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.

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.

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 …

Rand Paul's remarkable metamorphosis  —  After declaring certain Christian defenders of Israel to be “warmongers,” arguing we could not defeat the Islamic State without being an air force for Iran, opining we didn't have a national security interest in Syria or Iraq, accusing interventionists …

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 …

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.

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. …

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.

We will not be cowed by barbaric killers  —  David Cameron and Barack Obama  —  As Russia holds a gun to Ukraine and Islamic extremists commit despicable murder, Nato must strengthen its alliance  —  When Nato last met in Britain in 1990 the Cold War was ending.

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.”

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.

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.

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,” …

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 …

Rosie Perez & Nicolle Wallace To Join ‘The View’ As New Co-Hosts  —  UPDATE 7 PM: ABC just confirmed our story, officially announcing Perez and Wallace as new co-hosts.  The release with quotes from the duo is below the original story.  EXCLUSIVE: The search is over.

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 …