For Robert Dear, Religion and Rage Before Planned Parenthood Attack  —  CHARLESTON, S.C. — The man she had married professed to be deeply religious.  But after more than seven years with Robert L. Dear Jr., Barbara Micheau had come to see life with him as a kind of hell on earth.

A letter to our daughter  —  Your mother and I don't yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future.  Your new life is full of promise, and we hope you will be happy and healthy so you can explore it fully.  You've already given us a reason to reflect on the world we hope you live in.

MTV News posts 2001 clip that sparked Trump 9/11 claim  —  As Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to offer newspaper clippings and soundbites he says are proof of his claim that he saw “thousands and thousands” of Muslim Americans cheering the terror attacks of Sept. 11 …

Hillary Clinton is getting crushed on social media, captured in one word cloud  —  Above is a word cloud of all mentions related to Hillary Clinton during the month of November, through midnight Eastern time.  —  The graphic, via our analytics partners at Zignal Labs, does not exactly highlight …

Jeb on VP pick: I think she will be a great partner … Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush hinted on Tuesday that he is considering a female running mate in 2016.  —  “Should I be elected president, I would have my vice president — I think she will be a great partner,” the Republican White House hopeful said in Waterloo, Iowa.

Emanuel fires McCarthy  —  Chicago Police Supt.  Garry McCarthy has been fired by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the mayor confirmed Tuesday.  —  McCarthy was called into City Hall on Monday and when he left City Hall he still had a job.  But overnight, the mayor called McCarthy to tell him he was out …

Speaker Paul Ryan eyes strategy for government shutdown fight  —  House Speaker Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) strategy for avoiding a government shutdown is taking shape, with his leadership team seeking a clean break from the divisive intraparty warfare that plagued John Boehner's (R-Ohio) tenure.

You won't believe why N.H.'s top paper endorsed Christie |  Moran  —  If you haven't read the fulsome endorsement of Gov. Chris Christie from New Hampshire's most influential paper, take a minute.  This could be important.  —  Know two things about this endorsement from the Manchester Union-Leader.

Trump mulls debate boycott unless CNN donates $5M  —  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (Steven Senne, AP)  —  Donald Trump proposed demanding $5 million from CNN in order for him to participate in the next Republican presidential debate during a rally in Macon, Ga. on Monday.

You Can't Understand American Politics Without Reading This Study  —  I don't say this lightly or often.  But this is one of the most important studies in years in terms of understanding the current state of American politics and society.  The study is the work of two Princeton University scholars …

Wary of Donald Trump, G.O.P. Leaders Are Caught in a Standoff  —  WASHINGTON — For months, much of the Republican Party's establishment has been uneasy about the rise of Donald J. Trump, concerned that he was overwhelming the presidential primary contest and encouraging other candidates to mimic his incendiary speech.

Obama ends Paris climate visit with spotlight on legacy  —  Obama: COP21 should lead to ‘legally binding’ mechanism  — President Barack Obama held a news conference before leaving the climate change conference in Paris  — Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail remind Obama …

Columba Bush Heads To Christie Country for Campaign Cash  —  The campaign's fundraising calendar reveals that the back of the pack candidate is leaning forward when it comes to gathering cash.  —  michaelcbender  —  Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is dispatching his wife to the backyard …

Unearthing America's Deep Network of Climate Change Deniers  —  A new study attempts the first tally of those driving the peculiarly American strain of climate change denial.  —  The American public has turned away from outright denial of climate change.  Sixty-three percent of adults describe …

Red Sox, David Price reach deal that is largest ever for a pitcher  —  The Red Sox are taking no shortcuts with their rotation this time.  According to a source briefed on the negotiations, they agreed on Tuesday on a seven-year, $217 million contract with lefthander David Price.

The Reagan Administration's Unearthed Response to the AIDS Crisis Is Chilling  —  A new short film, When AIDS Was Funny, unearths never-before-heard audio reaction to the escalating AIDS crisis.  —  One of the most prominent stains on the reputation of the much-mythologized Reagan administration …

Starbucks Pulls Turkey Sandwich From West Coast Stores After E. Coli Scare  —  Chain affected by same E. coli strain as Costco outbreak  —  No reports of illness from eating Starbucks sandwiches  —  Starbucks Corp. pulled its holiday turkey paninis from 1,347 U.S. locations last week …

Migrants Beat Up Locals In Restaurant In Germany  —  Migrants and locals got into a fight in a restaurant in Bavaria on Sunday, resulting in a 50-year-old German man receiving serious head injuries.  —  The brawl, which began as an argument between a small group of migrants and local residents eating …

Black Friday breaks record with 185K gun background checks  —  More Americans had their backgrounds checked purchasing guns on Black Friday than any day in the on record, according to data released by the FBI this week.  —  The National Instant Criminal Background Check System processed 185,345 requests …

Rubio: Paris Attacks and 9/11 Are Part of God's Plan for Our Lives  —  Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio spoke about seeking God's guidance, arguing that the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris last month and in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, were both part of God's mysterious plan for the universe.

DICAPRIO RAPED BY BEAR IN FOX MOVIE  —  The new movie ‘REVENANT’ features a shocking scene of a wild bear raping Leo DiCaprio!  —  The explicit moment from Oscar winning director Alejandro Inarritu has caused maximum controversy in early screenings.  Some in the audience escaped to the exits …

Yale Faculty Defend Freedom of Speech, Express Support for Christakises in Open Letter  —  Forty-nine current or emeritus faculty members at Yale University have signed an open letter of support for Erika and Nicholas Christakis' right to “free speech and freedom of intellectual expression.”

Long-Hidden Details Reveal Cruelty of 1972 Munich Attackers  —  In September 1992, two Israeli widows went to the home of their lawyer.  When the women arrived, the lawyer told them that he had received some photographs during his recent trip to Munich but that he did not think they should view them.