Clinton surges to big lead in McClatchy-Marist poll  —  WASHINGTON  —  Hillary Clinton has surged to a 15-point lead over reeling, gaffe-plagued Donald Trump, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.  —  Clinton made strong gains with two constituencies crucial to a Republican victory …

Gaps in Melania Trump's immigration story raise questions  —  Nude photographs published this week are raising fresh questions about the accuracy of a key aspect of Melania Trump's biography: her immigration status when she first came to the United States to work as a model.

Trump repeats claim about nonexistent Iran footage  —  Despite Donald Trump's claim of having seen video footage of the $400 million cash delivery to Iran having been acknowledge as false by his own campaign, the Manhattan billionaire kicked off a rally Thursday afternoon by repeating the tall tale.

Media trumpeting Trump implosion, but is it real?  —  This is what a full-fledged feeding frenzy looks like.  —  With Donald Trump facing the roughest stretch of his candidacy, the media have moved from questioning his sanity to depicting a campaign in disarray and top Republicans still wondering whether they can dump the nominee.

President Barack Obama on Feminism, Michelle, and His Daughters  —  There are a lot of tough aspects to being President.  But there are some perks too.  Meeting extraordinary people across the country.  Holding an office where you get to make a difference in the life of our nation.  Air Force One.

Trump's shrinking electoral map  —  COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The 2016 battleground map may soon have one less state on it.  —  With a clear lead in the polls, demographic advantages and a rival who is out of sync with local GOP leaders, Hillary Clinton is beginning to put some distance between …

Officials: George Zimmerman punched in face for allegedly bragging about killing Trayvon Martin  —  SANFORD, Fla. —  The man who said he shot unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in self-defense said he was punched in the face while he was talking to people at a restaurant in Sanford over the weekend.

Pence campaign says he endorses McCain, was misrepresented  —  Mike Pence endorses Sens. John McCain and Kelly Ayotte in their primary races, a campaign aide told POLITICO, pushing back on reports that the Indiana governor had declined to offer his endorsement for the two Republican senators.

A blind eye to sex abuse: How USA Gymnastics failed to report cases  —  THE PROMINENT OLYMPIC ORGANIZATION FAILED TO ALERT AUTHORITIES TO MANY ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ABUSE BY COACHES.  —  Top executives at one of America's most prominent Olympic organizations failed to alert authorities …

How the Trump Presidential Campaign is Affecting Trump Businesses  —  At Foursquare, our data scientists are often called upon to analyze real world trends; we use Big Data to determine how commercial fortunes are rising or falling.  This year, politics and business are intersecting …

Harvard Republican Club Will Not Support Party Nominee Donald Trump  —  The Harvard Republican Club announced it would not support Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump, and called for Republican leaders to withdraw their support of the candidate they called a “threat to the survival …

Sasha Obama lands summer job at Vineyard seafood joint  —  Sasha Obama, who has lived eight of her 15 years in the luxurious confines of the White House, is learning how the other half lives this summer.  The First Daughter is working the takeout window at Nancy's, a seafood restaurant on Martha's Vineyard.

Trump Proves Republican Obama Hate Was Never About Obama's Ideas  —  This week, largely drowned out on the stump by his succession of own goals, Donald Trump returned to a theme he has mentioned before in the campaign — his infrastructure plan, which would amount to either half a trillion dollars …

That is Donald Trump asking if NATO countries “have paid” if they want American protection from a potential Russian invasion.  —  Do you people supporting Trump know the only time NATO has ever invoked Article 5 of the 1949 Washington Treaty that established NATO?

Wearing 'Don't Tread on Me' insignia could be punishable racial harassment  —  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, among its other functions, decides “hostile work environment” harassment claims brought against federal agencies.  In doing so, it applies the same legal rules …

CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL  —  THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.  THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.  —  ABDERSON COOPER, CNN: Good evening and welcome to the second CNN Libertarian Town hall, I'm Anderson Cooper.  Tonight, your chance to meet the candidates behind …

LISTEN: Sean Explains Why Republican Insiders Will Be To Blame If Trump Is Defeated In November  —  GOP insiders are in full-on panic mode over Donald Trump after a rough week led to a dip in the polls for the Republican nominee.  While we're still several months from the November election …

The Political Process Isn't Rigged — It Has Much Bigger Problems  —  All right, I need to vent.  For months, I've watched Donald Trump decry as “rigged” everything from the Democratic primaries, the Republican primary rules (that's right, the same rules that helped him win the nomination) and the fall debate schedule.