Exclusive: Trump threatens third-party run  —  NEW YORK — Donald Trump says the chances that he will launch a third-party White House run will “absolutely” increase if the Republican National Committee is unfair to him during the 2016 primary season.  —  “The RNC has not been supportive.

Exclusive: More MSNBC Changes Coming with Three Shows Out, Hard News and Chuck Todd Back  —  A well-placed source tells me MSNBC will announce today major changes to its afternoon lineup...arguably the most significant revamp the network has made at one time in its 19-year history.

Increasingly divided Democrats causing problems for their party  —  Share Tweet Reddit Digg Mail Print SMS More  —  America's two major political parties have a difficult task: amassing a 51 percent coalition in a nation that has always been — not just now, but from the beginning …

Anthony Weiner got a job fixing PR messes — seriously  —  If you find yourself in a p.r. nightmare, there's a swashbuckling new hero you can turn to — Carlos Danger.  —  A top “crisis” public-relations firm with ties to Hillary Rodham Clinton has hired the last person in the world …

Ex-cop Tells CNN: Sandra Bland Would Be Alive If She Wasn't ‘Arrogant From The Very Beginning’  —  CNN contributor and former NYPD detective Harry Houck argued on Tuesday that a Texas woman would not have died in police custody if she had not been “arrogant from the very beginning.”

Appeasing Iran Ignores the Lessons of History  —  The now-concluded Iran nuclear negotiations predictably reflect ancient truths of appeasement.  —  While members of the Obama administration are high-fiving each other over a deal with the Iranian theocracy, they should remember unchanging laws …

‘Just stay behind me’ Construction worker helps teen escape I-95 abduction  —  HENRICO COUNTY, Va — Kevin Huntington knows things can get hectic along Interstate 95, especially in Northern Virginia.  The construction worker said what he saw last week, was like nothing he's ever experienced.

Jeb Bush pushes to ‘phase out’ Medicare  —  Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush appeared at a New Hampshire event last night sponsored by the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity, and the former governor raised a few eyebrows with his comments on the future of Medicare.

NASA May Have Discovered An Earth-Like Planet  —  NASA announced this week that it will shares news on Thursday from the Kepler Space Telescope project hinting that NASA may have found an earth-like planet.  —  “The first exoplanet orbiting another star like our sun was discovered in 1995.

Fears on the left growing for Planned Parenthood  —  Critics of Planned Parenthood on Tuesday released a second secretly recorded video related to fetal parts, putting the group on the defensive and spurring fears on the left of a new ACORN scandal.  —  The new video shows Dr. Mary Gatter …

National Border Patrol Council Local 2455 statement  —  After careful consideration of all the factors involved in this event and communicating with members of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) at the National level, it has been decided by Local 2455 to pull out of all events involving Donald Trump.

Tom Cotton compares John Kerry to Pontius Pilate  —  Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton blasted the White House on Thursday for its failure to immediately disclose so-called side deals between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency as part of the negotiations of the nuclear deal reached last week …

Hamilton Councilman Ed Gore explains his ‘Muslim scum’ comment  —  HAMILTON >> When gunman Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez shot and killed five U.S. military service members July 16 in Chattanooga, Tenn., a Hamilton councilman went to Facebook to voice his sentiments.  —  “Murdering bastard.

Two Teens Detained After 5 Relatives Stabbed to Death  —  Two teens were taken into custody after five relatives were found stabbed to death at the Oklahoma home where they all lived, police told NBC News early Thursday.  —  The suspects, aged 18 and 16, allegedly ran out the back door …

The Equality Act Could End Legal LGBT Discrimination For Good  —  Despite widespread belief to the contrary, no federal law explicitly protects LGBT people from discrimination.  Thursday marks the introduction of The Equality Act, a comprehensive bill that would, if passed, add “sexual orientation” …

NOTABLES  —TRUMP TAKES TEXAS: Unlike Des Moines, Iowa and Manchester, New Hampshire, Laredo, Texas isn't a typical stop on the presidential campaign trail.  Unless you are Donald Trump.  The town on the U.S.-Mexico border will become the center of attention today when the Republican presidential candidate stops by for a visit.

Biggest Q2 lobbying spenders — Record label group grows D.C. presence — 38 North partners with PR firm — Barré to Nareit  —  BIGGEST Q2 LOBBYING SPENDERS: Revenues are up on K Street with 60 percent of the top 15 spenders shelling out more in the second quarter than they did in the first three months of the year.