ISIS video shows beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff  —  (CNN) — The ISIS terror group has published a video titled “A second message to America,” showing the beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff.  —  The video also threatens the life of British captive, David Haines.

Eric Cantor to Join Wall Street Bank  —  Eric Cantor plans to join boutique investment bank Moelis & Co., as the recently deposed House majority leader embarks on a new career on Wall Street.

Halfway House: GOP falling short in midterms  —  Tepid fundraising, underperforming candidates and a lousy party brand are threatening to deprive House Republicans of the sweeping 2014 gains that some top party officials have been predicting this year.  —  POLITICO interviewed …

Post names Frederick J. Ryan Jr. as new publisher  —  Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos is replacing Publisher Katharine Weymouth with Frederick J. Ryan Jr., a former Reagan administration official who was part of the founding leadership team of Politico, a primarily digital news organization …

A Call for a Low-Carb Diet  —  People who avoid carbohydrates and eat more fat, even saturated fat, lose more body fat and have fewer cardiovascular risks than people who follow the low-fat diet that health authorities have favored for decades, a major new study shows.

Why I'm Leaving Slate for Bloomberg Politics  —  This blog does not believe in lede-burying, so here you go: On September 19, I'll be leaving Slate to work for Bloomberg Politics.  I'll be covering exactly what I cover now, but at a different address.  Slate's politics and policy coverage …

Life in an English Town Where Abuse of Young Girls Flourished  —  ROTHERHAM, England — It started on the bumper cars in the children's arcade of the local shopping mall.  Lucy was 12, and a group of teenage boys, handsome and flirtatious, treated her and her friends to free rides and ice cream after school.

Republicans, Make Your Case  —  Republicans continue to lack any strategy for winning the November elections beyond avoiding mistakes and hoping that President Obama's unpopularity, especially in key states, delivers control of the Senate to them.  It must be said that the party has executed …

Field Poll: Obama's popularity dives to record low in California  —  President Barack Obama's approval ratings have fallen to a record low in California, with nearly as many voters now disapproving of the job Obama is doing as approving.  —  Only 45 percent of California voters hold …

In Maryland, a Soviet-Style Punishment for a Novelist  —  From the Dept. of Insane and Dangerous Overreactions to Fictional Threats:  —  A 23-year-old teacher at a Cambridge, Md. middle school has been placed on leave and—in the words of a local news report—"taken in for an emergency medical evaluation" …

Russian bank hires two former U.S. senators  —  U.S. sanctions against Russia are becoming a boon for Washington's lobbyists  —  Gazprombank GPB (OJSC), a Russian bank targeted with sanctions by President Obama over the Ukraine crisis, has hired two former U.S. senators to lobby against those sanctions …

The Magical President doesn't exist: What the left must really do to defeat the wingnuts  —  The myth of a president who can solve our problems alone is inane.  The big task right now?  Rescue these midterms  —  Labor Day marks the traditional kickoff to election season …

The Summer of Obama's Disconnect  —  Hawkish or weakish?  Americans don't like either in a president.  —  Wow.  That was some summer.  The Islamic State that President Obama dismissed as “JV” proved to be a virulent varsity—gobbling up gobs of the Middle East, beheading an American journalist, and threatening the United States.

Senate campaigns retract political ads … Latest Stories  —  Weather  —  Flood warning issued for upper Chena River  —  by Associated Press on Sep 02, 10:49  —  Authorities have issued a flood warning for the upper Chena River after more than 2 inches of rain have fallen since Monday afternoon.

McConnell expands lead in Bluegrass Poll  —  Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell has put a little more distance between him and his Democratic opponent, Alison Lundergan Grimes, but the race remains within the margin of error, according to the latest Bluegrass Poll.

Economy no savior for Dems  —  Democrats are running out of time for an economic savior.  —  They have long predicted that an economic turnaround would be the elixir that helps them retain control of the Senate in November.  —  But with just a handful of big economic reports left before Election Day …

The ugly return of anti-Semitism  —  Editor's note: Timothy Stanley is a historian and columnist for Britain's Daily Telegraph.  He is the author of the new book “Citizen Hollywood: How the Collaboration Between L.A. and D.C. Revolutionized American Politics.”