• U.S. Court Will Not Halt NSA Phone Spy Program Before Ban

  A U.S. appeals court on Thursday refused to immediately halt the government's bulk collection of millions of Americans' phone records during a "transition" period to a new federal scheme that bans the controversial anti-terrorism surveillance.

  

• Republican Paul Ryan Elected As House speaker, Replacing John Boehner

  The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday voted to install Republican Representative Paul Ryan as its new speaker, replacing John Boehner following a revolt by conservative lawmakers who forced his retirement.

  

• The Alamo Monument, Texas' Most Visited Tourist Site, Getting a Much-Needed Facelift

  The man who long-headed San Antonio's Chamber of Commerce has grown tired of the reaction he receives from the visitors he takes to the Alamo, the highly recognizable monument to Texas independence and the state' most-visited tourist site.

  

• U.S.-Backed Syrian Rebel Group Says Assault on Islamic State Imminent

  A Syrian rebel group which is part of a new U.S.-backed alliance that also includes the Kurdish YPG militia announced on Thursday plans for an imminent offensive against Islamic State militants in Raqqa province, the jihadists' stronghold in Syria.

  

• #GOPdebate Trumps #WorldSeries on Twitter During Republican Presidential Debate: Media Analytics

  The Republican presidential debate took over Twitter on Wednesday night, with #GOPdebate trending far more than #WorldSeries, according to data by social media analytics provider Hashtags.org.