Romney rips Trump as a ‘phony’ and a ‘fraud’  —  Mitt Romney opened a new front in the Republican Party's civil war on Thursday, launching a blistering attack on GOP front-runner Donald Trump — who wasted no time hitting the party's 2012 nominee right back.

Open Letter on Donald Trump from GOP National Security Leaders  —  We the undersigned, members of the Republican national security community, represent a broad spectrum of opinion on America's role in the world and what is necessary to keep us safe and prosperous.

Justice Dept. grants immunity to staffer who set up Clinton email server  —  The Justice Department has granted immunity to the former State Department staffer who worked on Hillary Rodham Clinton's private email server, a sign the FBI investigation into possible criminal wrongdoing is progressing.

Man accidentally kills himself while taking photos with gun  —  A 43-year-old Concrete man died Sunday after accidentally shooting himself in the face with what he thought was an unloaded gun.  —  The man and his girlfriend were at a residence in the 46000 block of Baker Loop Road taking photos …

Sean Hannity Goes Scorched Earth Against Marco Rubio  —  Sean Hannity repeatedly ripped into Marco Rubio on his Fox News program Wednesday night, attacking the Florida senator for recent attacks on Donald Trump and saying his rhetoric was “beyond the pale” of acceptance in a presidential primary.

Exclusive Audio — Rubio Campaign Manager Plots Brokered Convention In Manhattan Donor Meeting To Take Nomination From Trump  —  Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is plotting to take the Republican nomination away from Donald Trump using surreptitious tactics at a so-called “brokered convention,” …

Chief justice rejects plea to block air pollution rule  —  Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rejected a plea Thursday to block a contentious air pollution rule for power plants, in a big victory for the Obama administration.  —  Roberts's order came despite his court's 5-4 decision …

Chris Christie, resign for N.J.'s sake |  Editorial  —  Star-Ledger Editorial Board By Star-Ledger Editorial Board  —  Gov. Chris Christie has made it abundantly clear that governing New Jersey is a distant second priority for him, far behind the demands of his personal ambition.

Helen Garner wins Windham Campbell prize  —  When Australian writer Helen Garner found a message in her junk mail folder last week announcing she had won a $200,000 international literary prize, she thought it was a hoax.  —  But, the email was real and Garner has just received …

The Women Take Over  —  In oral arguments for the Texas abortion case, the three female justices upend the Supreme Court's balance of power.  —  When the Supreme Court last heard oral arguments in a landmark abortion case, it was April 1992, the case was Planned Parenthood v Casey, and Sandra Day O'Connor was the lone female justice.

‘Free speech should flourish’: Jewish head of Oberlin college defends his decision not to sack female professor who claimed Jews were behind 9/11 attacks  — The president of Oberlin College President Marvin Krislov is defending Karega's free speech despite being Jewish and offended by her comments

Desperately Seeking Islamophobia  —  A week ago, there was a burglary at a Minneapolis mosque.  CAIR immediately labeled the incident anti-Muslim, as the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported: … The Star Tribune even tied the burglary to Donald Trump:

Trump releases healthcare plan  —  on Wednesday released some details about his healthcare plan, an area where he has been criticized by his rivals for failing to outline a vision.  —  Trump's plan largely follows standard Republican ideas, except for the area of prescription drugs …

Here's Why It's All But Impossible To Fire A Fed  —  Federal workers are far more likely to be audited by the IRS or get arrested for drunk driving than they are to be fired from the civil service payroll for poor performance or misconduct.  —  The odds are one-in-175 for the IRS audit …