L. Carol Ritchie

Rep. Ralph Hall of Texas, 91, was defeated in a Republican primary runoff by John Ratcliffe, 48, a former U.S. attorney with Tea Party support.

Ukrainians began voting Sunday in a presidential election marred by violence and all but cancelled in eastern cities, where pro-Russian separatists have shut polling places and threatened officials.

The pontiff showed symbolic approval for an independent Palestinian state as he arrived in Bethlehem by helicopter. He also invited Israeli and Palestinian leaders to the Vatican for a prayer meeting.

Seven people were killed and 13 others injured in what authorities call a "premeditated mass shooting" near a University of California, Santa Barbara, student community.

The jumbo titanosaur would stretch the length of a pro basketball court, plus 40 feet, and stand as tall as a seven-story building.

OWN had planned a documentary series to feature the first openly gay NFL player in his bid to earn a spot on the St. Louis Rams. The network backed off to give him space "to achieve his dreams."

Gay couples can begin to marry as soon as Friday morning unless an appeals court puts a stay on the decision. It was the second state in less than a week to have its ban wiped out by a judge.

Residents of two regions of eastern Ukraine voted in a controversial referendum over sovereignty from the central government in Kiev. Meanwhile, clashes with government forces continued.

The Daily Show regular will host The Minority Report With Larry Wilmore on Comedy Central after Colbert leaves for CBS next year.

The president's punchlines spared no one, least of all himself, at the annual schmooze fest for political bigwigs and Hollywood A-listers.