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 …

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.

Trump Made Up An Entire News Story On Iran — And He's Standing By It  —  In the last few days, Donald Trump has made up an entire news story on U.S. foreign policy.  —  Speaking at a rally in Maine on Thursday, Trump claimed that the Iranian government released secret footage …

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.

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.

Mike Pence Declines to Endorse John McCain and Kelly Ayotte  —  Siding with his running mate, Mike Pence on Thursday declined to endorse John McCain and Kelly Ayotte in their upcoming reelection bids.  —  “I look forward to supporting Republican candidates in the days and weeks ahead all over the country …

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 …

Clinton pauses ads in Virginia in sign of confidence  —  Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign has left Virginia off its upcoming battleground-state television ad buy beginning next week — the second state to be dropped in recent weeks as Clinton holds a significant lead over Donald Trump nationally and in key states.

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.

Erickson Angrily Tears Into Trump Boosters: You ‘Reflect the Evil Character of Your God’  —  Erick Erickson has been a #NeverTrump conservative for a while now, but something Trump said today finally pushed him to a place of extreme anger at his boosters.  —  Erickson was set off …

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 …

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 …

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.