'You didn't hear this from me, but. . .': Why South Carolina primary politics are so dirty.  —  COLUMBIA, S.C. — Here's a story, the gist of which will sound familiar to anyone living in South Carolina: Natalie Barrett, a 53-year-old schoolteacher from Westminster, got a robo-call earlier this month and ended up furious.

Apparently we should get on a boat and leave America ASAP  —  The message from Thursday night's Democratic debate is that everybody in America should get on a leaky rowboat and find somewhere, anywhere, else in the world to live — because life in the United States is a nightmare …

Cruz Campaign Removes Ad Featuring Softcore Porn Star  —  Amy Lindsay has appeared in films such as Erotic Confessions, Carnal Wishes, Secrets of a Chambermaid, and Insatiable Desires.  “Had the campaign known of her full filmography, we obviously would not have let her appear in the ad,” a Cruz campaign spokesman told BuzzFeed News.

Suspect Killed After Attacking Multiple People With Machete In Columbus Restaurant  —  Tylar Bacome  —  Police have shot and killed a suspect after he attacked multiple people at a restaurant in northeast Columbus with a machete.  —  The incident happened at the Nazareth Restaurant on N. Hamilton Road.

Trump mocks Jeb Bush for bringing brother on campaign trail  —  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is mocking rival Jeb Bush for bringing his brother, former President George W. Bush, to help campaign.  —  “Don't fall asleep when I mention the name,” Trump said …

Poll: Wins Push Trump, Sanders to New Heights  —  After winning New Hampshire's presidential primaries by wide margins, New York real estate magnate Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders are soaring to new heights among their respective party's voters, a new Morning Consult poll finds …

Obama's Writer Pens Trump Victory Speech  —  Jon Favreau gives you a glimpse of what the Republican frontrunner will likely sound like should he win the nomination.  —  It's come to this: I've written a Donald Trump speech.  —  It's not something I necessarily enjoyed doing …

Obama creates 3 new national monuments to protect 1.8 million acres of California desert  —  President Obama designated three new national monuments in the California desert Thursday, expanding federal protection to 1.8 million acres of landscapes that have retained their natural beauty despite decades …

QUESTIONS GROW OVER BANKS AS PROFIT WARNINGS PILE UP  —  PARIS (AP) — Questions are growing over the financial health of banks, particularly in Europe and the U.S., as they face a toxic mix of low economic growth, bad loans and squeezed earnings.  —  France's Societe Generale became Thursday …

Tempers flare at IRS hearing  —  A heated argument erupted Thursday at a hearing on the IRS, with Democrats and Republicans trading charges about the work of the Oversight Committee.  —  Two Democrats on the panel accused their GOP colleagues of repeatedly holding hearings on the IRS for political reasons.

Glendale police: 2 teenagers shot at Independence High School; police calling it ‘isolated incident’  —  GLENDALE, AZ - Two teenagers have been shot at a high school in Glendale, Arizona police confirmed Friday.  —  Glendale police confirmed they are investigating a double shooting …