Cruz apologizes for Biden joke at Livingston Co. dinner  —  Howell — GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz used a speech before Livingston County Republicans on Wednesday night to tell jokes about liberals and Democrats, including Joe Biden on the week the vice president lost his eldest son to brain cancer.

Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar: Sisters 'weren't even aware' of Josh's ‘wrongdoing’  —  Michelle Duggar told Megyn Kelly Wednesday that she and her husband were “devastated” when they learned their then-teenage son Josh had molested several of his sisters.  —  During an hour-long exclusive interview on …

White House Brief: Things to Know About Rick Perry  —  Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is entering the 2016 race for the Republican presidential nomination Thursday.  Key things to know about him:  —  THE BRIEF  —  The longest-serving governor in Texas history, Perry was a Democrat who became …

Carly Fiorina reveals personal net worth of $59 million  —  GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina revealed on Wednesday evening that she and her husband have a net worth of $59 million — as she took a barely veiled shot at Hillary Clinton over transparency.

Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources (External Review Draft)  —  Notice  —  This assessment provides a review and synthesis of available information concerning the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas …

Why College Professors Are Afraid to Teach Millennials  —  The Fiscal Times  —  Hungry for love and it's feeding time, Alice Cooper wrote in his 1991 classic song, “Feed My Frankenstein.”  Academia has created its own Frankenstein with its speech codes, groupthink enforcement, and discouraging of dissent.

Huckabee Befuddled By Topless Women  —  “Are topless photos of women an offensive display of sexism, or an empowering display against sexism?  I have a feeling most men don't care much either way.”  —  Matt Sullivan / Getty Images  —  The Huckabee Report

Twitter Just Killed Politwoops  —  A Twitter spokesperson just provided the following statement to Gawker regarding the apparent suspension of Politwoops' access to Twitter's developer API, which enabled the Sunlight Foundation-funded site to track tweets deleted by hundreds of politicians.

The Complex Power Coupledom of Chris Hughes and Sean Eldridge  —  Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and political activist Sean Eldridge were once the ultimate team, but Hughes's controversial purchase of The New Republic and Eldridge's failed run for Congress made the once-heroes villains.

9 Completely Bonkers Things The Newest GOP Presidential Candidate Believes About The Constitution  —  Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is expected to announce his bid to seek the GOP presidential nomination on Thursday.  It will be Perry's second attempt to secure a home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue …

Hunting for Hackers, N.S.A. Secretly Expands Internet Spying at U.S. Border  —  WASHINGTON — Without public notice or debate, the Obama administration has expanded the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance of Americans' international Internet traffic to search for evidence …

Black Chicago Pastor: Dems ‘Failing’ Us  —  A pastor on the South Side is asking Republicans to talk to his flock after what he says are 50 years of disappointment from the other party.  —  CHICAGO — It is difficult to imagine a less likely GOP presidential campaign stop than O Block.

John Cusack Talks ‘Love & Mercy,’ Drug Trips, and How Obama Is ‘Worse Than Bush’  —  In a wide-ranging chat, the celebrated film star discusses his excellent biopic on Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson, psychedelics, and why President Obama has let him down.  —  “I just say what I think, and if people don't like it, that's OK.”

Arrest Warrants Issued To People Who Cheered At High School Graduation  —  Senatobia, Miss. (CBS HOUSTON) — Four people who cheered at a Mississippi high school graduation may be thrown in jail after police issued warrants for their arrest.  The superintendent who filed the charges said it's …

Fifa made payment to FAI after Thierry Henry handball, claims John Delaney  —  The Football Association of Ireland chief executive, John Delaney, has confirmed that the body accepted a payment from Fifa after Thierry Henry's handball in the 2010 World Cup qualifying play-offs ended their hopes …

The campaign to put Julian Castro on Hillary Clinton's VP shortlist  —  It's way too early, Clinton insiders say.  But the Castro buzz is useful as Democrats court Hispanics.  —  Getty  —  The Democratic National Convention isn't for 13 months, and Hillary Clinton isn't the party's nominee …

Dish Network in Merger Talks With T-Mobile US  —  Dish and T-Mobile have agreed Charlie Ergen would be chairman and John Legere CEO, sources say  —  Dish Network Corp. is in talks to merge with T-Mobile US Inc., people familiar with the matter said, a deal that would accelerate a wave …

Lincoln Chafee doubles down on metric conversion  —  Democratic presidential candidate Lincoln Chafee did not give a centimeter on his defense of the metric system Thursday, touting the economic benefits and the symbolic importance of the United States joining the rest of the world in implementing the measurement scale.

Broad Public Support for Legal Status for Undocumented Immigrants  —  Other Attitudes About Immigration More Mixed  —  With immigration shaping up to be a major issue in both the final years of the Obama administration and the 2016 presidential campaign, most Americans (72%) continue to say undocumented

Parents of teen who survived tragedy at Bear Lake speak; community rallies to mourn those who died  —  NORTH OGDEN, Utah — Monday afternoon, 7 best friends and 6 mothers headed to Bear Lake for a trip they had all spent months planning.  They ate lunch, swam, and then took turns touring the lake on a ski boat.

Selfie With Parents' Sex Toys?  Alameda Teacher Accused Of Assigning Bizarre Extra Credit For Sophomores  —  ALAMEDA (CBS SF) — Parents of students at Encinal High School in Alameda want a teacher fired after they say he sent them home with an extra credit assignment of finding sex toys …

Lindsey Graham Compares Hillary Clinton To North Korea's Kim Jong Un  —  Presidential candidate Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) took a swipe at Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during a Thursday appearance on Fox News, comparing her to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

In Vermont, Frustrations Mount Over Affordable Care Act  —  BURLINGTON, Vt. — Just a few years ago, lawmakers in this left-leaning state viewed President Obama's Affordable Care Act as little more than a pit stop on the road to a far more ambitious goal: single-payer, universal health care for all residents.

One Person, One Vote?:  Voting Case Has Potential to Put House Further Out of Reach for Democrats  —  Voting Case Has Potential to Put House Further Out of Reach for Democrats  —  In 2012, Republicans won a majority of seats in the House even though more people voted for Democratic candidates over all.