Lawmaker drafting bill to demilitarize local police  —  A Democratic congressman from Georgia is drafting legislation to limit a Pentagon program that provides surplus military equipment to local law enforcement.  —  Rep. Hank Johnson is pushing the legislation amid the situation in Ferguson …

The Forever Slump  —  It's hard to believe, but almost six years have passed since the fall of Lehman Brothers ushered in the worst economic crisis since the 1930s.  Many people, myself included, would like to move on to other subjects.  But we can't, because the crisis is by no means over.

Video: Steve King says blacks in Ferguson should “straighten up and fly right”  —  U.S. Rep. Steve King said the African-American community in Ferguson, Mo., should “settle down” and “straighten up and fly right,” and suggested a tattoo parlor was not damaged in rioting because of blacks …

The Clintons break bread and build ties with Julian Castro, stoking talk of a 2016 ticket  —  As she expands her political network in advance of an expected presidential run, Hillary Rodham Clinton and her husband have been cultivating an important ally who some believe could become her vice presidential running mate.

White House rejects media's demand for openness, reporters slap ‘bunch of spin’  —  WASHINGTON SECRETS BARACK OBAMA MEDIA JOSH EARNEST WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS ASSOC WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS  —  The White House blew off a demand for openness and transparency from 40 prominent media groups …

Amash responds: Why my opponent's smears were ‘disgusting’  —  U.S. Rep. Justin Amash said Brian Ellis ran a “disgusting despicable smear campaign” during Amash's victory speech in downtown Grand Rapids Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014.  (Cory Morse |  MLive.com)  —  Editor's note: The following …

Close  —  President Barack Obama really wanted to take a vacation.  But then the world intervened.  —  The president's plan to snag two weeks off in Martha's Vineyard has been an utter failure, marking his worst attempt at relaxation since the Detroit underwear bomber consumed his 2009 Christmas holiday in Hawaii.

Police Or Army: Who Wore It Better?  —  Are we seeing double?!  Nope, that's just what happens when two of the state's instruments of physical force bust out the exact same look.  Time for a fashion face-off!  —  1. Kevlar Tactical Body Armor  —  Via Wikimedia / Getty  —  Uh-oh!

Wind farm ‘needs 700 times more land’ than fracking site to produce same energy  —  Shale gas site ‘creates the least visual intrusion’ compared with wind or solar farm for same energy, according to Government's former chief scientific advisor on energy  —  A wind farm requires 700 times …

GAMESCOM: SHOOT RACIST TEA PARTIERS IN ‘BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE’  —  In the upcoming first-person shooter Battlefield Hardline, players will shoot and kill racist anti-government Tea Party types, Gadsden flag and all.  —  Gamers got their first look at Battlefield Hardline's singleplayer campaign …

The Islamic State's potential weakness  —  The Obama administration's Iraq policy seems premised on the idea that the terrorist Islamic State is so toxic that it will be self-limiting and ultimately self-defeating.  But that's not the view of senior U.S. intelligence officials.

The South's Lesson for the Tea Party  —  OXFORD, Miss. — LAST week's Republican primary in Tennessee resulted in a comfortable win for Senator Lamar Alexander over his Tea Party-backed challenger, State Assembly Representative Joe Carr.  But make no mistake: The Tea Party is on a roll across the South …