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.

Ted Cruz: “We Need 100 More Like Jesse Helms”  —  Texas Sen. Ted Cruz started off his Wednesday speech on foreign policy at the conservative Heritage Foundation with a confession: His first political contribution was a $10 contribution to the late Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), when he was 10.

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.

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.

So, you want a job in policy?  —  I haven't worked a “real job” since being an undergrad.  However, I often get asked by undergrads for advice about preparations for real world policy jobs.  I recently asked my former PhD student, Kate Kidder, a research associate at the Center for a New American Security …

Reid: ‘Anarchists have taken over’  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday said “anarchists” have taken over Congress.  —  Reid (D-Nev.) said Tea Party Republicans are preventing progress on an energy efficiency bill by offering amendments on ObamaCare and other unrelated issues.

Most States Funding Schools Less Than Before the Recession  —  States' new budgets are providing less per-pupil funding for kindergarten through 12th grade than they did six years ago — often far less.  The reduced levels reflect not only the lingering effects of the 2007-09 recession …

Feds Fight To Prevent NSA Disclosures In Criminal Cases  —  Solicitor General Donald Verrilli and Sen. Diane Feinstein have put federal prosecutors in quite a bind after they made public comments about the use of secret NSA surveillance in terrorism investigations.

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 …

Benghazi Conspiracy Rally On Capitol Hill Attracts Dozens Of People  —  Tens of people rally on Capitol Hill for the truth about Benghazi  —  WASHINGTON, DC — The first anniversary of the Benghazi tragedy was supposed to be the time for conservatives around the country to descend on the Capitol …

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 …

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 …

Norquist Has Leadership's Back Against Heritage, Club for Growth  —  A House GOP leadership team whose best-laid plans have been continually torpedoed by Heritage Action for America and the Club for Growth has a familiar ally as it tries to avert a government shutdown: Grover Norquist.

House GOP: United against Obama on Syria, divided on everything else  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL WHITE HOUSE CONGRESS BARACK OBAMA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SYRIA  —  Here's what a leading House Republican said recently about the state of relations among GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill …

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.