Ben Carson tumbles in national poll  —  Ben Carson took a tumble in the latest national poll, falling 7 points from last month in the Quinnipiac University survey, after weathering heavy criticism for his lack of foreign policy expertise and scrutiny about his personal tale of redemption.

Donald Trump is a bigot and a racist  —  Let's not mince words: Donald Trump is a bigot and a racist.  —  Some will think this an outrageous label to apply to the frontrunner for a major party's presidential nomination.  Ordinarily, I would agree that name-calling is part of what's wrong with our politics.

Trump on terrorists: ‘You have to take out their families’ … Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that the families of terrorists ought to be targeted in the fight against Islamic militants.  —  Trump made the remark during an interview on “Fox and Friends …

Photo of birthday cake decorated at Meijer goes viral for good reasons … GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A picture of a cake decorated at the Gaines Township Meijer is making the rounds on social media as people learn the story behind who created it.  —  Over the weekend, Lisa Aldrich posted a photo of a cake she purchased at Meijer.

Hamilton Students Deliver List of 83 ‘Demands’ to College President  —  From limiting freedom of speech to discouraging white faculty from leading departments, Hamilton College's ‘The Movement’ wants radical action across swaths of campus life.  —  A group of students at Hamilton College …

Twitter threats to black Kean students made by black alum, police say  —  ELIZABETH — A recent Kean graduate has been charged with being responsible for a series of tweets threatening black students at the school two weeks ago, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Tuesday.

Leaked Documents Reveal Dothan Police Department Planted Drugs on Young Black Men For Years, District Attorney Doug Valeska Complicit … HUNDREDS OF CASES PROSECUTED WITH PLANTED EVIDENCE, MANY WRONGLY CONVICTED STILL IN PRISON  —  The Alabama Justice Project has obtained documents that reveal …

Ted Cruz Vows to Put Hard-Core Conservatives on Supreme Court  —  In an exclusive interview, the former Supreme Court litigator reveals how he would reshape the bench if elected to the White House.  —  Ted Cruz says Republicans have “an abysmal record” when it comes to picking Supreme Court justices …

Iraqis think the U.S. is in cahoots with the Islamic State, and it is hurting the war  —  BAIJI, Iraq — On the front lines of the battle against the Islamic State, suspicion of the United States runs deep.  Iraqi fighters say they have all seen the videos purportedly showing U.S. helicopters …

60-Year-Old Pastor Marries Teenager With Support Of His Wife  —  Thom Miller, an Ohio-based pastor, has married a teenage woman and is having a child with her, all with the support of his 44-year-old wife Belinda.  —  The 60-year-old, who spent time earlier in life behind bars as a member of the mob …

The Chicago Police Scandal  —  The cover-up that began 13 months ago when a Chicago police officer executed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald on a busy street might well have included highly ranked officials who ordered subordinates to conceal information.  But the conspiracy of concealment exposed …

“I was speechless:” Man charged with felony for passing out jury rights fliers in front of courthouse … MECOSTA COUNTY, Mich. — A Mecosta man is charged with a felony for obstruction of justice and misdemeanor of tampering with a jury for passing out fliers about jury nullification rights …

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.

The CEO Paying Everyone $70,000 Salaries Has Something to Hide … Photographs by Nathanael Turner

Planned Parenthood Shooting Suspect Robert Dear Targeted Agency Before: Ex-Wife  —  The man charged with killing three people at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has targeted the agency before, his ex-wife said Tuesday.  —  Robert Lewis Dear, 57 …

The Walrus and the New York Times  —  As part of its cheerleading for the U.N. climate convention in Paris, the New York Times is running a series on What Climate Change Looks Like.  First up are the walruses: … The Times is peddling ignorance here.  Actually, the congregation of walruses …

Obama loses gift of speech in Paris; time to invoke 25th Amendment  —  ANALYSIS/OPINION:  —  Is it now time to invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment?  —  Has our president officially lost his ability to discharge the powers and duties of his office?  —  Anyone who listened …

Sandy Berger, former national security adviser, dies  —  Former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, who served under President Bill Clinton, has died at the age of 70 from cancer.  —  “V sad start to day; just learned Sandy Berger passed away during the night,” Richard Haass …