Why I'm Supporting Bernie Sanders  —  NO decision we make as Americans more dramatically affects the direction of our country than our choice for president.  He or she is more than the manager of the executive branch, commander in chief or appointer of judges.

Cruz likely to block Trump on a second ballot at the GOP convention  —  What's the deal with the Colorado GOP convention?  —  What is a super PAC? … State of the 2016 race … Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is close to ensuring that Donald Trump cannot win the GOP nomination …

USS Donald Cook buzzed again by Russian jets in Baltic  —  Yet again Russian jets made provocatively close passes to an American warship, as tensions continue between Moscow and Washington over the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.  —  A senior defense official told CBS News that two recent incidents were …

Octopus slips out of aquarium tank, crawls across floor, escapes down pipe to ocean … Inky the octopus didn't even try to cover his tracks.  —  By the time the staff at New Zealand's National Aquarium noticed that he was missing, telltale suction cup prints were the main clue to an easily-solved mystery.

The Time Ted Cruz Defended a Ban on Dildos  —  His legal team argued there was no right “to stimulate one's genitals.”  —  In one chapter of his campaign book, A Time for Truth, Sen. Ted Cruz proudly chronicles his days as a Texas solicitor general, a post he held from 2003 to 2008.

Donald Trump meets with Megyn Kelly at Trump Tower  —  Donald Trump and the Fox News host Megyn Kelly met at Trump Tower on Wednesday morning, a person with knowledge of the matter told CNNMoney.  —  The meeting was brokered by Fox News chairman Roger Ailes.  —  Representatives for Trump and Fox News had no immediate comment.

Rubio says he wasn't endorsing Cruz  —  Marco Rubio doesn't want his praise for Ted Cruz to be interpreted as an endorsement.  —  The Florida Republican senator said Wednesday that his remarks Tuesday to Mark Levin that he wants a conservative and that Cruz is the only candidate left that …

How Donald Trump Is Right About Our ‘Rigged’ Politics  —  Matthew J. Dowd is an independent; chief political analyst for ABC News; and founder of Paradox Capital, a social-impact venture fund.  He was chief strategist of President George W. Bush's 2004 campaign.  He is on Twitter: @MatthewJDowd.

White House demands Maryland super PAC pull Senate ad  —  The White House is wading into one of the hardest-fought Democratic primaries in the country — to tell one side to stop invoking the president on its behalf.  —  In an unprecedented and forceful move, President Barack Obama's administration …

In blow to defense, judge to consider lies by Hastert at his sentencing  —  Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert through the years.  —  The federal judge overseeing Dennis Hastert's hush money case said he intends to factor in at Hastert's upcoming sentencing that the former speaker lied …

Coal Slump Sends Mining Giant Peabody Energy Into Bankruptcy  —  Biggest U.S. producer felled by cheap gas, China slowdown  —  Environmental costs could complicate miner's reorganization  —  U.S. coal giant Peabody Energy Corp. filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday, the most powerful convulsion yet …

Al Qaeda ‘very active’ in Afghanistan: U.S. Commander  —  Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN)Afghanistan's top defense official has warned that al Qaeda — the reason the United States first invaded Afghanistan — is “very active” and a “big threat” in the country.  —  A senior U.S. official …

Trump won't attend White House dinner  —  says he will not be attending this year's White House Correspondents' Association dinner, despite receiving a flurry of invitations from the media.  —  Trump attended the annual dinner in 2011, only to have President Obama poke fun at him repeatedly in his comedy routine.

Regulators Propose Banning Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes for at Least Two Years  —  Startup hopes to avoid sanctions, but Holmes and No. 2 executive could be forced out of blood-testing business for failing to fix problems  —  Federal health regulators have proposed banning Theranos Inc …

Trump spokeswoman comes out swinging against Zuckerberg  —  Katrina Pierson, Trump Campaign Spokeswoman, responds to comments made by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg about not building walls.  —  Katrina Pierson, a spokeswoman for GOP front-runner Donald Trump's presidential campaign …

By Opposing Obama, the Republicans Created Trump  —  MEMO to Republican legislators biting your nails over the New York primary, wondering if you can finally derail Donald J. Trump's candidacy with, gulp, Ted Cruz: You brought it on yourselves.  —  Not just by failing for too long …

Whistleblowers: Bentley ordered state helicopter to fly his forgotten wallet to the beach  —  MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Multiple confidential sources inside of state government came forward to Yellowhammer this week with accusations that Alabama Governor Robert Bentley ordered a state helicopter …

Judge gives affluenza teen Ethan Couch almost two years in jail  —  FORT WORTH — A Tarrant County judge told affluenza teen Ethan Couch he'll remain in jail for 180 days for each of the four people he killed in a drunken driving crash three years ago.  —  That means he won't be free until 2018 …

FBI paid professional hackers one-time fee to crack San Bernardino iPhone  —  The FBI cracked a San Bernardino terrorist's phone with the help of professional hackers who discovered and brought to the bureau at least one previously unknown software flaw, according to people familiar with the matter.