Making Sense of Syria  —  This is what I think we're seeing:  —  The president has backed away from a military strike in Syria.  But he can't acknowledge this or act as if it is true.  He is acting and talking as if he's coolly, analytically, even warily contemplating the Russian proposal and the Syrian response.

The White House may really be about to win on Syria  —  The AP tweets:  —  Assuming that sticks, it's game.  The White House just achieved its goal.  —  Remember: The White House's aim here wasn't to topple Assad, or even hurt him.  It was to affirm and reinforce the international norm against chemical weapons.

DNI Clapper Declassifies Intelligence Community Documents Regarding Collection Under Section 501 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)  —  In June of this year, President Obama directed me to declassify and make public as much information as possible about certain sensitive …

‘A Grand Betrayal’: Conservatives Slam GOP's Gambit On Defunding Obamacare  —  The initial reviews from conservatives Tuesday are in and they're staunchly negative.  The proposed House Republican plan to force the Senate to vote on defunding Obamacare — while removing the threat …

De Blasio First in Mayoral Primary; Unclear if He Avoids a Runoff  —  Bill de Blasio, whose campaign for mayor of New York tapped into a city's deepening unease with income inequality and aggressive police practices, captured far more votes than any of his rivals in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, according to exit poll results.

CNN Instant Poll: Did Obama move the needle on Syria?  —  Washington (CNN) - A majority of Americans who watched President Barack Obama's prime time address to the nation on Tuesday said they favor the approach to Syria that the president spelled out in his speech, according to an instant poll.

George Zimmerman's Lawyer Mark O'Mara Quits … George Zimmerman's lawyer said today he will no longer represent the man acquitted of murder in the death of teenager Trayvon Martin.  —  The announcement came one day after Zimmerman's wife, Shellie, called police to say that Zimmerman …

Colorado's Civil War  —  A recall election turned a local fight into the latest front in the national gun control debate  —  All politics is local, the saying goes.  But is it true anymore?  Voters in Colorado may decide today.  —  Bigfoot out-of-towners have been pouring tons of money …

Cenk Uygur to Dana Perino: 'You're wrong, I'm right.  Get the f*ck out of the country'  —  On Monday's edition of “The Young Turks,” host Cenk Uygur sent a special message to former White House spokesperson Dana Perino, who last week said she is “tired” of atheists demanding that Christian ideology be separated from public policy.

Sydney Leathers shows up at Anthony Weiner election party  —  The woman whose sexually explicit allegations about Anthony Weiner derailed his mayoral campaign showed up at his Election Night watch party, reports said.  —  Sydney Leathers, the young woman who offered graphic details …

Richard Dawkins defends “mild pedophilia,” says it does not cause “lasting harm”  —  The biologist and author described the sexual abuse that occurred among his former classmates as “mild touching up”  —  In a recent interview with the Times magazine, Richard Dawkins attempted to defend what he called …