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.

Bye Bye J-J!  —  Executive Office of the President/Wikimedia Commons (left), Executive Office of the President/Wikimedia Commons (right)  —  You had to figure this was coming (per the Connecticut Post's Neil Vigdor): … As briefly discussed here in response to an essay from Jonathan Chait suggesting …

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.

The Gaping Hole in the Iran Debate  —  Iraqis peer through the window of an armored vehicle as the last American soldiers leave Iraq.  (Lucas Jackson / Reuters)  —  I have a fantasy.  It's that every politician and pundit who goes on TV to discuss the Iran deal is asked this question first …

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.

‘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.

Bison attacks woman who was trying to take selfie with it in Yellowstone Park  —  Yellowstone: Our first national park 9 photos  —  Yellowstone: Our first national park - Old Faithful Geyser may be the most-famous “resident” of Yellowstone National Park, but park ranger Dan Hottle …

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.

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 …

IPAB's on the horizon — House Republicans vow to subpoena Planned Parenthood official — Casey takes on foster children's health insurance  —  With help from Paul Demko, Rachana Pradhan and Brett Norman  —  GET READY: IPAB COULD BE TRIGGERED BY 2017 — Implementation of the Independent …

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 …

Reality TV star found dead in Redondo Beach home; boyfriend arrested  —  A former Los Angeles police officer who starred in a reality TV show about her subsequent career as a lawyer was found slain Wednesday morning in her Redondo Beach home, authorities said.

Socialism, American-Style  —  THE great 20th-century conservative economist Joseph Schumpeter thought the left had overlooked a major selling point in pressing the case for public — i.e., government — control over productive capital.  “One of the most significant titles to superiority,” …

The Toxic Worldview of Ta-Nehisi Coates  —  Moses gave us the Ten Commandments.  Paul gave us the epistles.  And Ta-Nehisi gave us, Between the World and Me.  —  Get POLITICO Magazine in your feeds  —  The new book by Atlantic writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, in the form of a letter to his son …

New York Times Editor: Isn't It Awesome How Hillary's Stonewalling The Press?  —  In a podcast posted on the New York Times website earlier this week, the paper's editorial page editor openly praised Hillary Clinton's strategy of stonewalling the media and refusing to answer questions about her campaign.

Ted Cruz Is More of a Spider-Man Guy  —  Your new book is called “A Time for Truth: Reigniting the Promise of America.”  A few months ago you were in the news for warning a little girl that “the world is on fire.”  Do you believe setting things on fire is good or bad?  Both.

Illegal Alien Crime Wave in Texas: 611,234 Crimes, 2,993 Murders  —  The murder of Kathryn Steinle on the Embarcadero in San Francisco by an illegal alien is the most familiar example of a crime committed by an alien.  But an unreleased internal report by the Texas Department of Public Safety reveals …

Mayflies force shutdown of Savanna - Sabula Bridge  —  Emergency crews were on scene over the weekend to clear a bridge after bugs took over.  —  On Saturday night, Teena Franzen recorded the incident while riding with her son in a Sabula police car.