Bowe Bergdahl, once missing U.S. soldier, charged with desertion  —  Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. soldier who was recovered in Afghanistan last spring after five years in captivity, faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, according to his lawyer.

Tucker Carlson's Brother: De Blasio Spokesperson A “Self-Righteous Bitch”  —  Accidental reply-all: Buckley Carlson says mayor's spokesperson has “extreme dick-fright” in email she received.  —  Brendan Hoffman / Getty  —  WASHINGTON — Daily Caller founder Tucker Carlson's brother Buckley Carlson referred …

Ted Cruz Is Just Like Reagan In 1980, Except People Actually Liked Reagan  —  Let's dispose of this myth once and for all.  Every presidential election cycle we hear it: “Well, they said Ronald Reagan could never be elected.”  —  We're hearing this chestnut again in the wake …

Capitol Alert  —  California Attorney General Kamala Harris asked a court Wednesday to intervene and allow her to block an incendiary proposed ballot measure authorizing the killing of gays and lesbians.  —  Huntington Beach attorney Matt McLaughlin paid $200 to file the “Sodomite Suppression Act.”

Congresswoman Demonstrates ‘Worst Parking Job Ever’ (Video)  —  Updated 5:02 p.m. |  Abandon all hope, ye who happen to park anywhere near geometrically challenged-motorist Eleanor Holmes Norton.  —  A HOH tipster watched in horror Wednesday as the D.C. delegate, 77, awkwardly forced …

Opinion analysis: A small victory for minority voters, or a case with “profound” constitutional implications?  —  It is easy to read the Supreme Court's five-to-four decision in Alabama Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama and Alabama Democratic Conference v. Alabama as a mostly inconsequential case giving …

Saudi and Arab allies bomb Houthi positions in Yemen  —  Saudi envoy to US says his country has begun airstrikes against Houthi rebels to defend legitimate government of Yemen.  —  Saudi Arabia and a coalition of regional allies have launched a military operation in Yemen against the Houthi rebels …

Advise, consent and confirm Loretta Lynch  —  Loretta Lynch, the president's nominee to replace Eric Holder as the U.S. attorney general, is poised to become the first African-American woman to lead the Justice Department as the nation's chief law enforcement officer.

Black business owners backing GOP estate tax repeal bid  —  Republicans seeking to repeal the estate tax have rolled out the endorsements of black business advocates who argue the levy is especially painful for minority entrepreneurs.  —  Harry Alford of the National Black Chamber of Commerce …

Opening New Iraq Front, U.S. Strikes ISIS in Tikrit  —  BAGHDAD — American warplanes began airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Tikrit late Wednesday, finally joining a stalled offensive to retake the Iraqi city as American officials sought to seize the initiative from Iran …

Local 4 Defenders: Violent traffic stop in Inkster caught on camera … INKSTER, Mich. -  —  Video obtained exclusively by the Local 4 Defenders shows an African-American motorist being beaten by white police officers from the city of Inkster.  —  The primary officer involved says he was protecting himself.

Here's the new White House briefing room seating chart  —  The seating chart for the White House Press Briefing Room.  (Gregory Korte / USA TODAY)  —  There are hundreds — maybe thousands — of reporters in Washington who cover the White House from time to time, but only 49 seats in the White House briefing room.

Carowinds officially unveils Fury 325 roller coaster  —  NBC Charlotte reporter Sam Baranowski and photographer Jennifer Kiser rode ?  #?Fury325? at Carowinds Amusement Park Wednesday for media day.  —  CONNECT  —  CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carowinds held a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday morning …

Apple and Beats Developing Streaming Music Service to Rival Spotify  —  In what would be the biggest change to its music strategy in years, Apple is pressing ahead with a sweeping overhaul of its digital music services that would allow the company to compete directly with streaming upstarts like Spotify.

Germanwings Pilot Was Locked Out of Cockpit Before Crash in France  —  PARIS — As officials struggled Wednesday to explain why a jet with 150 people on board crashed in relatively clear skies, an investigator said evidence from a cockpit voice recorder indicated one pilot left the cockpit …

Hillary's nerd squad  —  Clinton's tech team signals a significant departure from her analog approach in 2008.  —  Hillary Clinton is assembling a technology team that signals a significant departure from her 2008 presidential run, led by Obama veterans and geared toward recasting her analog-era image.