Democrats start to point fingers  —  Democrats are starting to play the blame game as they face the possibility of losing the Senate in November.  —  Tempers are running high a month out from Election Day, with polls showing Democratic candidates trailing in the crucial battleground states …

The Truth About Jeb Bush's Presidential Ambitions  —  Some insiders say he's already running.  Others says he's definitely not.  Here's the reality, distilled from over a dozen discussions with those who know Bush really well.  —  There are currently two factions in American presidential politics …

Denying Review, Justices Clear Way for Gay Marriage in 5 States  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday denied review in all five pending same-sex marriage cases, clearing the way for such marriages to proceed in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Panetta: ‘30-year war’ and a leadership test for Obama  —  Former Director of the C.I.A. Leon Panetta discusses the threat posed by ISIS and offers a critical review of Obama's performance as president.  He speaks with USA Today's Susan Page in this edition of Capital Download.

As Ebola patient in Texas fights for his life, his family copes with stigma and isolation  —  Thomas Duncan is fighting for his life as his friends say they are isolated.  —  DALLAS — As a Liberian man diagnosed with Ebola was fighting to survive Sunday in a Texas hospital …

The insane conspiracy theories of Naomi Wolf  —  Author and former Democratic political consultant Naomi Wolf published a series of Facebook posts on Saturday in which she questioned the veracity of the ISIS videos showing the murders and beheadings of two Americans and two Britons …

In Arkansas, Tom Cotton and the Clinton factor  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL BILL CLINTON 2014 ELECTIONS TOM COTTON MARK PRYOR  —  RISON, Ark. — Bill Clinton is coming to Arkansas to appear at four rallies for the campaign of endangered Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor.

Is Another Obama Administration Scandal About to Explode?  —  While strong cases can be made for both Benghazi and Fast and Furious, most voters consider Barack Obama's misuse of the IRS to be his administration's worst scandal so far.  But, as we wrote last year, targeting of conservative non-profits …

Voodoo Economics, the Next Generation  —  Even if Republicans take the Senate this year, gaining control of both houses of Congress, they won't gain much in conventional terms: They're already able to block legislation, and they still won't be able to pass anything over the president's veto.

Feds warn of jury tampering in Detroit  —  Federal prosecutors are publicly accusing a Palestinian-American activist of an “almost certainly criminal” effort to derail the trial of a colleague accused of naturalization fraud for failing to disclose a terrorism conviction in Israel more than four decades ago.

CDC multitasking hurts Ebola fight: Column  —  Disease control shouldn't extend to playground safety and occupational hazards.  —  “You had one job!” is the punchline on a popular Internet meme involving organizational screw-ups.  Now critics are saying something similar about the Centers …

An Obama Ally Parts With Him on War Powers  —  ORANGE, Va. — In June, after he had written a scorching opinion article seeking to constrain the president's unilateral power to make war, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, one of Barack Obama's earliest supporters, buttonholed the commander in chief …

PBS science reporter: Fox's Ebola coverage is ‘a level of ignorance we should not allow’  —  DON'T MISS STORIES.  FOLLOW RAW STORY!  —  Miles O'Brien, the science correspondent for PBS Newshour, lamented on Sunday that he was embarrassed at some of the coverage of Ebola on Fox News that had a …

Michael Brown protesters interrupt St. Louis Symphony Orchestra concert  —  • By Steve Giegerich sgiegerich@post-dispatch.com > 314-725-6758  —  Michael Brown protesters interrupted the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's concert on Saturday night, causing a brief delay in the performance at Powell Symphony Hall.

Rogue donors not ready for Hillary?  —  Hillary Clinton is facing the beginnings of a backlash from rich liberals unhappy with her positions on litmus test issues and her team's efforts to lock up the Democratic presidential nomination before the contest starts.

U.S.-led Airstrikes Disrupt Islamic State, But Extremists Hold Territory  —  Islamic State Fighters Taking Precautions to Evade Detection  —  U.S.-led airstrikes designed to serve notice on Islamist extremists in Iraq and Syria have also delivered a sobering message to Washington and its allies …