Fox lowers threshold for early debate  —  The change serves to guarantee the presence of candidates such as Lindsey Graham and Carly Fiorina.  —  Getty  —  Fox News is opening its 5 p.m. debate to all the announced Republican candidates who fail to make the cut for the Aug. 6 prime-time event …

McConnell to fast-track bill to defund Planned Parenthood  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is fast-tracking a bill to cut off federal funding for Planned Parenthood, after senators huddled in his office Tuesday to work out the details of a bill.

Under Oath, Donald Trump Shows His Raw Side  —  Donald J. Trump seemed irritated.  He had been grilled for two hours in a lawsuit over a failed Florida real estate project, and he told the lawyer that her questions were “very stupid.”  —  When the lawyer, Elizabeth Beck, asked for a medical break …

Rule Vote Retribution Continues; Chaffetz Takes Away Subcommittee Gavel  —  And the payback keeps on coming.  —  After three conservative House Republicans were kicked off the whip team as a result of voting against a rule for trade legislation on June 11, a new round of punishment is being meted out …

Joe Biden's Political Moment  —  For the first time, the vice president looks like a more electable Democrat than Hillary Clinton.  —  For Democratic leaders, the political logic of having Hillary Clinton as the party's standard bearer in 2016 was, at least for a while, undeniable.

FOX 4 reporter confronts woman accused of stealing his identity  —  An accused credit card thief picked the wrong guy when she used FOX 4 consumer reporter Steve Noviello's Visa account to check into a North Texas hotel.  —  Farah Parks is accused of stealing Noviello's credit card information …

Smoke That Pot Now, Chris Christie Tells Users in States That Allow It  —  Residents in U.S. states that have legalized marijuana should toke up while they still can, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said.  —  “If you're getting high in Colorado today, enjoy it,” Christie …

US dentist accused of killing Cecil the lion ‘upset’ as hunter becomes hunted  —  As Zimbabwe police say he faces poaching charges, Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer faces furious criticism on social media  —  Who shot Cecil?  First it was thought that a mystery Spaniard had the blood of one of Africa's most famous lions on his hands.

Taliban conflict: Afghanistan probes Mullah Omar ‘death’ claim  —  Mullah Omar, filmed in secret by a BBC crew in 1996, was rarely seen in public  —  The Afghan government is investigating new reports that Taliban leader Mullah Omar has died, a spokesman said.

Why the Iran deal's public support is plummeting  —  It's been two weeks since the Iran deal was announced, and the American public's discomfort with its terms is deepening.  American Jews don't like it, despite efforts by Obama's court Jews to make it seem as though they're far more supportive of it than Americans in general.

Michael Moore Surprises with New “Stealth” Film To Be Launched at Toronto Film Fest  —  In the pack of titles announced today for the Toronto Film Festival: a “stealth” film by Michael Moore called “Where to Invade Next.”  So far there is no distributor.  The whole thing is being handled …

The Missing Hillary Emails No One Can Explain  —  There is a two-month gap in Hillary Clinton's emails that coincides with violence in Libya and the employment status of a top Clinton aide, Huma Abedin.  —  Among the approximately 2,000 emails that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton …

Dems clash with Kerry over Iran deal  —  Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee joined with Republicans in pushing back on the Iran nuclear deal Tuesday as Secretary of State John Kerry faced the panel.  —  Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) said he was “troubled by” …

L.A. City Council bans large-capacity ammunition magazines  —  Defying sharp warnings from gun rights groups, Los Angeles thrust itself into the national debate over gun control Tuesday, as city lawmakers voted unanimously to ban the possession of firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.