UT/TT Poll: Cruz Leads Trump in Texas; Rubio Lags Behind … UT/TT Poll, February 2016 - Methodology UT/TT Poll, February 2016 - Summary  —  With a week remaining before the Texas Republican primary, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has an 8-percentage-point lead over Donald Trump, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.

Nightmare builds for Senate GOP  —  It's a bad time to be a Senate Republican.  —  Justice Antonin Scalia's death has put Supreme Court politics at the top of the Senate agenda — to the detriment of vulnerable Republican senators running for reelection in blue states.

Bill Gates backs FBI iPhone hack request  —  Bill Gates has broken ranks with Silicon Valley in the stand-off between Apple and the US government, saying technology companies should be forced to co-operate with law enforcement in terrorism investigations.  —  The Microsoft founder took issue …

Ben Carson: Obama was ‘raised white’  —  GREENVILLE, S.C. - Ben Carson is the only person in the 2016 presidential field who is vying to become the country's second African-American president.  —  If truth be told, however, he's not entirely sure he wouldn't actually be the first.

EXCLUSIVE: ICE Officer to Rubio: ‘You Lied to American Public on FOX News,’ Challenges Him to Meet  —  Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Council President Chris Crane is issuing a challenge to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) following Rubio's attack on the officer.

“Dishonest” and “Socialist” Lead U.S. Reactions to Dems  —  PRINCETON, N.J. — Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have multifaceted images among the American public.  But the most common responses Americans give when asked to say what comes to mind when they think of each are “dishonest” …

Spike Lee endorses Sanders, tells voters to ‘wake up’  — “And you know that I know that you know that the system is rigged!  For too long we've given our votes to corporate puppets,” Lee said  —  Washington (CNN)Director Spike Lee endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders …

Dynel Lane, accused of cutting baby from womb, found guilty of attempted murder … BOULDER, Colo. — Dynel Lane, the Longmont woman accused of attacking another woman and cutting the unborn baby from her womb, was found guilty of six felony counts, including attempted first-degree murder …

Conservative Writer Ben Shapiro Banned from CSULA  —  Early Tuesday morning, conservative writer Ben Shapiro revealed on Twitter that his planned speech on February 25 at California State University-Los Angeles had been canceled by the university's president.

Death Valley Is Experiencing a Colorful ‘Superbloom’  —  Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth, is currently a riot of color: More than 20 different kinds of desert wildflowers are in bloom there after record-breaking rains last October.  —  It's the best bloom there since 2005 …

Key GOP Senators Emerge From Meeting: No Hearing For Obama SCOTUS Nom  —  Key Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee emerged from a closed door meeting in Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office Tuesday united in their determination not to consider any nominee to replace Antonin Scalia until the next president takes office.