What Putin Has to Say to Americans About Syria  —  MOSCOW — RECENT events surrounding Syria have prompted me to speak directly to the American people and their political leaders.  It is important to do so at a time of insufficient communication between our societies.

Exclusive: The Koch brothers' secret bank  —  An Arlington, Va.-based conservative group, whose existence until now was unknown to almost everyone in politics, raised and spent $250 million in 2012 to shape political and policy debate nationwide.  —  The group, Freedom Partners …

Pastor Terry Jones arrested with thousands of kerosene-soaked Qurans, deputies say  —  Controversial Gainesville Pastor Terry Jones, known for his plans to publicly burn copies of the Muslim holy book, was arrested Wednesday with thousands of kerosene-soaked Qurans, authorities said.

Democrats Press Thompson to Forsake a Runoff  —  Mayoral Election: What Happens Next?:  Bill de Blasio has a commanding lead over William C. Thompson Jr. after the Democratic primary in New York City.  The winner will face Joseph J. Lhota, the Republican candidate.

WATCH: College Students Chase David Petraeus and Shout at Him on First Day of Class  —  Recent video shows former CIA director David Petraeus being chased down a New York City street by student activists at the City University of New York.  —  As BusinessInsider reported …

Obama and Syria: Stumbling Toward Damascus  —  The President's uneven Syria response has damaged his office and weakened the nation.  It's time for one more pivot  —  By Joe Klein @JoeKleinTIMESept.  11, 2013  —  On the eve of the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks …

Exclusive: U.N. Report Will Point to Assad Regime in Massive Chemical Attack  —  U.N. inspectors have collected a “wealth” of evidence on the use of nerve agents that points to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad using chemical weapons against his own people, according to a senior Western official.

Obama signals shift back to economic focus  —  The White House is signaling it wants to shift back to the economy after two weeks in which the Syrian crisis has dominated President Obama's schedule and workload.  —  Obama will be “focusing” on issues related to the economy in the coming weeks …

IBT Media Names Jim Impoco the Editor-in-Chief of Newsweek  —  IBT Media (http://corp.ibt.com), an international digital-only news company that acquired Newsweek in August, today announced Jim Impoco as the Editor-in-Chief of Newsweek.  —  A veteran journalist for over 20 years …

D.C. executive linked to secret 2008 aid to Hillary Clinton  —  The D.C. businessman at the center of an ongoing city corruption investigation secretly spent more than a half-million dollars on get-out-the-vote efforts for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, according to interviews and court documents filed Wednesday.

CNN Poll: Who would get blamed for government shutdown?  —  Washington (CNN) - With the clock ticking towards two crucial deadlines, a new national poll indicates congressional Republicans would shoulder more blame than President Barack Obama for a possible government shutdown.

Lois Lerner's Own Words  —  Emails undercut the official IRS story on political targeting.  —  Congress's investigation into the IRS targeting of conservatives has been continuing out of the Syria headlines, and it's turning up news.  Emails unearthed by the House Ways …

Tea Party Extends Focus to Include Rallying Against a Syria Strike  —  At the regular Peace Vigil in Louisville, Ky., on Sunday, some unusual newcomers joined the bearded, longtime war protesters waving signs with doves and “War Is Not the Answer”: a contingent from Indiana's Clark County Tea Party Patriots …

Kenya discovers huge water source  —  A huge new water source has been discovered in the arid Turkana region of northern Kenya, which could supply the country for 70 years, the government says.  —  The discovery brings hope to the drought-hit region, tweeted Environment Minister Judi Wakhungu.

Companies lay off thousands, then demand immigration reform for new labor  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL CONGRESS IMMIGRATION LABOR JOHN BOEHNER NANCY PELOSI  —  On Tuesday, the chief human resources officers of more than 100 large corporations sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner …