In Republican Debate, a Feisty Marco Rubio Lays Into Donald Trump  —  Senator Marco Rubio, alarmed by Donald J. Trump's ascendancy and worried that his presidential chances were slipping away, unleashed a barrage of attacks on the real estate mogul's business ethics, hiring practices …

Cedric Larry Ford Kills 3, Injures 14 in Kansas Shooting Spree  —  Three people were killed and 14 injured Thursday after a gunman drove through two Kansas towns taking shots at people before opening fire at his workplace, police said.  —  The assailant, who was identified by victims' family members …

Mark Zuckerberg Asks Racist Facebook Employees to Stop Crossing Out Black Lives Matter Slogans  —  The Black Lives Matter movement has shed light on the racial profiling, police brutality, and racial inequality experienced by the African-American community across America.

Top Snyder aides urged going back to Detroit water  —  The city of Flint, Snyder's top legal aide wrote in October 2014, “should try to get back on the Detroit system as a stopgap ASAP before this thing gets too far out of control.”  —  Two of Gov. Rick Snyder's top lawyers privately advocated moving …

Republicans Have Totally Lost Their Mojo  —  A few hours ago I wondered why none of the other Republican candidates has seriously attacked Donald Trump.  I got a bunch of responses, most of which related to policy.  They can't attack him for his xenophobia because most of them support …

The CNN-Telemundo Republican debate transcript, annotated … State of the 2016 race  —  The hall is set before the Republican presidential primary debate at The University of Houston.  (Pat Sullivan/AP) … CNN's Wolf Blitzer introduced the candidates, laid out the rules and the debate began.

Obama to meet McConnell, Grassley to discuss Supreme Court vacancy  —  President Obama will convene a long-anticipated meeting at the White House next Tuesday with top Republican senators to discuss the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

Why Electing Hillary in '16 Is More Important Than Electing Obama in '08  —  A former Obama '08 speechwriter explains how why Secretary Clinton is a lot more compelling than you might think.  —  I hear you're still not Ready for Hillary.  —  I get it.  I didn't start off as her biggest fan either.

Trump says audits might be linked to his religion  —  suggested that the Internal Revenue Service may be auditing him because he is a “strong Christian.”  —  In an interview with CNN immediately after Thursday's debate, the presidential hopeful complained about repeated audits to his business …

WBUR Poll: In Mass., Clinton Edges Sanders, While Trump Leads Big  —  As Massachusetts prepares to vote in the state's presidential primaries this coming Tuesday, a new WBUR poll shows Donald Trump holds a hefty lead among likely Republican voters (topline, crosstabs).

First Uterus Transplant in U.S. Bolsters Pregnancy Hopes of Many  —  Surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic have performed the first uterus transplant in the United States, the clinic announced Thursday.  —  The operation, which took nine hours, was performed Wednesday, using a uterus from a deceased organ donor.

University of Missouri curators vote to fire Melissa Click  —  Melissa Click, an assistant professor of mass media at the University of Missouri, demands a journalist leave the Concerned Student 1950 camp area in November.  The Missouri Board of Curators voted 4-2 in favor …

Al Sharpton might ‘get out of here’ if Trump wins  —  Rev. Al Sharpton told attendees at a Center for American Progress Action Fund event Thursday he would flee the country if Donald Trump won the election, in order to avoid being deported by Trump.  —  Sharpton, a Democrat …

Clinton: Trump's ‘Divisive’ Rhetoric Doesn't ‘Fit’ With The Trump I Knew  —  In an interview that aired Friday on MSNBC's “Morning Joe,” Hillary Clinton said she's been surprised by Donald Trump's transformation from “good company” to a “mean-spirited” and “offensive” person.