Jennifer Harper

New poll gauges American rage: Much of the public vexed by headlines, disenfranchisement

How mad is America at the moment? Citizens are mad enough to warrant "The American Rage Quiz," a public survey conducted by Esquire Magazine and NBC News to gauge the outrage among Americans as they confront politics, media and cultural complications.

Inside the Beltway: Ted Cruz offers custom shotgun as voter incentive

Some presidential campaigns raffle off lunch with the candidate, or maybe an autographed book. Others have a more gutsy outreach. Republican hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz is offering a custom shotgun as a premium for one lucky fan — an interesting choice now that President Obama has proclaimed gun control as one of the pillars of his agenda before he leaves office.

Census Bureau says ‘International migration” adds one person to the U.S. population every 29 seconds

America has grown by 2.5 million people in the last year. The U.S. Census Bureau has released their projection for the United States population and noted it hit 322,762,018 on New Years Day. This represents an increase of 2,472,745 people - or 0.77 percent, from exactly one year ago. "In 2016, the United States is expected to experience one birth every eight seconds and one death every 10 seconds. Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person to the U.S. population every 29 seconds," the federal agency says.

They say it’s vandalism: San Francisco vexed at Justin Bieber for ‘commercially sponsored graffiti’

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera is demanding the full cooperation of Def Jam Records, the recording company behind singer Justin Bieber for some very public messages. Mr. Herrera is intent on finding and punishing the guerrilla graffiti artists who are spray painting stealth marketing phrases for Mr. Bieber's new album across public sidewalks. He has sent a stern letter to record company officials, advising them that the "commercially sponsored graffiti" is vandalism.

Inside the Beltway: Roger Ailes, Matt Drudge, Rush Limbaugh ‘most influential’ in political media

Fox News has been the top rated cable news channel for the last 14 years, besting the competition throughout the day and in primetime - and now dominating the rest of the cable world, according to Nielsen Media numbers. Among 120 top cable networks, Fox New is ranked second only to ESPN. There's a reason for all of this, and most analysts cite the influence of Roger Ailes, the canny and powerful chief of the network, which will celebrate 20 years on the airways in 2016.

Inside the Beltway: Presidential candidates return to the campaign trail

With 2016 arriving in a matter of days, the presidential hopefuls are acutely mindful of two dates: Feb. 1, which marks the Iowa Caucuses, and Feb. 9 - the "First in the Nation" presidential primaries in New Hampshire. The candidates have raced back to the campaign trail with business on their minds.

Inside the Beltway: Multitaskers: The senators who would be president

Let us ponder history: To date, a mere 16 senators have gone on to serve as president of the United States, beginning with James Monroe, who served four years in the Senate starting in 1790 and was elected president 23 years later. Only three -- Warren G. Harding, John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama -- moved directly from the Senate to the White House, according to Senate records. Consider that, just since 1972, a total of 50 sitting or former senators from 31 states have run for president a collective 62 times, with Mr. Obama the sole victor, according to a University of Minnesota analysis.

National Park Service donates 700 pounds of fresh venison to D.C. charity kitchen

A moment of interest to sport shooters: The National Park Service has donated 700 pounds of fresh venison to the DC Central Kitchen in the nation's capital, "to be used in the thousands of healthy meals" for homeless shelters, rehabilitation clinics and afterschool programs. The venison is a result of a deer-reduction operation in the city's Rock Creek Park.

Inside the Beltway Weekly Dec. 28, 2015

Inside the Beltway: Michael Savage: Trump makes the point in ‘half a sentence’

Many ponder Donald Trump's persistent voter appeal. Longtime political observer Roger Stone recently suggested the candidate is an "alpha male" who would establish an "alpha male presidency," which appeals to many Americans, Mr. Stone says. Others cite the billionaire's blunt style.

Inside the Beltway: Top 10 ‘frivolous lawsuits’ of 2015

There was the armed bank robber who filed a $6.3 million claim over injuries he sustained while fleeing the scene, and the inmate who sued a football team over a playoff loss. And don't forget the diner claiming injury over a "flying dinner roll." None of these legal actions made the Top Ten Most Ridiculous Lawsuits of 2015, a judgment call made by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform.

Inside the Beltway: Hollywood eyes attack on Ronald Reagan…Again

He was once one of their own, a matinee star who later became America's 40th president. Hollywood has not always been kind to Ronald Reagan, his life or his legacy; made-for-TV movies and feature productions often sidestepped his authentic accomplishments for cheap shots and melodrama, or cast in the leading role such liberal-leaning talent as Michael Douglas or James Brolin -- husband to Barbra Streisand.

76 percent of Americans approve of Christmas in public schools

Earlier this week a New York City school superintendent ordered Christmas festivities be restored at a Brooklyn elementary school after the principal declared the small campus to be a Santa-free zone.

Inside the Beltway: Coronation: ‘Hillary Meter’ says she’s the one

Not so long ago, there was talk that the "coronation" of Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton was not a given. She had competition. There was scandal talk of Benghazi and those pesky private emails to consider. The positive press narrative has returned her to the throne, however. As the third Democratic presidential debate looms on Saturday night in New Hampshire, Mrs. Clinton dominates the diminished field: 80 percent of all voters think she'll win the nomination; that includes 87 percent of giddy Democrats and 79 percent of disgruntled Republicans. So says the latest Rasmussen Reports "Hillary Meter" survey of likely voters released Thursday.

Inside the Beltway Weekly Dec. 21, 2015

Inside the Beltway: President Frank Underwood returns with a vengeance

Behold, it's "FU2016," a spiffy new website for a fictional presidential campaign, and as canny a marketing tool as any real candidate could muster.

Merriam-Webster names ‘socialism’ the word of the year, followed by fascism, racism, feminism

The word usage mavens at Merriam-Webster named their word of the year Tuesday: "ism." Yes, as in "ism," the suffix. A group of seven words that end in "ism" were the most looked-up terms during the whole year, the organization found. One in particular sparked the most hubbub.

Inside the Beltway: Libertarian Party woos Muslim Republicans

The Libertarian Party is out to win over some new fans, fueled by Donald Trump's recent suggestion that Muslims be temporarily banned from immigrating to the U.S.

Americans actually admit they like the presidential debates: Poll

Well, maybe there's something to be said for all the sprawling sets, whirling graphics and attractive, aggressive moderators. Americans are actually paying attention to the presidential debates, which have indeed proved a ratings boon to the hosting networks - and a crowd pleaser.

Inside the Beltway: Ted Cruz to debate, take off for Super Tuesday

Debate, what debate? It's just another stop on a very long campaign trail. When the Republican showdown is over in Las Vegas, the candidates scatter, eager for the next voter meet-and-greet. Donald Trump immediately bolts for Arizona. Ben Carson heads for three cities across Nevada, then nine more in Iowa by week's end. Sen. Marco Rubio rockets off to Iowa and then New Hampshire on Wednesday, then races back to Iowa once again Thursday. Sen. Ted Cruz appears to have the most ambitious schedule among his immediate rivals, however. In 48 hours, he is embarking on a "Take Off With Ted" tour, flying into a dozen cities for a dozen rallies in one week's time -- including St. Paul, Minnesota; Birmingham, Alabama; Knoxville, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.