated for the best actress award, says black actors may not have been good enough to make the list of Oscar nominees  —  Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling has claimed the current campaign …

In Word and Deed, Christie's Ambitions Shrink at Home Amid White House Bid  —  Gov. Chris Christie's return to New Jersey was swift and efficient: He flew to his home state on Monday night after a campaign trip to Iowa.  The next day, he sliced through a towering pile of legislation awaiting his signature …

The Seven Signs You're in a Cult … November 2, 2012, was a beautiful Friday in Kansas City—clear and cool and sunny.  I had spent the afternoon reading in the library at an unaccredited college affiliated with the International House of Prayer, an evangelical Christian organization commonly referred …

Canton boy stuck in toilet while left home alone; Parents charged … CANTON, Ohio- Two people are facing charges after their son became stuck in the toilet while he was left home alone.  —  Canton officers were called to an apartment on Kingston Drive Southeast on Thursday.

Kansas Senate chairman's rules block female witnesses in revealing attire  —  Sen. Mitch Holmes targets mini-skirts, necklines on women; he expects men to be ‘professional’  —  A Senate committee chairman imposed a dress code on Kansans testifying on elections or ethics bills …

Jeb Bush Says It's “Not Appropriate” For Palin To Blame Obama For Son's Actions  —  “It's a national tragedy, all of us I think have a responsibility to roll up our sleeves — I don't think blaming the president is appropriate.”  —  Don Emmert / AFP / Getty Images  —  w.soundcloud.com

Disbarred attorney pleads not guilty to 1973 Barrington Township murder  —  A disbarred former Northwest suburban attorney on Friday pleaded not guilty to charges he murdered his wife in 1973, less than a month after their marriage.  —  Donnie Rudd, 73, is accused of murdering 19-year-old …