Exclusive: Dozens of CIA operatives on the ground during Benghazi attack  —  CNN has uncovered exclusive new information about what is allegedly happening at the CIA, in the wake of the deadly  —  Benghazi terror attack.  —  Four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens …

Putin's ‘zero-sum’ misstep  —  President Barack Obama can't come close to living up to the fantasies of a showdown stirred by Vladimir Putin's international flip-off.  —  But for all the calls Thursday to reassess the Russia relationship in the wake of Russia's granting temporary asylum to Edward Snowden …

Hill gets Obamacare fix  —  Lawmakers and staff can breathe easy — their health care tab is not going to soar next year.  —  The Office of Personnel Management, under heavy pressure from Capitol Hill, will issue a ruling that says the government can continue to make a contribution …

Ninth woman accuses San Diego mayor Filner of sexual harassment  —  A ninth woman has emerged to accuse San Diego Mayor Bob Filner (D) of sexual harassment.  —  Emily Gilbert, who was hired to sing at a fundraiser days after Filner took office in December, told Fox5 that Filner grabbed her inappropriately at the event.

Coming to an Old Friend's Aid, With an Eye on the Clinton Image  —  Moments before Huma Abedin stood amid a phalanx of television cameras last week and announced to a national audience that she was standing by her embattled husband, Anthony D. Weiner, she made a quick phone call to a trusted colleague.

Possible al Qaeda threat closes all US embassies Sunday across Middle East  —  The U.S. State Department has announced officials will close down all U.S. embassies across the Middle East on Sunday after Al-Qaeda-related intelligence suggested a threat.  NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

The Soft Underbelly of Obama­care  —  For opponents of Obamacare, it almost seems like the law offers too many targets to choose from.  Its effects on premiums and costs look to be highly unpopular, its perverse incentives are already harming employment, its state exchanges will hand …

Here's How Republicans Can Take Over the Senate  —  There are many opportunities for GOP pickups in states where Democrats are weak.  —  One difference between professional athletes and fans, and between coaches and cheerleaders, is that while all of them see opportunities for their teams …

How fractured is the GOP?  —  Acombination of early presidential maneuvering and internal policy debate is feeding yet another iteration of that media perennial: the great Republican crackup.  This time it's tea party insurgents vs. get-along establishment fogies fighting principally over two things …

GOP Telegraphs Mass Filibuster Of Obama's Top Judges  —  Senate Republicans are standing firm by their threat to block every one of President Obama's nominees to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, insisting on eliminating all three vacant seats on the country's second most powerful court.

Seattle officials call for ban on ‘potentially offensive’ language  —  Government workers in the city of Seattle have been advised that the terms “citizen” and “brown bag” are potentially offensive and may no longer be used in official documents and discussions.

Gay couple to sue church over gay marriage opt-out  —  Wealthy gay dad, Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, says he and his civil partner Tony will go to court to force churches to host gay weddings.  —  He told the Essex Chronicle that he will take legal action because “I am still not getting what I want”.

The ‘Straight Talk Express’ is back: McCain on his fears about the future of the GOP  —  Sen. John McCain has a strong warning for Republicans: Falter on immigration reform and the party will lose in 2016.  —  “If we fail on immigration reform, it won't matter who our nominee …

'I'm a Pastafarian': Man who claims his religion forces him to wear a sieve on his head given permission to wear one on his official identity card picture  —  A man who wears a sieve on his head for religious reasons has been allowed to wear his bizarre headgear on his official identity card.

GOP views of Paul, Christie reflect fight over civil liberties  —  The debate over the government's data collection program has revealed internal splits in both parties.  In the GOP, the fight has gotten personal: Kentucky senator Rand Paul has been a leading critic of the program …

Payrolls Rise Less Than Forecast, U.S. Jobless Rate Falls  —  Payrolls Rise 162,000; Jobless Rate Falls to 7.4%  —  Employers added fewer workers than anticipated in July and the U.S. jobless rate dropped to 7.4 percent, indicating uneven progress in the labor market.

The Court Reporters  —  I have been studying the transcript of the recent New York Times interview of President Barack Obama.  It is a remarkable document—remarkable not for the facts it contains, but for the way it reveals the mentalities of the participants.

Boehner's burden: ObamaCare  —  For Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Obamacare is the predicament that won't go away.  —  The Speaker is leading a House Republican conference that wants to dismantle President Obama's signature, contentious achievement by any means necessary but can't quite agree on the best way to kill it.

Kerry Lauds Egypt Military for ‘Restoring Democracy’  —  Diplomat Gives Administration's Strongest Endorsement Yet for Morsi's Ouster  —  Secretary of State John Kerry gave his strongest approval yet to Egypt's military ouster of President Mohammed Morsi, praising the country's leading generals …