Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama: No ‘attack’ intended  —  Hillary Clinton called President Barack Obama on Tuesday to “make sure he knows that nothing she said was an attempt to attack him” when she recently discussed her views on foreign policy in an interview with The Atlantic, according to a statement from a Clinton spokesman.

Eyewitness to Michael Brown shooting recounts his friend's death  —  FERGUSON, Missouri — The last moments of Michael Brown's life were filled with shock, fear and terror, says a witness who stood just feet away as a police officer shot and killed the unarmed teen.

Was an Accusation of Plagiarism Really a Political Attack?  —  There aren't too many worse things you can suggest about an author than that his or her work is plagiarized.  It's the book-world equivalent of spreading the word that a financial adviser has cooked the books or that the parish priest has designs on the altar boys.

Times Reporter Is Injured in Iraq Helicopter Crash  —  ERBIL, Iraq — A helicopter carrying aid from Iraq's Kurdish autonomous government to stranded Yazidi refugees in the Sinjar mountains of northern Iraq crashed on Tuesday, killing the pilot and injuring other passengers …

Over 4,000 BuzzFeed Posts Have Completely Disappeared  —  You may have heard that BuzzFeed recently landed $50 million in venture capital, with which it hopes to transcend its long-time status as a “content laboratory” for shareable listicles, strange quizzes and LOL-worthy videos.

Shepard Smith Clarifies and Apologizes for Robin Williams ‘Coward’ Remark  —  Last night, Fox News devoted some time to covering Robin Williams' apparent suicide, focusing on the comedian's family life — and, in the middle of it, Shepard Smith described his death as “cowardly”:

Hey, Eric Holder: Voter ID Isn't Stuck in 1965  —  The AG and his allies have claimed that voter ID laws suppress black votes.  But finally, a North Carolina judge speaks the truth.  —  The middle of August is supposed to usher in the dog days of summer.  But not this year …

Robin Williams, an Improvisational Genius, Forever Present in the Moment  —  Some years ago, at a party at the Cannes Film Festival, I was leaning against a rail watching a fireworks display when I heard a familiar voice behind me.  Or rather, at least a dozen voices, punctuating …

David Gregory's flight to nowhere  —  David Gregory wasn't supposed to host “Meet The Press” on Sunday.  He was on a planned vacation in Nantucket, where, the night before, he had hosted a special presentation of the Boston Pops, sponsored by Coastal Living and Real Simple.

McDaniel lists own lawyer as irregular vote  —  As Chris McDaniel's team continues to scour voting records to add to an expected legal challenge of his loss to Thad Cochran, it has listed McDaniel's lead lawyer in the challenge, and his wife, as irregular votes that should be tossed out.

German Artists Say They Put White Flags on Brooklyn Bridge  —  Mystery solved?  I got a call this week from a pair of artists in Berlin who say they were the ones who pulled off the stunt of the summer, hoisting two big all-white American flags atop the Brooklyn Bridge last month, swapping them for the usual Stars and Stripes.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Might Be Why Americans Hate Congress  —  The media's narrative about Congress is clear: It is unproductive, members care only about getting re-elected and they have failed to do their jobs.  —  So it should come as no surprise that Americans believe Congress has been unproductive …

Campus Activism: the Fight for Imaginary Victories  —  Campus activism is, by and large, the world of make-believe.  Whenever students occupy a president's office, Tinkerbell is not far away.  Whenever faculty demand a boycott, Professor Dumbledore winks at Professor Snape.

Minnesota Republican Party Official Uses Robin Williams' Death To Boost Candidacy  —  And it didn't get better from there.  —  An official with the Republican Party of Minnesota found himself in hot water Tuesday for using the death of movie star Robin Williams to boost the candidacy …

Koch-linked group cancels Michigan ads  —  A powerfully funded group backed by the conservative Koch brothers has canceled over a million dollars' worth of Michigan ads for the month of August, according to sources tracking the 2014 air war.  —  Freedom Partners, which had booked …

Iran congratulates Iraq's PM pick, snubs Maliki AFP 1 hr ago  —  Tehran (AFP) - Iran officially ended its long-time allegiance to Iraq's sidelined Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Tuesday, swinging its support behind newly designated premier Haidar al-Abadi in a congratulatory message.

Obama's standing among voters is hurting Democrats, poll finds  —  WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is dragging down his party and hurting the prospects of fellow Democrats as they head into midterm elections that will determine who controls Congress, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.