How “Khorasan” Went From Nowhere To The Biggest Threat To The U.S.  —  The Islamist group targeted in airstrikes in Syria was almost unknown to the American public until recently.  Now the Obama administration says they present a direct threat to the U.S.  —  The guided-missile cruiser USS …

Conservative Writer Dinesh D'Souza Is Spared Prison Time For Campaign Finance Conviction  —  Buster  —  Conservative writer/filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza was spared prison time today when a federal judge sentenced him to five years probation for violating campaign finance laws.

Vulnerable Kansas Senator: We Are Heading Toward ‘National Socialism’  —  Incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), who is facing an unexpectedly fierce challenge for re-election, warned Monday at a campaign stop that the United States is heading for “national socialism.”

Snap Out of It  —  I've been living in and visiting New York for almost a half-century now.  One thought occurs as I walk around these days: The city has never been better.  —  There has never been a time when there were so many interesting places to visit, shop and eat …

Close Alaska Races for Senate, Governor  —  PPP's newest Alaska poll finds toss up races for both the US Senate and Governor.  Dan Sullivan leads Mark Begich 43/41 for the Senate, with minor candidates combining for 5%.  Bill Walker leads incumbent Sean Parnell 42/41 for Governor …

On a Warmer Planet, Which Cities Will Be Safest?  —  Alaskans, stay in Alaska.  People in the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest, sit tight.  —  Scientists trying to predict the consequences of climate change say that they see few safe havens from the storms, floods and droughts that are sure to intensify over the coming decades.

Jim Webb Mulls 2016 Run That Could Pose Clinton Challenge  —  Former Virginia senator Jim Webb said today he is “seriously” considering a 2016 presidential bid, and will make a decision within the next two to five months.  —  “I am seriously looking at the possibility of running for president …

GOP's scorched-earth Kansas plan  —  Control of the Senate is potentially at stake in Kansas, and the GOP is beginning to double down.  —  With a two-man race now looking all but certain, national Republicans are planning a scorched-earth offensive to frame Sen. Pat Roberts's (R-Kan.) …

GOP's vote-suppressing militia: Why Scott Walker's thugs are getting violent  —  It seems like a long time ago but it's actually been just a couple of years since a whole bunch of Wisconsin voters had second thoughts about the man they'd elected to the governor's office and decided they couldn't wait another two years to be rid of him.

The Wisdom of the Crowd  —  “Don't follow leaders,” the bard of Hibbing once advised.  “Watch the parking meters,” he added—whatever that meant.  —  At Sunday's vast and beautiful climate march, on Central Park West somewhere in the Sixties, I ran into Bill McKibben, a longtime acquaintance …

How a piece of Rush Limbaugh's riches went to abortion rights, courtesy of Dallas author Merritt Tierce  —  Last week we ran the story of local author Merritt Tierce, whose debut novel, Love Me Back, includes some wild tales from a high-end Dallas steakhouse.  Tierce used to work at Nick & Sam's.

A Pro-Family, Pro-Growth Tax Reform  —  Two simple income-tax brackets: 15% and 35%.  End the marriage penalty and increase the child tax credit.  —  Too many Americans believe the American dream is slipping away for them and their children.  They see their cost of living rise while their paychecks remain stagnant.

Breaking: In #KSSEN Candidate Replacement Case, KS Supreme Court Kicks Case Back to Lower Court, Delaying Consideration  —  The Kansas Supreme Court has just issued this order.  The plaintiff seeks to force Democrats to choose a successor to Chad Taylor in the race for U.S. Senate.

9 Absurd Edit Justifications By Wikipedia's Neil Tyson Truthers  —  In case you've been living under a rock, you know that there's been a bit of controversy over a quote that Neil Tyson invented and then attributed to President George W. Bush.  Long story short: everything about Tyson's story is false …

First on CNN: Jeb Bush heading to 2016 primary state  —  Washington (CNN) — Jeb Bush will be the star attraction at a Republican fundraiser in South Carolina next month, his first trip to an early presidential primary state as a possible contender for the Republican nomination in 2016.

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG: I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE  —  Coming off of her stirring dissent in the Hobby Lobby case, 21-year veteran Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has never been a more important voice for American women.  In a rare interview—featured exclusively …

Corrections: September 23, 2014  —  An article on Sept. 11 about President Obama's speech to the nation describing his plans for a military campaign against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, gave an incorrect comparison between efforts by the president to seek allies' support for his plans …

Federal Prison Population Drops by Roughly 4,800  —  The federal prison population has dropped in the last year by roughly 4,800, the first time in several decades that the inmate count has gone down, according to the Justice Department.  —  In a speech Tuesday in New York City …