Donald Trump's ‘kinder, gentler’ version: Kirsten Powers  —  The Donald explains why politics is ‘a crazy business’ and why he never cries anymore.  —  CONNECT  —  Is Donald Trump about to make a pivot toward presidential?  —  In an hour-long interview Thursday in his New York office …

Racially Charged Joke by Hillary Clinton and Bill de Blasio Leaves Some Cringing  —  In less than three minutes, a comedy routine between Hillary Clinton and Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York managed to cause a storm of controversy over a racially charged joke.

Ted Cruz: Drudge Report Is ‘the Attack Site for the Donald Trump Campaign’  —  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told a local radio show in California on Monday morning that the Drudge Report, the most popular conservative news website, has “become the attack site for the Donald Trump campaign.”

The dark side of Guardian comments  —  Hear from three of those writers, explore the data and help us host better conversations online … omments allow readers to respond to an article instantly, asking questions, pointing out errors, giving new leads.  At their best, comment threads are thoughtful …

Why Ryan won't run  —  Paul Ryan's confidants see it as one of the great, strange conspiracy theories of 2016.  Somehow, by deciding against running for president, and repeatedly saying he has no interest in running for president, Paul Ryan is secretly running for president.  —  Raising money in New York?

Where 2016 Candidates Stand in NY a Week Before Primary  —  The two presidential candidates who call New York home have significant leads in their respective races before the state's primaries next Tuesday.  —  The latest poll has Donald Trump leading by more than 30 percent and Hillary Clinton ahead …

Billionaires fund anti-Trump delegate push  —  First they spent tens of millions trying to boost their favorite presidential candidates, then they poured cash into ads attacking Donald Trump, and now some of the biggest donors on the right are turning their attention to the delegate fight.

Court Documents Reveal The Planned Parenthood Shooter's Inspiration  —  Robert Lewis Dear, the man who has confessed to killing three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic last fall, admired a man who murdered an abortion doctor in Florida in the 1990s, according to court documents that were unsealed this week.

Christie shows signs of frustration with Trump backlash  —  Gov. Chris Christie hasn't wanted to talk much about Donald Trump in recent days.  —  After answering one question about the Republican presidential candidate, he wouldn't take another.  —  “You get one Trump question a press conference …

Porn Site Bans North Carolina Users Due To State's Anti-LGBT Laws  —  “I think that porn has the power to do what Bruce Springsteen can't.”  —  There's a new kink in North Carolina's LGBT controversy: A popular porn website is banning all computers from “The Tar Heel State.”

Clinton camp: Sanders wants to rig system with superdelegates  —  When it comes to Donald Trump's recent comments about a rigged primary system hurting both him and Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton's campaign is having none of it.  In fact, Clinton's press secretary Brian Fallon …

Hundreds of ‘Democracy Spring’ protesters arrested at Capitol Hill sit-in  —  (CNN)More than 400 protesters staging a sit-in against the influence of money in politics and congressional inaction to reverse it were arrested on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Monday, the first day of what is expected …

Brothers trick sister with zombie attack after wisdom teeth surgery  —  Just a day after National Sibling Day flooded your Facebook feed with happy family photos, three brothers decided to celebrate their sister in a different way.  —  After their younger sister Millicent had her wisdom teeth removed …

Olivier Blanchard eyes ugly ‘end game’ for Japan on debt spiral  —  Japan is heading for a full-blown solvency crisis as the country runs out of local investors and may ultimately be forced to inflate away its debt in a desperate end-game, one of the world's most influential economists has warned.

NY1/Baruch College Poll: Trump Leads Rivals by 43 Percentage Points  —  Donald Trump has a commanding 43-point lead in the New York Republican presidential primary, and Hillary Clinton has a 13-point advantage in the Democratic primary, according to a NY1/Baruch College poll released Monday night.

Mizzou closes two dorms due to lack of students  —  Following a drop in students applying for housing, the University of Missouri will not be placing students in two dorms for the fall 2016 semester.  —  Mizzou will be closing the Respect and Excellence halls (ironic names, given the circumstances) …

Thieves Take $280,000 From Brooklyn Bank After Carving Hole in Roof  —  In a scene more often seen in a Hollywood caper than in Borough Park, Brooklyn's sedate shopping district, employees arrived for work at a bank on Monday morning to find a tunnel through the ceiling straight into the vault …

Showdown week for FAA  —  BIG WEEK FOR THE FAA: Senators from both parties are really hoping to close the deal this week on an FAA reauthorization.  But it's already pretty clear that resolving the FAA tax title probably won't happen without some more bumps along the way.

Hillary Clinton's claim that the ‘highest per capita number’ of crime guns in New York come from Vermont  —  What is a super PAC? … State of the 2016 race … — Hillary Clinton, panel on gun violence, April 11, 2016  —  This Clinton campaign attack on Bernie Sanders's gun record has been a week in the making.

Religion in Everyday Life  —  Highly religious Americans are happier and more involved with family but are no more likely to exercise, recycle or make socially conscious consumer choices  —  A new Pew Research Center study of the ways religion influences the daily lives of Americans finds …