Trump hits a new high in national poll  —  Donald Trump just got a little more vault in his ceiling.  Nationwide, the polling-obsessed Manhattan multi-billionaire and leading Republican presidential candidate broke into the 40s on Monday.  —  According to the results of the latest Monmouth …

What The Hell Happened To Mickey Kaus?  —  Mickey Kaus was sitting at Superba Food + Bread in Venice Beach, California, an expensive coffee place where an expensive-looking person was yelling at the counter staff about a housefly on a cookie.  —  Kaus was sorry about the location …

Bowe Bergdahl to Face Court-Martial on Desertion Charges  —  A top Army commander on Monday ordered that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl face a court-martial on charges of desertion and endangering troops stemming from his decision to leave his outpost in 2009, prompting a huge manhunt in the wilds …

Americans Name Terrorism as No. 1 U.S. Problem  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — After the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, Americans are now more likely to name terrorism as the top issue facing the U.S. than to name any other issue — including those that have typically topped …

The biggest Pinocchios of 2015  —  It's time for our annual round-up of the biggest Pinocchios of the year.  —  The 2016 presidential campaign has dominated our coverage of false claims.  In particular, businessman Donald Trump—who has soared to the top of the GOP field—kept us busy.

2015 Sportsperson of the Year: Serena Williams  —  Real life?  For Serena Williams that's the easy part now.  That's how it works when you zoom—beyond tennis, beyond $74 million in prize money, beyond one of the greatest late-career runs in sports history—into celebrity hyperspace.

Republican Billionaires Just Can't Seem to Buy This Election  —  Money has poured into the political system.  And yet spending the cash haul effectively has never been more difficult. … You'd think buying an election would be easy.  This is, after all, the rough pitch …

Obama says U.S. hitting ISIL ‘harder than ever’  —  The United States and its allies are hitting the Islamic State “harder than ever” before, President Barack Obama announced Monday, following a briefing with military officials at the Pentagon.  —  “We are hitting ISIL harder than ever.

Anti-ISIS holiday display in Maine raises some eyebrows  —  Sheriff's deputies visited the Limerick homeowner after someone expressed concerns about the creative use of holiday lights and a Santa Claus.  —  A Limerick homeowner's use of holiday lights to make a statement against terrorism caught …

Negotiating the Whirlwind  —  John Kerry, the sixty-eighth Secretary of State of the United States, was born to a temperament of wintry rectitude.  He is descended from the Winthrops, who helped found the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the Forbeses, a Brahmin clan that made its money in railways …

Sen. Bob Corker Failed to Properly Disclose Millions of Dollars in Income  —  Tennessee Republican files amendments to reports going back to 2007; ‘I am extremely disappointed in the filing errors’  —  WASHINGTON—Sen. Bob Corker failed to properly disclose millions of dollars in income from real estate …

Congressman Makes ‘Knife Control’ Joke On Sandy Hook Anniversary  —  Three years ago, when 20 first-graders were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary school, the tragedy reignited the national fight over gun control.  Little has changed since then, despite hundreds of mass shootings and calls for reform.

A Professor Took Care Of A Single Mom's Kids During An Exam After Her Babysitter Canceled  —  A college professor in Kentucky is getting a ton of online praise after a photo of him babysitting a student's kids so she could take her final exam went viral.  —  Victoria Henry

The Mystery of Missing Inflation Weighs on Fed Rate Move  —  U.S. near full employment, but inflation hasn't risen as predicted; Fed officials can't figure out why  —  Federal Reserve officials this week are expected to raise interest rates for the first time in nine years on the expectation …