Trump defends criticism of judge with Mexican heritage  —  Washington (CNN)Donald Trump on Friday vociferously defended his claims that a judge overseeing a lawsuit against Trump University is biased because of his Mexican heritage — pushing back against criticism that his objections are racist.

Statement on Emmett Rensin  —  On Thursday night, Emmett Rensin, the deputy editor of Vox's first person section, sent a series of tweets that, among other things, urged people to riot if Donald Trump comes to their town.  —  We at Vox do not take institutional positions on most questions …

Clinton opens up double-digit lead over Trump nationwide: Reuters/Ipsos poll  —  NEW YORK Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton has opened up a double-digit lead over Republican rival Donald Trump, regaining ground after the New York billionaire briefly tied her last month …

Reid reviews scenarios for filling Senate seat if Warren is VP pick  —  WASHINGTON - Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has been actively reviewing Massachusetts rules for filling a US Senate vacancy, another indication of the seriousness with which Democrats are gaming out the possibility …

Reporter's Notebook: When an Anti-Donald Trump Protest Becomes a Mob  —  At this point, I have covered a year's worth of political rallies, first following Jeb Bush and now presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.  —  I know all too well the hallmarks of a Trump rally …

Trump Says Clinton Made Up Quotes About Him So She Provides Links to Every Single One  —  Yesterday, Hillary Clinton gave a speech on foreign policy that was a direct attack on Donald Trump, whose own foreign policy knowledge is lacking in such a way that CNN has now chosen to fact-check …

President Obama Has Now Commuted the Sentences of 348 Individuals  —  Today, the President announced 42 additional grants of clemency to men and women serving years in prison under outdated and unduly harsh sentencing laws.  The individuals receiving a presidential commutation today …

The Hill Dumps Dick Morris After He Takes Job At National Enquirer  —  The Capitol Hill-based newspaper The Hill has dropped laughingstock Dick Morris as a columnist after he signed on with the National Enquirer as its chief political correspondent.  —  In a statement to Media Matters …

Trump University Script Tells Students to Inflate Income  —  A Trump University seminar presentation advised students to try to boost their credit card limit by inflating their annual income by $75,000, according to documents made public in federal court this week.

Bloomberg's Halperin Says Trump's Racist Attack On Judge Isn't “Racial” Because Mexican Isn't A Race  —  JOHN HEILEMANN (HOST): Let's just say this first of all, when Trump does what he did in that Tapper interview, and he did it over and over again, he kept calling Curiel a Mexican, right?

Rarely Has An Argument Refuted Itself So Comprehensively  —  The headline is...instructive: … You must know a lot of really dumb, or at least really uninformed, people.  I'm reminded of one of our commenters, who is fond of citing all of his unnamed friends and colleagues who totally agree …

Muhammad Ali in ‘Grave Condition’ in Phoenix Hospital  —  Muhammad Ali Hospitalized, Family Gathering by His Bedside 1:39  —  Muhammad Ali is in “grave condition” in a Phoenix-area hospital, a well-informed source tells NBC News, as the boxing legend continues to battle a respiratory condition.

Rose McGowan Calls Out ‘X-Men’ Billboard That Shows Jennifer Lawrence Being Strangled  —  “There is a major problem when the men and women at 20th Century Fox think casual violence against women is the way to market a film.”  —  As 20th Century Fox's X-Men: Apocalypse stormed theaters over the long weekend …

Donald Trump Could Threaten U.S. Rule of Law, Scholars Say  —  WASHINGTON — Donald J. Trump's blustery attacks on the press, complaints about the judicial system and bold claims of presidential power collectively sketch out a constitutional worldview that shows contempt for the First Amendment …

Nikki Haley links Trump's rhetoric to Charleston church shooting  —  South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is sharpening her criticism of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump  —  , linking his rhetoric to the 2015 shooting at a black church in Charleston, S.C.

Skydiving outfit in contact with Bernie Sanders' campaign for Cloverdale rally  —  Cloverdale, Sonoma County's northernmost city, was abuzz with excitement Thursday over presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' planned rally Friday at the town's airport.  But just how he will arrive was the subject of rampant speculation.