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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

‘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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …