DNC chair Wasserman Schultz rips Scott Walker on women's issues  —  Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a member of the U.S. House from Florida, is shown speaking at the University of Miami in Coral Gables in 2012.  On Wednesday in Milwaukee, she criticized Gov. Scott Walker for his record on women's issues.

Democrat Chad Taylor drops out of U.S. Senate race against Pat Roberts, Greg Orman  —  ›  —  ‹  —  The Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate has decided to drop out of the race, opening room for an independent to draw a broader base of support.

Obama Suggests ISIS Must Be Destroyed (or Maybe Not)  —  ANALYSIS:  —  TALLINN, Estonia - President Obama has condemned the beheading of U.S. journalist Steven Sotloff, saying “we will not be intimidated ... justice will be done.”  —  But he offered a mixed message today about what exactly the United States wants to do about ISIS.

FiveThirtyEight's Senate Model Is Back And It Gives Republicans The Edge  —  The FiveThirtyEight Senate model is launching Wednesday.  We'll be rolling it out in stages, with additional features, functionality and further methodological detail.  We'll also be unveiling our new set …

Louisiana Marriage Ban Is Constitutional, Federal Judge Rules  —  “The State of Louisiana has a legitimate interest under a rational basis standard of review for addressing the meaning of marriage through the democratic process.”  The first federal court ruling upholding a ban in the past year.

U.S., allies to stage exercises in West Ukraine as battles rage in East  —  (Reuters) - As fighting between the army and Russian-backed rebels rages in eastern Ukraine, preparations are under way near its western border for a joint military exercise this month with more than 1,000 troops from the United States and its allies.

Justice Dept. to probe Ferguson police force  —  Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. this week will launch a broad civil rights investigation into the Ferguson, Mo., Police Department, according to two federal law enforcement officials.  —  The investigation, which could be announced as early …

Michael Bloomberg to Return to Lead Company He Founded  —  Michael R. Bloomberg will reassume the leadership of his business empire only eight months after ending his final term as mayor of New York.  —  Late Wednesday, Mr. Bloomberg told close confidants and senior executives of Bloomberg L.P. …

Juvenile court: Michael Brown had no serious felony convictions, did not face felony charges  —  • By Jeremy Kohler jkohler@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8337  —  Updated with more details.  —  CLAYTON  • Michael Brown was never found delinquent of the juvenile equivalents …

Cops: Gun Range Claimed Uzi Release Forms ‘Were Blown Away By The Wind’  —  Staff at an Arizona gun range reportedly told investigators that the release forms signed by the family of a 9-year-old girl who accidentally killed her instructor with an Uzi last week were unavailable because they had been “blown away by the wind.”

EXCLUSIVE: ISIS fighter worked at Minneapolis airport  —  He was the second known American killed while fighting for ISIS in Syria, and the second from Minnesota — and a Fox 9 exclusive uncovering his employment history is raising a few eyebrows.  —  An airport is probably the last place anyone …

Biden: ISIL will reside in hell  —  Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a fiery response to the killing of American journalist Steven Sotloff, telling Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants that the U.S. will “follow them to the gates of hell.”  —  “[W]hen people harm Americans, we don't retreat.

Rauner admits $100K wine club; Quinn whines of banana breakfast  —  Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner is known for wearing an $18 watch in TV campaign ads.  But when it comes to wine, he's not exactly popping open bottles of “Two-Buck Chuck.”  —  On Tuesday, Rauner disclosed …

Tesla chooses Nevada for battery factory: Sources  —  Tesla has finally decided that it will build its $5 billion lithium-ion battery plant—dubbed the gigafactory—in Nevada, sources say.  —  “That's a go, but they are still negotiating the specifics of the contract,” …

The Dying Russians  —  Sometime in 1993, after several trips to Russia, I noticed something bizarre and disturbing: people kept dying.  I was used to losing friends to AIDS in the United States, but this was different.  People in Russia were dying suddenly and violently …

Port Authority cops told not to reopen GWB access lanes during Fort Lee jam  —  On the second day of the George Washington Bridge lane closures last year, a Port Authority police officer stationed at a gridlocked intersection picked up the two-way radio in his patrol car.