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 …

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.

Convicting Darren Wilson Will Be Basically Impossible  —  You can thank Missouri law for that  —  On Wednesday, amid continued protests demanding “Justice for Michael Brown” prosecutors will bring evidence before a grand jury as they determine whether to indict Brown's killer, Officer Darren Wilson.

Talib Kweli Flips Out At Don Lemon Over CNN Ferguson Coverage (VIDEO)  —  Rapper Talib Kweli flipped out at CNN's Don Lemon over the news channel's coverage of the protests in Ferguson Missouri on Wednesday.  —  The segment started out pretty harmlessly with Kweli explaining why he thought …

The Twilight of Antonin Scalia  —  When the Supreme Court reassembles in October, the same nine justices will gather in the robing room, but the Court itself will be different.  As one example, consider the position of Justice Antonin Scalia.  For a quarter of a century, Scalia has been the conservative wing's alpha dog.

Hook-Up Culture at Harvard, Stanford Wanes Amid Assault Alarm  —  As former social chair of the Sigma Chi fraternity at Harvard University, Malik Gill wants to appear especially welcoming to girls who come to the house for parties.  —  Yet, Gill, who starts his junior year in a few weeks …

UPDATED: Teacher suspended after lesson on shooting  —  A sixth grade Brantley Elementary teacher was put on paid administrative leave Wednesday after a Facebook post revealed the teacher allegedly instructed the students Tuesday to reenact a Ferguson, Mo. shooting known nationwide.

‘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 …

It's Time To Stop ‘Managing’ the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and Just End It  —  A Palestinian protester holds stones during a protest against the expansion of the nearby Jewish settlement of Halamish, in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh near Ramallah, Friday, November 9, 2012.

Missouri National Guard to Withdraw From Ferguson as Tensions Ease  —  FERGUSON, Mo. — As tensions on the streets here seemed to ease on Thursday, Gov. Jay Nixon ordered the Missouri National Guard to begin withdrawing from the city.  —  “I greatly appreciate the men and women …

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.

GAO: Pentagon Violated Law With Bergdahl Swap  —  The Pentagon broke the law when it swapped Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, a prisoner in Afghanistan for five years, for five Taliban leaders, congressional investigators said Thursday.  —  The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office …

US DIPLOMATS BARRED FROM ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The charity stunt has lured athletes, celebrities, politicians and rock stars and gone viral on the Internet, but don't look for U.S. diplomats to get in on the fun.  —  Lawyers at the State Department have banned American ambassadors …

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.