AP sues State Department, seeking access to Clinton records  —  1 photo  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Associated Press filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the State Department to force the release of email correspondence and government documents from Hillary Rodham Clinton's tenure as secretary of state.

Morning Joe, Bill Kristol Blame Racist SAE Video on Rap Music  —  The concerned parents on Morning Joe found something to be outraged about over the video of SAE frat members engaged in a racist chant: namely the rapper Waka Flocka Flame's decision not to perform for the fraternity …

As Israel vote looms, centre-left pulls ahead of PM Netanyahu's Likud  —  Jerusalem (AFP) - Less than a week before Israel's second general election in two years, Isaac Herzog's centre-left Zionist Union opened up a lead on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rightwing Likud, polls showed Wednesday.

Embattled Ferguson police chief to resign, sources say  —  FILE 2014: Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson will announce his resignation on Wednesday, sources tell Fox News.  Jackson's department has been criticized after a Justice Department probe.  (Reuters)

McCain: GOP letter to Iran not ‘most effective’ response  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), one of the signers of the controversial letter to Iran's leadership, admitted Tuesday night that the letter might not have been the way to express frustration that President Obama isn't working with Congress on nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Indiana state rep apologizes for sexting with Sydney Leathers  —  Indiana Rep. Justin Moed is apologizing for sexting with Sydney Leathers, the Evansville woman at the center of the 2013 Anthony Weiner sexting scandal.  —  “I am truly sorry I have hurt the ones I love most with my poor judgment.

Aaron Schock: I ‘certainly hope’ I didn't break the law  —  The embattled congressman gets testy in a face-to-face interview.  —  Getty  —  PEORIA, Ill. — The question to Rep. Aaron Schock was simple: Do you think you've broken any rules or federal laws?  But the scandal-plagued congressman did not have a definitive answer.

“Former Fetus” Signs Cause Stir at Capitol … Signs calling some state lawmakers former fetuses are causing a stir at the Capitol, with one representative accusing another of intimidating his staff by removing them.  —  One of the signs appeared Wednesday morning on the wall outside Rep. Jonathan Stickland's office.

Michele Bachmann Warns Of Impending Sharknado Outside White House  —  WASHINGTON — A star has been born.  —  Former Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) on Tuesday starred in a cameo for “Sharknado 3,” the cult-classic fantasy movie series featuring vicious, airborne sharks riding deadly tornadoes from the sea.

Ted Cruz's claim that the IRS tax code has more words than the Bible  —  In a speech to the International Association of Fire Fighters, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) talked about how the U.S. could restore “growth and opportunity” for small businesses, saying the answer is through tax and regulatory reform.

Precedent for GOP's Iran letter hard to find, historians say  —  WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Historian's Office has so far been unable to find another example in the chamber's history where one political party openly tried to deal with a foreign power against a presidential policy …

Casting out demons: why Justin Harris got rid of kids he applied pressure to adopt  —  Rep. Justin Harris blames DHS for the fallout related to his adoption of three young girls, but sources familiar with the situation contradict his story and paint a troubling picture of the adoption process and the girls' time in the Harris household.

Senate Bill Would Effectively End The Federal War On Medical Marijuana  —  A sweeping Senate bill introduced Tuesday seeks to significantly roll back the federal government's war on medical marijuana.  —  The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act …

EXCLUSIVE: California profs ‘unequivocally’ endorse American flag ban  — An online letter supporting students at UC Irvine who wanted to ban national flags, including the American flag, from their organization's lobby, has over 1,200 signatures.  —  In a letter uncovered …

Emails Reveal Lobbyist Had Undisclosed Role In Cuomo Financial Crisis Investigation  —  The Albany Times Union co-published a version of this story.  —  Previously undisclosed emails by a mortgage industry lobbyist doubling as a consultant for then Attorney General Andrew Cuomo show …

Susan B. Glasser  —  Susan Glasser is the Editor of POLITICO.  She was also the founding editor of POLITICO Magazine, the award-winning publication featuring both long-form reporting and opinion journalism.  Launched in November 2013, the magazine publishes daily online and bimonthly in print …

Feingold leads Johnson in rematch  —  PPP's first look at the Wisconsin Senate race this cycle finds Russ Feingold with a clear lead over Ron Johnson in a hypothetical rematch of their 2010 contest.  Feingold gets 50% to just 41% for Johnson.  —  Johnson hasn't proven to be very popular during his first term in the Senate.

Russia says has right to deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea: report  —  (Reuters) - Russia has the right to deploy nuclear arms in the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine last year, a Foreign Ministry official said on Wednesday, adding he knew of no plans to do so.

More evidence Republicans will probably do nothing if Supreme Court guts subsidies  —  Scott Walker has now supplied yet another piece of evidence that Republicans will likely find themselves unable or unwilling to act if the Supreme Court guts Obamacare subsidies for millions in three dozen states.