Trump Says He Wanted to ‘Hit a Couple of [DNC] Speakers So Hard’  —  Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Thursday afternoon he wanted to “hit” some of the Democratic National Convention speakers “so hard” while watching them last night, including a “little guy...so hard his head would spin.”

Go Dark, Hillary  —  Times columnists, editorial writers and contributors bring their insights to bear on Hillary Clinton and the Democrats in Philadelphia.  Here are their notes and observations from day 3, day 2 and day 1.  —  Who's Googling to Learn How to Vote?

Trump urges viewers to skip Clinton speech as Democrats rack up ratings wins  —  President Obama's prime time speech lifted the Democratic convention to its third straight night of ratings wins over the Republican convention last week — and now the Trump campaign is exhorting supporters not to watch the Democrats' final night.

Poll: Donald Trump Sees 17-Point Positive Swing in Two Weeks  —  Republican nominee Donald Trump gained 17 points in roughly two weeks, according to the Reuters online tracking poll.  —  On July 14, 2016, Trump was 15 points behind Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton 46.5 percent to 31.5 percent.

Trump Claims He's Never Spoken to Putin.  In This 2014 Video, Trump Says He Did.  —  On Wednesday, Donald Trump angrily told reporters that he had no connection to Russian President Vladimir Putin.  “I have nothing to do with Putin,” he said.  “I've never spoken to him.

Election Update: Why Our Model Is Bullish On Trump, For Now  —  Further polling since the Republican National Convention has tended to confirm our impressions from earlier this week: Donald Trump has almost certainly gotten a convention bounce, and has moved into an extremely close race with Hillary Clinton.

Navy to Name Ship After Gay Rights Activist Harvey Milk  —  The Navy is set to name a ship after the gay rights icon and San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, according to a Congressional notification obtained by USNI News.  —  The July 14, 2016 notification, signed by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus …

‘I felt angry that it took so long’: Gretchen Carlson on Roger Ailes's ouster from Fox News  —  After a professional life spent speaking before TV cameras, former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson isn't often at a loss for words.  —  But when I asked her how she felt as she watched Roger Ailes …

JAMES O'KEEFE ASSAULTED - THROWN TO GROUND During Undercover Op at DNC (VIDEO)  —  Activist, author and investigative journalist James O'Keefe from Project Veritas went undercover as a Hillary supporter this week at the DNC Convention in Philadelphia.  —  What transpired was shocking.

MARK CUBAN: I bet this is Donald Trump's ‘biggest debate fear’  —  Brash billionaire Mark Cuban was back at mocking Republican nominee Donald Trump on Twitter late on Wednesday night, making a prediction about the Manhattan billionaire's “biggest debate fear.”

Unequal Convention Coverage By Networks  —  Traditionally, TV networks ABC, NBC and CBS have worked to ensure fairness giving each party the primetime hour of 10:00PM to 11:00PM on Monday through Thursday of their respective parties' conventions.  While speeches can go over allotted time, they strive for parity.

Cops mistook Krispy Kreme doughnut glaze for meth, Orlando man says  —  Daniel Rushing was arrested after an Orlando cop searched his car and tested Krispy Kreme doughnut glaze as positive for methamphetamine.  He was charged with possession of meth and carrying a firearm. … Privacy Policy

Biden to appear on ‘Law & Order’  —  Donald Trump may be the self-proclaimed “law and order” candidate, but it's not the former reality TV star-turned-Republican presidential nominee who will be making a cameo on the “Law & Order” TV franchise.  —  Instead, it will be Vice President Joe Biden.

‘Sesame Street’ Lets Go Longtime Cast Members Bob, Gordon and Luis [UPDATE]  —  UPDATED: See statement from Sesame Workshop, the creators of ‘Sesame Street,’ below  —  Sesame Street, the 46-year-old award-winning children's show, cut three of its most senior cast members earlier this year …