Jeb Bush's Camp Sees an Upside to Donald Trump's Surge in the G.O.P.  —  WASHINGTON — It may be the Summer of Trump, but the publicity-hungry real estate magnate is not the only Republican presidential candidate relishing all his attention.  —  Donald J. Trump's surge in the polls has been met …

Authentic Biden vs. Hillary's Mystery  —  Who Hillary Clinton really is remains a mystery.  With Joe Biden, what you see is what you get.  —  He was a wonderfully gifted young man, only 25 years old, a lieutenant in the Marine Corps headed to Afghanistan in the summer of 2012 when he died suddenly …

Growing signs Schumer will oppose Iran deal  —  'He's got the toughest vote of his career coming,' a colleague says of the New York Democrat, who insists he's undecided.  —  Chuck Schumer is getting an earful from opponents of the Iran nuclear deal.  —  More than 10,000 phone calls …

Las Cruces police investigate explosions near Calvary Baptist, Holy Cross  —  No injuries: Devices placed just outside churches in trash can, mail box  —  wrubel@lcsun-news.com @WaltRubel on Twitter  —  LAS CRUCES >> Explosions about a half hour apart shattered the serenity …

Everson to file complaint over first GOP debate  —  The Republican presidential race kicks off in earnest this week with the first GOP debate in Cleveland Thursday.  Meanwhile all 17 candidates are jockeying to get a spot on the stage and a place in the hearts and minds of voters.  (Aug. 2) AP

Now 60% Chance Of A Government Shutdown  —  The chance of a federal government shutdown increased dramatically and precipitously last week from 40 percent to 60 percent.  It's now more likely than not that a shutdown will result from the craziness going on in Washington.

Meet The Press Transcript - August 2, 2015  —  CHUCK TODD:  —  This Sunday, a potential political bombshell.  Word that Joe Biden is now seriously considering taking on Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.  We'll have the latest on what we really know.  Also, game on.

Trump: GOP challengers ‘viciously’ attacked me  —  GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Sunday that Republicans have not given him a warm welcome since he entered their 2016 nominating process.  —  Trump argued he is on the defensive against over GOP White House hopefuls during an interview that morning.

U.S. to Defend New Syria Force From Assad Regime  —  Military officials play down chances of direct confrontation with the Assad regime  —  President Barack Obama has authorized using air power to defend a new U.S.-backed fighting force in Syria if it is attacked by Syrian government forces or other groups …

Wing-nut conspiracy theorists have done it again: The truth about the Planned Parenthood hoax revealed  —  Probes into alleged for-profit organ harvesting have turned up exactly nothing.  So why won't the right take a hint?  —  A still from the video “Planned Parenthood Uses Partial-Birth Abortions …

Sen. Graham moved up in Air Force Reserve ranks despite light duties  —  Of all the candidates vying to become the nation's next commander in chief, none has spent as much time in the military as Sen. Lindsey O. Graham.  The South Carolina Republican retired from the Air Force this summer …

Congress's Missteps Could Weigh Down Republican Candidates  —  When the Republican-run Congress convened in January, Senator Cory Gardner, a Colorado freshman, said his party's task was to show it could govern “responsibly” and “maturely.”  —  House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed.

The White House  —  BREAKING: On Monday, President Obama will release the final version of America's Clean Power Plan—the biggest, most important step we've ever taken to combat climate change.  If you agree that we can't condemn our kids and grandkids to a planet that's beyond fixing, share this video with your friends and family.