PLATON  —  I am staying at the Hotel Metropol, a whimsical sand-colored monument to pre-revolutionary art nouveau.  Built during the time of Czar Nicholas II, it later became the Second House of the Soviets after the Bolsheviks took over in 1917.  In the restaurant, Lenin would harangue …

Hillary Clinton not comfortable in her own skin  —  Hillary Clinton walks through a paneled doorway and onto the set of “The Colbert Report.”  A grin splits her face.  She puts her arms out and rocks them up and down as if she were a mechanical toy.  —  Stephen Colbert is stunned.  Shocked.

Calling All Sad Clowns  —  I put a disclaimer at the front of my Robin Williams post today, cautioning that my very quick look at the guy's political comedy was a sidebar of a sidebar.  Despite that, I've gotten some irritated email and tweets asking why I wrote a “takedown” of a dead guy and “politicized” his death.

UNEASY NIGHT: A police shooting, more tear gas in Ferguson  —  At about 1 a.m., a St. Louis County Police officer shot and critically wounded a man who police said pointed a handgun at the officer near the intersection of West Florissant and Chambers Road.  —  The shooting happened near Chambers …

It's the Loyalty, Stupid  —  WASHINGTON — I talked to Robin Williams once, about breasts.  —  In 1993, when he played a prim British nanny in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” I went to interview him at his Pacific Heights house.  —  “It's great to be this blue-mouthed old lady hitting on somebody,” …

Who rules America?  —  A shattering new study by two political science professors has found that ordinary Americans have virtually no impact whatsoever on the making of national policy in our country.  The analysts found that rich individuals and business-controlled interest groups largely shape policy outcomes in the United States.

Police Fatally Shoot Man in South L.A.; Family Members Say He Was Lying Down When Shot … Family members said Tuesday that a 25-year-old man was complying with police orders when he was fatally shot by LAPD officers in the Florence neighborhood South Los Angeles.

Clinton, Obama and Iraq  —  Last week, Hillary Clinton had a fascinating interview with Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic.  The interview got immediate attention because of the way she discussed her differences with President Obama.  —  While admitting that no one will ever know who was right …

Lauren Bacall Dies at 89; in a Bygone Hollywood, She Purred Every Word  —  Lauren Bacall, the actress whose provocative glamour elevated her to stardom in Hollywood's golden age and whose lasting mystique put her on a plateau in American culture that few stars reach, died on Tuesday in New York.

Detective: Murder suspect asked Siri how to hide body  —  GAINESVILLE, Fla. —  New evidence presented Tuesday in the trial of a man accused of killing his roommate showed he apparently asked Siri on his iPhone, “I need to hide my roommate.”  —  Pedro Bravo is accused of killing University …

A charged-up Rick Perry after his Iowa State Fair speech: 'I'm awesome'  —  Rick Perry admits he's preparing to possibly run for president, even if Iowans haven't forgotten his forgetfulness.  —  And at the Iowa State Fair today, the Texas governor couldn't walk 10 feet without someone gunning for his attention.

Childhood Lead Exposure Causes a Lot More Than Just a Rise in Violent Crime  —  Jessica Wolpaw Reyes has a new paper out that investigates the link between childhood lead exposure—mostly via tailpipe emissions of leaded gasoline—and violent crime.  Unsurprisingly, since her previous research …

Exclusive: Sen. Mary Landrieu's campaign flight was charged to taxpayers  —  (CNN) — Sen. Mary Landrieu made headlines last November when she hitched a ride home on Air Force One with President Obama, but chose not to attend his event in New Orleans.  Another lesser-known flight Landrieu took …

Defense Secretary: ‘The World is Exploding All Over’  —  Fresh off a trip to India and Australia, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel addressed a group of Marines in San Diego, California Tuesday, and may have delivered a line that will show up in Republican campaign ads this election cycle.

Obama's vacations and golf outings, by the numbers Yahoo News 1 hr ago  —  President Obama's annual family vacation — an escape to tony Martha's Vineyard — has once again served as an inviting target for critics.  They ask how he can relax while the world burns, wring their hands about …