New clues in Michael Brown shooting?  —  (CNN) — Could a newly released audio provide more clues on what led up to Michael Brown's shooting death?  —  The FBI has questioned a man who says he recorded audio of gunfire at the time Brown was shot by Ferguson police on August 9, the man's attorney told CNN.

Stop Complaining About Obama's Golfing  —  Everyone is better at their job when they take some time off.  Even the president.  —  Of course, Obama is hardly the first president to vacation - President John Adams took an amazing eight months off in one year in office, and President John F …

IRS Shocker: Filing Reveals Lerner Blackberry Destroyed  —  The device was wiped AFTER Congressional inquiry began  —  The IRS filing in federal Judge Emmet Sullivan's court reveals shocking new information.  The IRS destroyed Lerner's Blackberry AFTER it knew her computer had crashed …

Michael Brown's Unremarkable Humanity  —  The New York Times has a feature today looking at the brief life of Michael Brown, informing us that he was “no angel.”  The reasons for this are many.  Brown smoked marijuana.  He lived in a community that “had rough patches.”

Surf's Up  —  Will there be a GOP wave in the Senate—or a wipeout?  —  So where's the wave?  This is President Obama's sixth-year-itch election.  The map of states with contested Senate seats could hardly be better from the Republicans' vantage point.  And the breaks this year …

The Monkey in the Room  —  As shown in the pictures below, the monkey is the second most photographed subject in H-232, aside from Speaker Boehner himself.  It all started in the fall of 2011, when Speaker Boehner joked in an interview that some days he felt like a windup toy because his jam-packed scheduled kept him so busy.

Turner Broadcasting offers voluntary buyouts  —  Seeking to reduce costs at channels like TNT, TBS, Adult Swim and CNN, Turner Broadcasting today announced a voluntary buyout program for about 6% of its U.S.-based employees.  —  The buyout offers are taking place as part of a far-reaching effort …

Grain Piles Up, Waiting for a Ride, as Trains Move North Dakota Oil  —  FARGO, N.D. — The furious pace of energy exploration in North Dakota is creating a crisis for farmers whose grain shipments have been held up by a vast new movement of oil by rail, leading to millions of dollars …

Is The Polling Industry In Stasis Or In Crisis?  —  There is no shortage of reasons to worry about the state of the polling industry.  Response rates to political polls are dismal.  Even polls that make every effort to contact a representative sample of voters now get no more than 10 percent …

Sanders weighs Clinton challenge  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) is gearing up for a presidential primary challenge against Hillary Clinton and hopes to capitalize on Democratic concerns over Clinton's coziness with Wall Street banks.  —  Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats …

Captured Russian troops ‘in Ukraine by accident’  —  A group of Russian soldiers captured in eastern Ukraine crossed the border “by accident”, Russian military sources are quoted as saying.  —  Ukraine said 10 paratroopers were captured, and has released video interviews of some of the men.

Report: No Proof Veterans Died Because of Delays  —  The Veterans Affairs Department says investigators have found no proof that delays in care caused any deaths at a VA hospital in Phoenix, deflating an explosive allegation that helped expose a troubled health care system in which veterans waited months …

Gaza ceasefire deal reached, Palestinian groups say  —  (Reuters) - Palestinian officials said on Tuesday a Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel has been reached under Egyptian mediation and a formal announcement of an agreement was imminent.  —  There was no immediate confirmation from Israel …

Lost in America  —  More and more I'm convinced that America right now isn't a country dealing with a mere dip in its mood and might.  It's a country surrendering to a new identity and era, in which optimism is quaint and the frontier anything but endless.  —  There's a feeling of helplessness …