Ray Rice — ELEVATOR KNOCKOUT ... Fiancee Takes Crushing Punch (Video)  —  ELEVATOR KNOCKOUT  —  Fiancee Takes Crushing Punch (Video)  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  This is what a two game suspension looks like — Ray Rice delivering a vicious punch to his fiancee's face, knocking her out cold ... and TMZ Sports has the shocking video.

Scots, What the Heck?  —  Next week Scotland will hold a referendum on whether to leave the United Kingdom.  And polling suggests that support for independence has surged over the past few months, largely because pro-independence campaigners have managed to reduce the “fear factor” …

The threat to American democracy  —  We are at a pivotal moment in American history.  —  Building the United States of America has been long, arduous and rife with setbacks.  But throughout the years, we have undoubtedly moved toward a more inclusive democracy.  We expanded the right to vote.

Facing Dem attacks, could new GOP strategy end birth control wars?  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL HEALTH CARE 2014 ELECTIONS CAMPAIGNS BOBBY JINDAL CONTRACEPTION THOM TILLIS CORY GARDNER  —  Remember the 2012 Republican presidential debate in which ABC's George Stephanopoulos, seemingly out of nowhere …

Presidential Leadership Scholars  —  A partnership between the presidential centers of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson that brings together a select group of leaders who share a desire to solve complex challenges and create positive change.

Destroying ISIS May Take Years, U.S. Officials Say  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is preparing to carry out a phased campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria that may take three years to eventually destroy the terrorist army — requiring a sustained effort that could last until …

Harry Reid Rewrites the First Amendment  —  When politicians seek to restrict speech, they are invariably trying to protect their own incumbency.

Royal baby: Prince William and Kate expecting second child  —  The Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant with her second child.  —  Kensington Palace said that - as when the duchess was pregnant with Prince George - she was suffering from “very acute morning sickness” and was being treated by doctors at the palace.

As Two Men Go Free, a Dogged Ex-Prosecutor Digs In  —  LUMBERTON, N.C. — The most memorable moment of the trial that put Henry McCollum and Leon Brown behind bars for three decades for a hideous 1983 rape and murder was a display of brilliant courtroom theatrics.

Congressman Says Everyone Should Be Free To Smoke And Fire Gay People  —  CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA—At a recent town hall in Charlotte's suburbs, North Carolina House Republican Robert Pittenger compared the right to fire LGBT workers to the right to smoke cigarettes on private property.

WOW: NASTYGRAM FROM THE BROWN CAMPAIGN  —  I received this nastygram (PDF) by email today from Scott Brown's campaign manager — cc-ing my boss, the provost and president.  —  I take it Mr. Reed's outrage is triggered by the Senate's regulations of what constitutes being a “lobbyist” for purposes of the Senate rules.

Afghan election deal on brink of failure  —  Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah isn't waiting for this week's election audit results to declare himself the victor, throwing into doubt the country's first peaceful transfer of power.  —  Abdullah is challenging former Finance …

Why Are Republicans Suddenly Leaning Left?  —  Several Republican candidates in the year's most competitive Senate races have begun their fall sprint to Election Day, not by embracing Tea Party-fueled conservatism but by defensively tacking leftward.  —  Let's start in Colorado, site of a strategic GOP retreat in the “War on Women.”

Polls Show Path Of Least Resistance To GOP Majority  —  Pollsters are picking up the pace after a slow start in this midterm election season.  Sunday featured the release of a trio of NBC News/Marist polls of the Senate races in Arkansas, Kentucky and Colorado, while the online polling firm …