First on CNN: Feds investigate Manafort firm as part of Ukraine probe  —  Washington (CNN)FBI and Justice Department prosecutors are conducting an investigation into possible US ties to alleged corruption of the former pro-Russian president of Ukraine, including the work of Paul Manafort's firm …

Obama irks La. flood victims with memo warning them not to discriminate  —  President Obama has refused so far to survey the Louisiana flood disaster, but he did let state and local officials know that he's watching to make sure they don't engage in racial discrimination.

Road to 270: Electoral College map  —  If Donald Trump was to win all the remaining battleground states on the map, he'd still be shy of the 270 votes needed to win the White House which means he is going to have to pick off at least one of the states currently leaning in Hillary Clinton's direction …

New jobs report is an utter disaster for Kansas and Brownback  —  The new July jobs report released Friday is an utter disaster for Kansans and embattled Gov. Sam Brownback.  —  Here are the lowlights.  —  The state lost 5,600 jobs from June to July.  —  The unemployment rate jumped to 4.1 percent from 3.8 percent in June.

Did I Kill Gawker?  —  Or was it Nick Denton?  Hulk Hogan?  Peter Thiel?  Or the internet?  —  It feels a bit strange to say this now, but in the spring of 2014 there was no better place to work than Gawker.  For a certain kind of person, at any rate — ambitious, rebellious, and eager for attention, all of which I was.

Breitbart Editor Milo Yiannopoulos Takes $100,000 for Charity, Gives $0  —  The alt-right icon promised to give scholarships to white men, but almost a year later he still hasn't filed with the IRS or handed out a penny.  —  Months after he was supposed to give away more than $100,000 …

In ‘Dumbest’ Move, Well-Known Lib Prof Broke Ethics Rules in Apparent Shot at Trump  —  A series of tweets by well-known Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe caused a bit of firestorm online amongst legal ethics experts.  —  It started on Tuesday when Prof. Tribe sent out this Tweet:

Dog dies after shielding infant from fire  —  Firefighters rescue child from second floor of home  —  An 8-month-old infant is in serious condition after a fire late Sunday in Baltimore.  —  The girl is alive today thanks to an act of heroism and a heart-breaking loss for her family.

Donald Trump's New Chief Steve Bannon Called Republican Leaders ‘C**ts’  —  Donald Trump's new campaign boss—the guy white supremacists are so excited about—once described D.C.'s top Republicans as “c**ts.”  —  Stephen Bannon, the Trump campaign's new chief executive as of Wednesday …

Sailor Denied ‘Clinton Deal’, Gets 1 Year in Prison for 6 Photos of Sub  —  The photos contained ‘confidential’ information, the lowest level of classification.  —  Kristian Saucier was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty earlier this year to taking and retaining photos containing “confidential” information.

Trump's ugly and dishonest new TV ad shows he isn't changing a thing  —  THE MORNING PLUM:  —  Last night, Donald Trump delivered a speech in which he spoke in soothing tones about the need to unify the country and expressed “regret” about any remarks that have caused “personal pain,” …

The Justice Department Is Done With Private Prisons.  Will ICE Drop Them Too?  —  The Justice Department's announcement on Thursday that it would seek to end the use of private contractors to run its federal prisons was a monumental one that quickly sent private prison stocks plunging …

The NSA Leak Is Real, Snowden Documents Confirm  —  On Monday, a hacking group calling itself the “ShadowBrokers” announced an auction for what it claimed were “cyber weapons” made by the NSA.  Based on never-before-published documents provided by the whistleblower Edward Snowden …

‘Rachel Maddow Show’ Catches ‘Kelly File’ in Key Demo as MSNBC Surges  —  MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show virtually tied Fox News' Kelly File in the key 25-54 demographic on Wednesday, the third time this month in which Maddow has tied or beaten Megyn Kelly's show in the all-important demo …

Starr out as Baylor law professor  —  Ken Starr will not return to Baylor University's law school, cutting his last tie with the school.  —  “The mutually agreed separation comes with the greatest respect and love Judge Starr has for Baylor and with Baylor's recognition and appreciation for Judge Starr's many contributions to Baylor.

Hillary Clinton's Ethics Problems Are Worse Than She Understands  —  “Give a man a reputation as an early riser,” said Mark Twain, “and he can sleep 'til noon.”  Hillary Clinton finds herself in the opposite situation: She has a reputation for venality — the merits of which we can set aside momentarily …