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.

Dems Getting Ready to Roll Over on Budget Yet Again  —  Since House Republicans have steadfastly refused to pass a FY2014 budget—mostly on the peculiar grounds that if they did, it would force them to open negotiations with the Senate and run the risk of, um, negotiating …

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.

COULD OBAMA'S SYRIA DIPLOMACY LEAD TO WAR?  —  On Wednesday, a diplomatic solution to disarm Syria of its chemical weapons crept forward.  Unlike the preceding days, when policy seemed to be made on the fly, the negotiations Wednesday moved behind closed doors.

Mayor Gray vetoes ‘living wage’ bill aimed at Wal-Mart, setting up decisive council vote  —  District Mayor Vincent C. Gray vetoed legislation Thursday that would force the city's largest retailers to pay a super-minimum wage to their workers, ending two months of uncertainty …

Montana Lt. Gov. “Accidentally” Liked Picture Of Breasts On Facebook — Then Quickly Scrubbed His Account  —  “Breasts.Proof men can multitask2” reads the image's caption that was liked by a top-tier Democratic recruit for U.S. Senate.  “This was spam,” a Montana Democrat says.

New Iran envoy says hopes disputes with IAEA can be resolved  —  (Reuters) - Iran will cooperate with the U.N. nuclear agency to find ways to “overcome existing issues once and for all”, Tehran's new envoy said on Thursday, hinting at a more flexible approach under relatively moderate President Hassan Rouhani.

Landmark peace vigil outside White House removed  —  A landmark peace vigil that has stood outside the White House in downtown Washington for more than 30 years has been removed by U.S. Park Police, according to Concepcion Picciotto, the legendary protester who has served as the vigil's longest-running caretaker.

CBS 2 Investigation: Underground — And Illegal — NYC Dinner Parties  —  NEW YORK (CBS 2) — As you sit down to dinner, this story illustrates eating out like you have never experienced before.  We are talking about super-secret, illegal dining experiences hosted in homes.

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.

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 …

Biden scraps trip to Panama amid Syria crisis  —  The vice president still plans to visit Savannah, Ga., Charleston, S.C., and Mexico later this mont, the White House said.  —  In Panama, the vice president had planned to meet with President Ricardo Martinelli to discuss accelerating regional economic growth.

Reid: ‘Anarchists have taken over’ in Congress (Video)  —  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.

Experts: White House H2O evidence murky  —  First lady Michelle Obama's new drive to get Americans to drink more water may seem unlikely to make waves, but it spills into areas that have stirred intense controversy among scientists, public health campaigners and environmentalists.