I'm a cop.  If you don't want to get hurt, don't challenge me.  —  It's not the police, but the people they stop, who can prevent a detention from turning into a tragedy.  —  Sunil Dutta, a professor of homeland security at Colorado Tech University, has been an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department for 17 years.

A message to the people of Ferguson  —  Since the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown, the nation and the world have witnessed the unrest that has gripped Ferguson, Mo. At the core of these demonstrations is a demand for answers about the circumstances of this young man's death …

Obama heads back to vacation after unexplained DC trip  —  President Obama went back to his vacation on Martha's Vineyard Tuesday evening following less than 48 hours in Washington, leaving people puzzled over why he came back in the first place.  —  Obama's two days in Washington were mostly quiet …

ISIS Reportedly Beheads U.S. Journalist James Wright Foley on Camera  —  According to multiple reports, ISIS claims to have executed American freelance journalist James Wright Foley.  Politico's Blake Hounshell was one the first to report the news on Twitter, saying the militant Islamic group …

Why Rick Perry May Be Out of Luck  —  Governor Rick Perry of Texas and President Barack Obama, strangest of bedfellows, are making similar discoveries about the scope of prosecutorial discretion.  In short, it's very broad.  —  Perry's education on the subject is an unhappy one.

Did CNN, The Washington Post, and TIME Actually Check Fareed Zakaria's Work For Plagiarism?  —  WHEN AN “ISOLATED” INCIDENT ISN'T  —  Following our reports on Benny Johnson and plagiarism last month, a number of news outlets ran articles analyzing the future of journalism in the Buzzfeed age.

St. Louis City police shoot, kill knife-wielding suspect  —  ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI) - People are again in the streets after a police officer shoots and kills a suspect.  This time in North St. Louis.  The call came out just after noon, when police say a man with a knife charged officers.

A Leader for the Uber Campaign  —  UPDATE:  —  Business and political leaders laud David Plouffe joining Uber as SVP for Policy & Strategy:  —  “I've worked closely with David and believe this is a game changer for Uber.  David is uniquely suited to scale and lead the same kind …

Hagan leads Tillis by 4  —  PPP's newest North Carolina poll continues to find Kay Hagan in the lead, although the race has tightened slightly compared to a month ago.  Hagan is at 42% to 38% for Thom Tillis with Libertarian Sean Haugh continuing to hold on to 8% of the vote.

Intercept Reporter Shot With Rubber Bullets and Arrested While Covering Ferguson Protests  —  Intercept reporter Ryan Devereaux was arrested this morning while on the ground covering the protests in Ferguson, Mo. According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch photographer David Carson …

Steve Ballmer steps down as board member at Microsoft  —  As I approach the six month mark of my retirement and your appointment as CEO, I have been reflecting on my life, my ongoing ownership of Microsoft stock, and my involvement with the company.  I have reached some conclusions and wanted to share them with you.

Activist Encourages Defacement of Cover of Paul Ryan's Book  —  Erica Payne, founder and president of the left-wing Agenda Project, is encouraging people to deface the cover of Paul Ryan's new book, which is hitting shelves today.  —  “Hi Daniel,” Payne writes in an email.