Who Is Fethullah Gulen, and What Is His Role?  —  The president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, blamed the coup attempt on the work of followers of Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic preacher who lives in exile in Pennsylvania, and who once was an ally of Mr. Erdogan.

Turkish Coup Live Blog  —  8:37PM In our last historical update (7:55 PM), we looked at Erdogan's increasingly autocratic tendencies.  Here are some other factors that may have been at work in the coup:  — As Erdogan has grown more autocratic, he has also grown increasingly erratic and megalomanaical.

Pence ‘very supportive’ of latest version of Trump Muslim ban  —  Washington (CNN)Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said Friday he agrees with Donald Trump's call to ban Muslims from countries with heavy terrorist activity from entering the U.S., a reversal from criticism he levied against the real estate mogul months ago.

Sixty mega-donors gave 30 percent of the money raised by Donald Trump and the Republican Party  —  Sixty mega-donors gave at least $100,000 each to a joint committee raising funds for Donald Trump and the Republican Party, together pouring in $15.4 million from late May until the end of June, new campaign finance records show.

A Cure for Trumpism  —  WHEN Donald Trump accepts the Republican nomination on Thursday in Cleveland, it will represent a stunning moment in American politics — the triumph of a raw populism, embodied by a shameless demagogue, over both the official establishment and the official ideology of a major political party.