Caught on Tape: What Mitch McConnell Complained About to a Roomful of Billionaires (Exclusive)  —  At a secret meeting of elite donors convened by the Koch brothers, McConnell laid out his plan for shrinking the federal government and whined about having to vote on minimum wage bills.

An Update to the Budget and Economic Outlook: 2014 to 2024  —  The federal budget deficit has fallen sharply during the past few years, and it is on a path to decline further this year and next year.  However, later in the coming decade, if current laws governing federal taxes …

Ben Stein: Michael Brown Was ‘Armed With His Incredibly Strong, Scary Self’  —  Conservative pundit Ben Stein appeared on Newsmax on Tuesday to discuss the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and challenged the use of the term “unarmed” to describe Brown.

Former Iowa State Senator Pleads Guilty to Concealing Federal Campaign Expenditures  —  A former Iowa State Senator pleaded guilty today to concealing payments he received from a presidential campaign in exchange for switching his support and services from one candidate to another and to obstructing …

Steve King: Fall budget battle hinges on immigration  —  Congressman Steve King said today the threat of another government shutdown could be Republicans' leverage to pass border security and immigration legislation this fall.  —  Congress must act before the end of September to either approve …

Georgia cops fired Taser 13 times ‘as a cattle prod’ to make tired man walk before he died  —  A Georgia man died after police shocked him with a Taser as many as 13 times because he said he was too tired to walk due to a foot chase, his attorney said this week.

Everyday Economics: Don't Want Me to Recline My Airline Seat?  You Can Pay Me  —  Don't Want Me to Recline My Airline Seat?  You Can Pay Me  —  I fly a lot.  When I fly, I recline.  I don't feel guilty about it.  And I'm going to keep doing it, unless you pay me to stop.

WATCH: The Jon Stewart Ferguson Segment You've Been Waiting For  —  “The Daily Show” returned from hiatus Tuesday night and Jon Stewart finally tackled the situation in Ferguson, Mo., directing the brunt of his criticism at what he saw as Fox News' misplaced outrage over the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: ‘I Will Help Hillary Get Elected’  —  Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand isn't positive Hillary Clinton will run for president, but the woman who took Clinton's former New York Senate seat would like to think so.  —  “In my mind, she's definitely running,” Gillibrand tells PEOPLE.

Michael Brown's Mom Laid Flowers Where He Was Shot—and Police Crushed Them  —  New details emerge about callous tactics that fueled anger in Ferguson.  —  As darkness fell on Canfield Drive on August 9, a makeshift memorial sprang up in the middle of the street where Michael Brown's body …

Ukraine Says Russian Forces Lead Major New Offensive in East  —  NOVOAZOVSK, Ukraine — Tanks, artillery and infantry have crossed from Russia into an unbreached part of eastern Ukraine in recent days, attacking Ukrainian forces and causing panic and wholesale retreat not only in this small border town …

The Expanding World of Poverty Capitalism  —  In Orange County, Calif., the probation department's “supervised electronic confinement program,” which monitors the movements of low-risk offenders, has been outsourced to a private company, Sentinel Offender Services.

ESPN says it regrets Michael Sam shower report that drew criticism  —  After it found itself at the epicenter of a storm of criticism over a report on the shower habits of Michael Sam, the first openly gay player on an NFL roster, and his teammates, ESPN responded Wednesday morning with a further statement on the report.