Poll finds Clinton has widened lead ahead of Trump to 8 points  —  Hillary Clinton has emerged from the two major party conventions and their aftermath with an eight-point lead over Donald Trump, aided by a consolidation of support among Democrats and a failure so far by Republicans …

Roger Ailes Used Fox News Budget to Finance ‘Black Room’ Campaigns Against His Enemies  —  As Rupert Murdoch seeks to stabilize Fox News in the wake of Roger Ailes's ouster, a crucial question remains unanswered: How was Ailes able to spend millions of dollars to settle sexual harassment claims without it setting off alarm bells?

Cotton: Clinton discussed executed Iranian scientist on email  —  Hillary Clinton recklessly discussed, in emails hosted on her private server, an Iranian nuclear scientist who was executed by Iran for treason, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Sunday.  —  “I'm not going to comment …

In context: Clinton did not say she ‘short-circuited’  —  “So I may have short-circuited it and for that I, you know, will try to clarify because I think — you know, Chris Wallace and I, we're probably talking past each other be — because, of course, he could only talk to what I had told the FBI and I appreciated that.”

Kasich: Trump Jr. called aide to float VP offer  —  (CNN)Ohio Gov. John Kasich still isn't ready to support Donald Trump for president — but he confirmed that one of his aides was contacted about possibly joining the real estate mogul's ticket as his vice president.

Researchers or Corporate Allies?  Think Tanks Blur the Line  —  Think tanks are seen as independent, but their scholars often push donors' agendas, amplifying a culture of corporate influence in Washington.  —  WASHINGTON — As Lennar Corporation, one of the nation's largest home builders …

Social Media Patterns Show Trump Is Looking at a Landslide Victory  —  Current polls show the race for President is much tighter than it really is.  Ann Coulter warned us years ago in her best seller Slander that Democrats and the liberal media always use polls to manipulate and discourage conservatives from voting.

Trump's economic advisers are also his biggest donors  —  After spending months scolding his rivals for being beholden to their financial backers, Donald Trump unveiled an economic advisory council last week — and filled it with some of his biggest donors.  —  Of the 13 men …

Column If Hillary Clinton wins, can she claim a ‘mandate’?  —  Hillary Clinton speaks at the 2016 National Assn. of Black Journalists' and National Assn. of Hispanic Journalists' Hall of Fame Luncheon in Washington on Aug. 5.  (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)

Donald Trump Plans Pivot to Economy  —  Campaign chairman says presidential nominee to focus on economy and get campaign back ‘where it belongs’  —  Donald Trump's campaign chairman said the Republican presidential nominee would focus on the economy in the coming week to get his campaign's narrative back “where it belongs.”

Donald Trump's Allies Battles for Favor of GOP Givers He Mocked  —  Carl Icahn was late, but he still had something to say.  —  Wedging himself around a table crowded with Republican donors at a Hamptons beach house, he jumped in as Senator Mitch McConnell described how important it was to hold on to the Senate this fall.

Beat him like a drum: Donald Trump must not just lose in November; to correct the institutions he's broken, he must suffer a humiliating defeat  —  It's been a little over a year now.  It's been a year of spectacle and showmanship, fury and farce, demagoguery and disaster.