House Republicans lack votes to move plan to raise debt ceiling  —  House Republican leaders found themselves struggling to secure the votes on Thursday for a debt ceiling measure they hoped to swiftly pass through the House as the latest salvo in a multi-front fiscal fight.

My State Needs Obamacare.  Now.  —  FRANKFORT, Ky. — SUNDAY morning news programs identify Kentucky as the red state with two high-profile Republican senators who claim their rhetoric represents an electorate that gave President Obama only about a third of its presidential vote in 2012.

Allen West Out At PJ Media  —  Sources say he had an anti-Semitic exchange with a staffer, calling her a “Jewish American princess.”  —  Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images  —  Former Congressman Allen West is leaving his job at Pajamas Media after an altercation with a female staffer …

First on CNN: NRSC targets vulnerable Democrats  —  Washington (CNN) - As the Senate begins getting down to the business on Friday of whether to defund the health care law backed by President Barack Obama, a national Republican political committee cautions Democratic incumbents facing tough reelection fights.

U.N. Deal on Syrian Arms Is Milestone After Years of Inertia  —  UNITED NATIONS — The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have agreed on a resolution that will require Syria to give up its chemical weapons, but there will be no automatic penalties if the Syrians fail to comply, officials said Thursday.

Pasta firm Barilla boycotted over ‘classic family’ remarks  —  Chairman Guido Barilla causes outrage in Italy after saying he would not consider using a gay family to advertise his products  —  Gay rights activists in Italy have launched a boycott of the world's leading pasta maker …

The Disconnect  —  There is a real and genuine disconnect between grassroots conservatives and many in Washington.  Let's first concede that, like with many politicians, a cult of personality has started developing around Ted Cruz, though from my vantage point it is not nearly as virulent as among some.

So much for keeping a low profile: George Zimmerman is pulled over for the THIRD time since he was acquitted  —  George Zimmerman was pulled over by police for the third time since his acquittal, it emerged today.  —  Zimmerman was stopped by Florida Highway Patrol troopers in Brevard County on August 19 just after 11am.

U.N. panel delivers landmark climate change report  —  United Nations climate change study says man to blame for Earth's warming.  —  CONNECT  —  Global warming is “unequivocal” and it is “extremely likely” that humans are the primary contributors to this warming, according …

SEIU unionists strike over Obamacare-related cuts  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL BARACK OBAMA OBAMACARE LABOR HEALTH CARE AFL-CIO  —  Members of the Chicago-based Service Employees International Union Local 1 have gone on strike over recent job cuts by a janitorial company called Professional Maintenance.

This Year's SAT Scores Are Out, and They're Grim  —  Fewer than half of the 2013 graduating seniors who took the test got “college-ready” scores.  —  Of the 1.66 million high school students in the class of 2013 who took the SAT, only 43 percent were academically prepared for college-level work …

WHERE THE G.O.P.'S SUICIDE CAUCUS LIVES  —  On August 21st, Congressman Mark Meadows sent a letter to John Boehner.  Meadows is a former restaurant owner and Sunday-school Bible teacher from North Carolina.  He's been in Congress for eight months.  Boehner, who has served in Congress for twenty-two years …

'Eyes gouged out, bodies hanging from hooks, and fingers removed with pliers': Horrific claims of torture emerge as soldiers reveal gory Kenyan mall massacre details  —  Soldiers told of the horrific torture meted out by terrorists in the Nairobi mall massacre yesterday with claims hostages were dismembered …

HEALTH LAW ONLINE SIGN-UP DELAYED FOR SMALL FIRMS  —  You are here  —  Home » United States government » Health law online sign-up delayed for small firms  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Days before the debut of new online insurance markets, a couple of last-minute technical glitches …

NRA announces fundraising record  —  FAIRFAX, Va. (WTVR) - The National Rifle Association announced its grassroots fundraising program “Friends of NRA” is having a record fundraising year.  —  “The success of this year's Friends of NRA banquets would not have been possible without the hard work …