Behold Barack Antoinette  —  WASHINGTON — Jay Gatsby gave big, lavish, new-money parties at his sprawling mansion on the water because he wanted to seem cool.  He wanted Daisy to notice him.  —  Barack Obama gave a big, lavish, new-money party at his sprawling mansion on the water because he wanted to seem cool.

Taliban capture major northern city, approach Afghan capital  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban have captured a large, heavily defended city in northern Afghanistan in a major setback for the government, and the insurgents are approaching the capital less than three weeks before the U.S. hopes to complete its troop withdrawal.

From hubris to humiliation: America's warrior class contends with the abject failure of its Afghanistan project  —  Twenty years ago, when the twin towers and the Pentagon were still smoldering, there was a sense among America's warrior and diplomatic class that history was starting anew …

HAITI HORROR Haiti earthquake - Huge magnitude 7 quake strikes in Caribbean as THOUSANDS feared dead after buildings collapse  —  THOUSANDS are feared dead and many more injured after a major earthquake struck western Haiti on Saturday, forcing people to flee their homes amid fears buildings might collapse.

Teen accused of assisting GOP strategist with sex trafficking arrested in Florida: report  —  According to a report from the Daily Beast, a 19-year-old woman who has been accused of assisting a GOP strategist with sex trafficking of underage f girls was taken into custody in Florida.