Grand Illusion in Syria  —  ACROSS years of war and at an extraordinary cost, the United States built an army that was supposed to prevent jihadists from gaining a sanctuary in the heart of the Middle East.  It had American-trained leaders, American-made weaponry and 250,000 men under arms …

Vile ad bounces off McSally, sticks to Gabby Giffords  —  Our View: Gabby Giffords never resorted to the squalid campaigning this ad represents.  So, why is her group?  —  CONNECT  —  Do you know what you're doing?  —  That's our question to the Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC …

Chuck Todd Splits US Into ‘Starbucks Nation’ And ‘Chick-Fil-A Country’ (VIDEO)  —  “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd on Sunday described the 2014 midterm elections as a battle between “Starbucks nation” and “Chick-Fil-A country.”  —  He split the U.S. into the Democratic urban areas …

Those Lazy Jobless  —  Last week John Boehner, the speaker of the House, explained to an audience at the American Enterprise Institute what's holding back employment in America: laziness.  People, he said, have “this idea” that “I really don't have to work.  I don't really want to do this.

Why is Thomas Piketty's 700-page book a bestseller?  —  Thomas Piketty is a French economist whose Capital in the Twenty-First Century has swept American discourse.  Four experts - Brad DeLong, Tyler Cowen, Stephanie Kelton and Emanuel Derman - take on why that is

Landrieu helps out with keg stand  —  Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) was spotted helping a man do a keg stand at a Louisiana State University tailgating event on Saturday.  —  A photo from the event appears to show Landrieu—one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents this year …

Goshen County buys grenade launcher  —  OFFICIALS WOULD USE WEAPONS IN RIOTS, HOSTAGE SITUATIONS  —  Three grenade launchers have been moved in and out of the Goshen County Sheriff's Office in the past 65 years.  —  Yet not one of the weapons has been used by the county's deputies.

At Lake Mary gun show, Zimmerman details what life is like  —  Become a digitalPlus subscriber.  99¢ for 4 weeks.

Taking a Call for Climate Change to the Streets  —  Legions of demonstrators frustrated by international inaction on global warming descended on New York City on Sunday, marching through the heart of Manhattan with a message of alarm for world leaders set to gather this week at the United Nations for a summit meeting on climate change.

Child Pornography Case Spurs Debate on Military's Role in Law Enforcement  —  In a field office near Brunswick, Ga., a federal agent working as an undercover cybersleuth signed on to a large file-sharing network sometimes used by traders in child pornography.

Lawsuit: Student ‘bait’ was raped  —  (CNN) — It's an unimaginable horror.  A 14-year-old girl with special needs allegedly was raped at school after a teacher's aide persuaded her to act as bait to catch an accused sexual predator, a fellow student.  —  “It has essentially devastated her life …