Wrong Turn on Syria: No Convincing Plan  —  President Obama has put America at the center of a widening war by expanding into Syria airstrikes against the Islamic State, the Sunni extremist group known as ISIS and ISIL.  He has done this without allowing the public debate that needs to take place …

Reporters say White House sometimes demands changes to press-pool reports  —  White House press-pool reports are supposed to be the news media's eyes and ears on the president, an independent chronicle of his public activities.  They are written by reporters for other reporters …

Barack Obama roasted over ‘Starbucks salute’  —  Many criticized the coffee-in-hand salute by Obama.  White House Instagram

UPDATE |  Jim Traficant in ‘very critical’ condition after accident at farm  —  GREENFORD — Ex-U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. is in “very critical condition” after an accident on his family farm, his wife, Tish Traficant, said today.  —  The former congressman, 73, is …

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Why I can't resign now  —  Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is pushing back against suggestions that she should soon retire, saying President Barack Obama would be unable to get a justice like her through the Senate.  —  “Who do you think President Obama …

What if we applied feminist logic to other crimes?  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL CRIME FEMINISM CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT  —  Feminists have been arguing that it's “victim-blaming” to suggest steps that women can take to reduce the risk of being sexual assaulted.  But what if that same logic were applied to all crime prevention tips?

Facebook to cut ties with conservative policy group  —  Facebook will possibly end its relationship with a controversial conservative policy organization over its stance on climate change, The Chronicle learned Tuesday.  —  The social media giant in Menlo Park would be the second Silicon Valley giant …

Conservative lawmakers secretly plot to oust John Boehner  —  For months, several clusters of conservative lawmakers have been secretly huddling inside and outside the Capitol, plotting to oust John Boehner from the Speaker's office when House Republicans regroup after the November elections.

America Out of Whack  —  There is something out of whack in America.  Instead of promoting equality, public policy has left millions locked into lives of restricted opportunity while bestowing the benefits of growth on the very few.  —  We know this and yet we let it continue.

Southern Baptists Kick Out Gay-Friendly Church  —  The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the nation's largest protestant denomination, has kicked out a California church whose pastor embraces homosexuality, claiming that the minister and the church are not in …

Don't Limit Tax Relief to Families  —  SHARES  —  Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT) have a fine op-ed up at The Wall Street Journal today outlining the “pro-family, pro-growth tax reform” they plan to pursue November.  Rubio and Lee write:

Exclusive: Lois Lerner breaks silence  —  Accusations pile up  —  Republicans, who earlier this year held her in contempt of Congress, accuse Lerner of using her position to push for audits and denial of tax-exempt status to Karl Rove's Crossroads and other GOP groups.

GOP Candidate: Romney's 47 Percent Comment Was True, 'It's Bigger Now' (VIDEO)  —  A Republican Congressional candidate in Nevada argued that Mitt Romney's famous 47 percent comments was not only true, it's even more true now than when Romney said it during the 2012 presidential campaign.

Washington Post announces cuts to employees' retirement benefits  —  The Washington Post announced large cuts in retirement benefits on Tuesday, declaring that it would eliminate future retirement medical benefits and freeze defined-benefit pensions for nonunion employees.

Text of Obama's U.N. Address  —  Here's the text, as prepared for delivery, of President Obama's address to the United Nations General Assembly:  —  Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen: we come together at a crossroads between war and peace …

Record Share of Americans Have Never Married  —  As Values, Economics and Gender Patterns Change  —  After decades of declining marriage rates and changes in family structure, the share of American adults who have never been married is at an historic high.

State rep candidate voted in Illinois and Wisconsin  —  Republican Kathy Myalls is urging voters to elect her to a seat in the Illinois State Legislature.  —  But will she vote for herself?  —  It's a fair question, since records show Myalls has voted in both Illinois and Wisconsin in recent years.

GOP ticket leads in Arkansas  —  PPP's newest Arkansas poll finds Republicans leading across the board in the state's key races for this year, led by Tom Cotton with a 43/38 advantage over Mark Pryor and Asa Hutchinson with a 44/38 lead over Mike Ross at the top of the ticket.