ISIS Demanded Ransom From U.S. Before Killing Reporter  —  Kneeling in the dirt in a desert somewhere in the Middle East, James Foley lost his life this week at the hands of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.  Before pulling out the knife used to decapitate him, his masked executioner explained …

By Any Means Necessary  —  The Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — has endured so many near-death experiences that digging into the details of still another effort to demolish it is admittedly not an inviting prospect.  (My own reaction, I confess, to hearing some months back about the latest legal challenge …

Clintonphobia: Why No Democrat Wants to Run Against Hillary  —  Strong frontrunners have drawn challengers before.  But given the Clintons' reputation for retaliating for betrayals, it's just not worth it in 2016.  —  The mystery of the 2016 Democratic presidential race isn't why Hillary Clinton seems likely to run.

A question for Washington pollsters: How wrong must you be to never work again?  —  Just how wrong does someone have to be to lose their job in Washington, D.C.?  For John McLaughlin, even historically wrong wasn't enough.  —  If the name doesn't ring a bell, maybe you know his work.

High School Student Claims She Was Suspended For Saying ‘Bless You’ After Classmate Sneezed  —  DYER COUNTY, Tenn. (CBS Charlotte) - A high school student was allegedly suspended after breaking a class rule of saying “bless you” after a classmate sneezed.  —  Kendra Turner, a senior …

‘Orange is the New Black’ fight sparks new House Wikipedia ban  —  For the third time this summer, computers in the House have been blocked from editing Wikipedia due to a string of controversial edits.  —  Anonymous users operating from an Internet Protocol (IP) address linked to the House …

Holder's stop in Ferguson is deeply personal  —  FERGUSON, MO. — Attorney General Eric Holder flew to Ferguson, Mo., on Wednesday as the nation's chief law enforcement officer leading an investigation into a police shooting.  —  He also arrived as an African-American who said he understands …

Answering question on Israel, Bernie Sanders tells townhall hecklers to ‘shut up!’  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has little patience for being heckled.  —  The self-described “socialist,” often named as a liberal alternative to Hillary Clinton in 2016, fought with constituents over Israel …

From cupcakes to the police, fed up with government  —  In physics, a unified field theory is an attempt to explain with a single hypothesis the behavior of several fields.  Its political corollary is the Cupcake Postulate, which explains everything , from Missouri to Iraq …

10 Questions With Paul Ryan  —  The congressman on how to fix America, why Rand Paul is wrong and evading John Boehner's toxic smoke  —  Your book is called The Way Forward: Renewing the American Idea.  What exactly is the American idea?  —  The condition of your birth doesn't determine the outcome of your life.

Americans' Satisfaction With Job Security at New High  —  Satisfaction with many job aspects returns to high pre-recession levels  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the U.S., 58% of full- or part-time workers are completely satisfied with their job security.  This represents an increase …

Giant flag in support of Palestinians draped on side of Manhattan Bridge  —  In the latest breach of security on New York City bridges, a large banner in the colors of the Palestinian flag was hanging on the south edge of the East River span, reading ‘Boycott,’ ‘Divest,’ ‘Sanction.’ It reads ‘Gaza in our hearts’ in the center.

Councilman under fire for posting what some call ‘racist photos’ on Facebook … POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) -  —  A Poplar Bluff city councilman is under fire for posting what some are calling racist photos of President Obama on his Facebook page.  —  The issue was brought up at Monday night's city council meeting.