The Hillary Clinton email story is out of control  —  JUDGING BY the amount of time NBC's Matt Lauer spent pressing Hillary Clinton on her emails during Wednesday's national security presidential forum, one would think that her homebrew server was one of the most important issues facing the country this election.

Compelled to Act  —  We're committing $20M to help Democrats in the 2016 election  —  Cari and I have dedicated our lives to figuring out how to do the most good we can with the resources we've been given.  Until now, those efforts have not included making endorsements or contributions in presidential elections.

Dear Mark.  I am writing this to inform you that I shall not comply with your requirement to remove this picture.  —  Dear Mark Zuckerberg.  —  I follow you on Facebook, but you don't know me.  I am editor-in-chief of the Norwegian daily newspaper Aftenposten.

New photos show Bill Clinton yukking it up with Trump, Melania, and woman in Playboy shirt  —  The Clinton Presidential Library has released nearly two dozen photos of Donald Trump socializing with President Bill Clinton — including one that shows the two men with their arms around Trump's then-girlfriend …

Trump attacks U.S. foreign policy, political press corps on state-owned Russian television network  —  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump criticized U.S. foreign policy and the American political press corps Thursday during an interview on RT America, a state-owned Russian television network.

Poll: Economic outlook best in 9 years  —  Washington (CNN)Americans are more positive about the nation's economy than they have been in nine years, according to a new CNN/ORC poll.  —  In a reflection of rising optimism, 53% of Americans say economic conditions in the US are good, up from the 45% who felt that way in June.

David Brock to Commission on Presidential Debates: Drop Chris Wallace  —  Media Matters founder David Brock is demanding that the Commission on Presidential Debates remove Fox News anchor Chris Wallace as moderator of the final presidential debate in October.

Supreme Court won't revive Michigan ban on straight-ticket voting  —  The Supreme Court on Friday refused to allow Michigan to ban voters from casting straight-ticket ballots in the coming election after lower courts found the prohibition was likely to discriminate against African Americans and result in long lines at the polls.

Republican insiders plot post-election party overhaul  —  Republican insiders opposed to Donald Trump have begun discussions to prepare a party overhaul whether its candidate wins the presidency or not.  —  They regard Trump as the symptom of a disease that afflicts the GOP and fear …

'There's Nothing Better Than a Scared, Rich Candidate'  —  This past April, the American Association of Political Consultants gathered for its annual conference, known as the Pollies, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  During breaks between sessions ("Buying Votes in a Presidential Election," …

'We're the Only Plane in the Sky'  —  Nearly every American above a certain age remembers precisely where they were on September 11, 2001.  But for a tiny handful of people, those memories touch American presidential history.  Shortly after the attacks began, the most powerful man in the world …

WikiLeaks release excludes evidence of €2 billion transfer from Syria to Russia  —  Dell Cameron and Patrick Howell O'Neill —  A trove of hacked emails published by WikiLeaks in 2012 excludes records of a €2 billion transaction between the Syrian regime and a government-owned Russian bank …

GOP insiders: Maybe Trump can win  —  Once resigned to a November defeat, swing state Republicans are increasingly optimistic about Donald Trump's chances now that the GOP presidential nominee has closed a once-yawning deficit in the polls against Hillary Clinton.

Trump charity gave $100,000 to David Bossie's Citizens United that helped fund lawsuit against mogul's foe  —  Donald Trump's charitable foundation gave $100,000 in 2014 to a conservative activist group that was used to help finance a federal lawsuit against New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman …

The bashing of Matt Lauer: Why many of the attacks are driven by partisanship  —  Matt Lauer is getting a taste of the hyperpartisan criticism that all the presidential debate moderators are going to face in today's polarized atmosphere.  —  Despite one major misstep, the “Today” …

Rep. Louie Gohmert: Clinton's ‘Brain in a Blender’ on Iran, Emails … The Obama administration's decision to send Iran $400 million in pallets of cash at the same time four hostages were being released has enabled that country to continue with its support of terrorism, and makes those involved …

A Whistle-Blower Accuses the Kochs of “Poisoning” an Arkansas Town  —  In June, Koch Industries, the conglomerate owned by the billionaires Charles and David Koch, launched a new corporate public-relations campaign called “End the Divide,” to advance the notion that Koch Industries is deeply concerned by growing inequality in America.