The brutal numbers behind a very bad month for Donald Trump  —  Supporters of Donald Trump got an unexpected plea on Saturday: a request to send the billionaire money.  —  It was an “emergency” request, the Hill reported, representing an urgent need for an infusion of $100,000 to put ads on the air in battleground states.

Ryan: I have to support Trump  —  House Speaker Paul Ryan says it's his responsibility to support Donald Trump, even if the presumptive Republican nominee's bombast occasionally makes him uncomfortable.  —  Ryan told Chuck Todd of NBC's “Meet the Press” that he feels an obligation as the leader …

Hillary Clinton's path to victory  —  Hillary Clinton's super PAC has begun spending $145 million on ads in eight states through November — and there's a realistic path for her to win the White House even if she carries only one of them.  —  It's a sign of how strongly tilted …

The War on Stupid People  —  as recently as the 1950s, possessing only middling intelligence was not likely to severely limit your life's trajectory.  IQ wasn't a big factor in whom you married, where you lived, or what others thought of you.  The qualifications for a good job …

Gun store owner: FBI was contacted about Orlando shooter a month ago  —  A Florida gun store owner revealed on Thursday that he had contacted the FBI about Omar Mateen about a month ago when the Orlando nightclub shooter had attempted to purchase body armor and a large amount of ammunition, according to reports.

They beat Big Labor in its own backyard.  Next up: your state?  —  IN THE PREDAWN TWILIGHT of December 4, 2012, Randy Richardville, the Republican majority leader of the Michigan Senate, called an old friend to deliver some grim news.  Richardville's two-hour commute to the state capitol …

Trump in the Dumps  —  Washington — HE won't pivot.  So I have to.  —  Having seen Donald Trump as a braggadocious but benign celebrity in New York for decades, I did not regard him as the apotheosis of evil.  He seemed more like a toon, a cocky huckster swanning around Gotham …

The Pentagon's controversial plan to hire military leaders off the street  —  Defense Secretary Ash Carter wants to open the door for more “lateral entry” into the military's upper ranks, clearing the way for lifelong civilians with vital skills and strong résumés to enter the officer corps as high as the O-6 paygrade.

Heading Off the Next Extremist  —  Though the motives of Omar Mateen may never fully be known, the massacre he committed in Orlando has raised an urgent question.  How does a democratic society counter self-radicalization and prevent domestic attacks by those who have absorbed the call of terrorist groups to kill innocent civilians?

Here are some of the massive security measures Cleveland is taking for the GOP convention  —  The LRAD — that's a Long Range Acoustical Device — is a tool for ships trying to ward off pirate attacks and for settings where the precise location of law enforcement can be a matter of potential international conflict.

Has Political Fear-Mongering Lost Its Appeal?  —  Since 9/11, fear-mongering has been a foolproof political tactic.  After Orlando, it's unclear whether it still works.  —  THIS was an important and even revelatory week in American politics, and we should take note of it.

Suspect in British Lawmaker's Killing: ‘My Name Is Death to Traitors’  —  LONDON — The man charged with murdering the British lawmaker Jo Cox made his first court appearance on Saturday, telling the court when asked his name, “My name is death to traitors, freedom for Britain.”