Vice President Joe Biden is said to be seriously mulling a 2016 bid  —  Washington (CNN)Vice President Joe Biden received President Barack Obama's “blessing” to make a 2016 bid for the White House, according to a senior Democrat.  —  But that's if Biden chooses to run — the decision is his.

State GOP leaders plot to tie Donald Trump's hands  —  Amid mounting concerns about Donald Trump's candidacy from the GOP establishment, Republican leaders in at least two states have found a way to make life a lot harder for him.  —  The Virginia and North Carolina parties are in discussions …

Boy stumbles, leaves hole in valuable painting at da Vinci exhibit  —  Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) A Taiwanese boy on Sunday punched a hole in an extremely valuable Paolo Porpora painting at a Taipei exhibition after apparently tripping and trying to catch his balance on the artwork …

Hispanics Frown on Trump, but Not Rest of GOP Field  —  PRINCETON, N.J. — U.S. Hispanics are still getting to know most of the Republican contenders for president.  At this point in the campaign, less than half have formed an opinion of any Republican candidate except Donald Trump and Jeb Bush.

Email from a Married, Female Ashley Madison User  —  Ever since I wrote on Thursday about the Ashley Madison hack and resulting reactions and consequences, I've heard from dozens of people who used the site.  They offer a remarkably wide range of reasons for having done so.

John Kasich's approval rating soars in Ohio  —  Ohio Gov. John Kasich's standing continues to rise to an all-time high among voters in the Buckeye State as he campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination, according to the latest results from a Quinnipiac University poll of swing states released Tuesday.

BlackLivesMatter misfire  —  Our righteous anger misdirected at politically convenient targets, not real culprits.  —  The idea that disrupting and protesting Bernie Sanders speeches will change what is wrong in America is lunacy.  The “BlackLivesMatter” movement is focused on the wrong targets …

Oscar winners Julianne Moore, Bruce Cohen work to strip school's Confederate name  —  A movement to change the name of a high school honoring Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart has gained support from Hollywood, including a pair of Oscar-winners, actress Julianne Moore and producer Bruce Cohen, who both attended the school in the 1970s.

From obesity to duplicity: Jared's fall to Earth  —  Jared Fogle's lawyer says the former Subway spokesman will accept a plea deal for having sex with underage girls and possessing child pornography.  Jeremy Margolis says his client is seeking treatment and amends.

Banners hung at home near ODU prompt response from University President: “I am outraged about the offensive message...”  —  Norfolk, Va. - Old Dominion University officials took time from their weekend to respond to some banners hung up at an off-campus home that are upsetting many.

American Airlines workers say they face racial taunts, discrimination  —  Black American Airlines employees at Reagan National and Philadelphia International airports say they have been subjected to racial taunts and are routinely assigned unsafe equipment and the most difficult tasks.

IRS finds yet another Lois Lerner email account  —  Lois Lerner had yet another personal email account used to conduct some IRS business, the tax agency confirmed in a new court filing late Monday that further complicates the administration's efforts to be transparent about Ms. Lerner's actions during the tea party targeting scandal.

Opponent of same-sex marriage reveals donors to 2009 Maine campaign  —  Monday's disclosure marks the end of the National Organization for Marriage bid to conceal donors to its successful campaign to overturn Maine's first marriage equality law.  —  A national group that successfully campaigned …

Bogus carbon offsets increased emissions  —  Russian and Ukrainian companies abused a carbon trading scheme to undercut climate pacts.  —  A flawed scheme that allowed companies to earn tradable carbon credits for projects supposed to abate industrial gases actually created a “perverse” …

Hollande, Merkel urge ceasefire in Ukraine  —  The two leaders call for new talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as tensions rise in eastern Ukraine.  —  BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande called Monday for an immediate ceasefire …

Donald Trump Is Not a Populist.  He's the Voice of Aggrieved Privilege.  —  Baffled by Donald Trump's popularity, some observers have sought to make sense of it with a familiar—and often misused—political label.  “Trump is not really a Republican, he's a populist,” historian Geoffrey Kabaservice told the Guardian.

Bush embraces same state-based tuition-free plan as Obama  —  Jeb Bush threw his support behind a Tennessee plan to give two years of community college to students tuition free on Monday, the same plan that helped inspire President Obama's similar proposal earlier this year.

Fast-train rescuers accept France's top honor  —  Hollande says passengers' helped avoid ‘carnage.’  —  France awarded three Americans and a Briton who tackled a suspected jihadist on a crowded train between Amsterdam and Paris the Legion of Honor — the nation's highest award — on Monday.

Belmar diners leave waitress taunting note and no tip  —  BELMAR — A 20-year-old Rutgers University student who is waiting tables at D'Jais Bar & Grill this summer to help put herself through school, got an unwelcome lesson in the humanities this past week.

Class Notes  —  What's really at stake when a school closes? … The author (top right), with classmates in the library of Jamaica High School, during his senior year. … “This one's just like being at a real theatre.”  —  BUY THE PRINT »