First Read: Where Have All the Popular Candidates Gone?  —  First Read is a morning briefing from Meet the Press and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter.  —  Where have all the popular candidates gone?  —  Almost a year since …

In Her Own Words  —  On Tuesday night, I went to cover Donald Trump's press conference at the Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida.  I was looking to cover the event like I have covered many live political events for Breitbart News, including an uneventful Trump press conference in Palm Beach the week before.

The Daily 202: Four reasons Hillary Clinton lost the Democratic debate  —  THE BIG IDEA:  —  During their two-hour debate in Miami last night, Hillary Clinton attacked Bernie Sanders for siding with both the Castro brothers and the Koch brothers.  —  The Democratic front-runner attacked …

The Obama Doctrine  —  Friday, August 30, 2013, the day the feckless Barack Obama brought to a premature end America's reign as the world's sole indispensable superpower—or, alternatively, the day the sagacious Barack Obama peered into the Middle Eastern abyss and stepped back from the consuming void …

Donald Trump: ‘I think Islam hates us’  —  Washington (CNN)Donald Trump said Wednesday that he thinks “Islam hates us,” drawing little distinction between the religion and radical Islamic terrorism.  —  “I think Islam hates us,” Trump told CNN's Anderson Cooper, deploring the “tremendous hatred” …

Complaint over loud ‘boom box’ music leads to 5-woman brawl on Spirit Airlines flight  —  Five women fought aboard a Spirit Arlines flight that later landed in Los Angeles.  —  The two intoxicated women blasted music from a “boom box” on board the Spirit Airlines flight Wednesday morning from Baltimore to Los Angeles.

Brody File Exclusive: Ted Cruz Says Donald Trump's Voters Have “relatively low information” And Are “not that engaged”  —  GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz tells The Brody File that the reason Donald Trump is performing well in the GOP race for president is because his voters are uninformed and not engaged in the process.

Trump protester sucker-punched at North Carolina rally, videos show  —  Multiple videos show a protester at a Donald Trump rally in North Carolina being sucker-punched by a Trump supporter.  —  The videos, which appeared on social media early Thursday and are shot from different perspectives …

‘Hot Felon’ Jeremy Meeks released from federal prison and gets job offers  —  Jeremy Meeks, right, known as the “hot felon,” was released from prison Tuesday.  —  A convicted felon whose handsome booking photo went viral was released from federal prison this week, and he is now entertaining job offers.

Senate GOP polling shows upside to SCOTUS blockade  —  Senate GOP leaders are making the case to their members this week that their decision to ignore President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee is not just a principled stance, but a politically beneficial one, too.

Obama's Approval Rating Hits Almost Three-Year High  —  President Barack Obama's job approval has hit an almost three-year high among Americans, according to Gallup.  —  Fifty-percent of Americans approve of Obama's performance as the country's chief executive, the highest level since May 2013.

Arrested During Sexual Assault Raid  —  Chumlee from “Pawn Stars” has been arrested for guns and drugs after police raided his home while investigating an alleged sexual assault ... TMZ has learned.  —  Las Vegas Metro PD says officers showed up at his home Wednesday afternoon with a search warrant …

BREAKING: 5 dead, 3 hurt in Wilkinsburg mass shooting  —  WILKINSBURG, Pa. —  Five people are dead and three people are hurt after a mass shooting in Wilkinsburg Wednesday night, Allegheny County police said.  —  Emergency dispatchers confirmed that police and seven ambulances were called to Franklin Avenue just before 11 p.m.

Man attempts taxi robbery with police car behind him  —  READING, Pa. — Taxi surveillance cameras recorded a masked man robbing a terrified taxi driver at gunpoint - but the robber forgot to look behind him.  —  Waiting behind the cab was Berks County Deputy Sheriff Terry Ely …

Claim: Hillary Grand Jury Looking Into Political Corruption  —  As many as 150 FBI Agents on Hillary's Case  —  Illegal Alien Released Due To Paperwork Mix-Up Allegedly Slaughters Five In Kansas City And Missouri  —  Alleged killer was in police custody in September  —  COULTER: Springtime For Pundits

Scarborough: GOP performs on a ‘fifth-grade level’  —  The Republican Party has “shattered its brand,” Joe Scarborough said Thursday.  —  A day after Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders respectfully contrasted their records and policy differences …

Dustin Hoffman Breaks Down on Finding Your Roots After Learning Painful Family History: ‘They All Survived for Me to Be Here’  —  As a boy, Dustin Hoffman's father hid his painful family history from his son.  —  But now, thanks to Finding Your Roots, the Oscar-winning actor at long …

I was wrong about Donald Trump: Camille Paglia on the GOP front-runner's refreshing candor (and his impetuousness, too)  —  But his fearlessness and brash energy also seem necessary and rare  —  I'm dying for an update from you on Donald Trump.  Last summer you called him “not a president” and a “carnival barker.”