Pope Francis Suggests Donald Trump Is ‘Not Christian’  —  ABOARD THE PAPAL AIRLINER — Inserting himself into the Republican presidential race, Pope Francis on Wednesday suggested that Donald J. Trump “is not Christian” because of the harshness of his campaign promises to deport more immigrants …

CBS News poll: Trump maintains commanding lead over GOP field  —  Donald Trump (35 percent) continues to hold a commanding lead over the rest of the field, with a 17 point lead over his closest rival, Texas Senator Ted Cruz (18 percent).  John Kasich (11 percent) has now risen to a virtual third-place tie with Marco Rubio (12 percent).

Superdelegates help Clinton expand her lead despite NH loss  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — So much for Bernie Sanders' big win in New Hampshire.  —  Since then, Hillary Clinton has picked up endorsements from 87 more superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention, dwarfing Sanders' gain …

MSNBC's Trump town hall falls to CNN and Fox News in the ratings  —  MSNBC's choice to host Donald Trump in an exclusive town hall on Wednesday did not result in a ratings win against competitors CNN or Fox News.  —  During the 8 p.m. hour, when MSNBC's Trump town hall was up against CNN's GOP town hall …

Tightening race rattles Clinton World's nerves  —  Allies of Hillary Clinton are growing nervous as the Democratic presidential race with Bernie Sanders tightens ahead of contests in Nevada and South Carolina.  —  A new CNN/ORC poll released Wednesday found Clinton with a 1-point lead in Nevada, which hosts its caucuses on Saturday.

Outside Groups Warn GOP: Don't Even Think About Holding A SCOTUS Hearing  —  If any Republican senator is thinking about defecting from the GOP's tough line on blocking a Supreme Court nomination until next year, then let them be warned.  Outside conservative groups are preparing to go to war …

President Obama is going to Cuba.  Here's why:  —  Cuba is only 90 miles from Florida, but for a long time the distance between our two countries seemed a lot greater.  —  For more than fifty years, the United States pursued a policy of isolating and pressuring Cuba.

Cruz: ‘Disastrous’ Marriage Equality Ruling Led To ‘Persecution’ That's ‘Unprecedented’  —  In an interview yesterday with conservative Christian broadcaster Janet Mefferd, Sen. Ted Cruz once again touted his support from anti-gay leaders including the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins …

A note from the editorial director  —  Earlier today, SB Nation posted a story called “Who is Daniel Holtzclaw?” that attempted to find out the backstory of convicted serial rapist Daniel Holtzclaw.  The story focused on his football background in particular.

Exclusive — SC Blogger: Marco Rubio's Campaign Manager Pushed Story That Nikki Haley Had An Affair With Me  —  COLUMBIA, S.C. — The campaign manager of 2016 GOP presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) once pushed out the story that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley had an affair …

How to Break a Party  —  Beginning with the Tea Party wave and continuing through the not-Romney musical chairs of the 2012 Republican primary and the battles over debt limits and fiscal cliffs, most coverage of the Republican Party's internal divisions during the Obama era fell into an easy groove …