Clinton debate prep is focused on what happens once the debate is done  —  Sen. Tim Kaine may have awakened Wednesday to poor reviews after the first and only vice-presidential debate, but his acerbic performance in Farmville, Va., revealed that the Clinton campaign's strategy for these debates extends far beyond the stage.

Dozens of former GOP lawmakers announce opposition to Trump  —  A group of 30 former GOP lawmakers signed a blistering open letter to Republicans on Thursday, warning that Donald Trump  —  lacks the “intelligence” and temperament to be president and urging the party to reject the Republican presidential nominee at the polls on Nov. 8.

Obama approval hits new high  —  (CNN)President Barack Obama's approval rating stands at 55% in a new CNN/ORC poll, the highest mark of his second term, and matching his best at any time since his first year in office.  —  The new rating outpaces his previous second-term high …

Clinton, Trump brace for Hurricane Matthew  —  Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are at risk of being elbowed out of the news cycle by a powerful hurricane churning toward the Southeast coast and threatening to barrel into two of their most important battlegrounds: Florida and North Carolina.

Megyn Kelly Slams Trump for Only Sitting Down With Hannity and Avoiding ‘Unsafe Spaces’  —  UPDATE — Hannity has now hit back on Twitter over this in a BIG way.  More here and here.  —  Megyn Kelly threw some shade at Sean Hannity after the debate last week, but tonight she took a far …

EXCLUSIVE |  One-on-one with presidential candidate Donald Trump  —  Donald Trump packed the Henderson Pavilion for a rally Wednesday afternoon and fired up his supporters, hoping to win Nevada in just 34 days during the General Election.  —  Just before Trump took the stage …

Theranos Retreats From Blood Tests  —  Company led by Elizabeth Holmes will shut down facilities and shed more than 40% of its workforce  —  Theranos Inc. said it will shut down its blood-testing facilities and shrink its workforce by more than 40%.  —  The moves mark a dramatic retreat …

Ukip's Steven Woolfe collapses after being ‘punched’ in MEP meeting - live  —  Rolling coverage of all the day's political developments as they happen  —  These are from the BBC's Alex Forsyth.  —  Steven Woolfe's condition is better than some initial reports suggested, according to the latest updates from Strasbourg.

Trump's secret weapon for Debate No. 2  —  Now that the Donald has shown restraint, Americans expect him to open fire  —  ANALYSIS/OPINION:  —  One of the biggest ironies of the first presidential debate is that Donald Trump's reluctance to aggressively attack Hillary Clinton has now given him the license to fully do so.

How Howard Stern Owned Donald Trump  —  To anyone who's listened to “The Howard Stern Show” since it hit the national airwaves in 1986, Stern's name still conjures the snicker of adolescent dirty talk, and the occasional sicko comment about Columbine or the developmentally disabled.

At New Smithsonian Museum, Justice Thomas Is an Invisible Man  —  When the Smithsonian opened the National Museum of African American History and Culture Museum last week, some of the day's loveliest moments involved President Obama and former President Bush, celebrating the event together with their wives and the American people.

The way ahead  —  America's president writes for us about four crucial areas of unfinished business in economic policy that his successor will have to tackle  —  WHEREVER I go these days, at home or abroad, people ask me the same question: what is happening in the American political system?

Trump: I won't mention Bill Clinton's past at next debate  —  MORE FROM:  —  Donald Trump is taking the high road, and keeping Bill Clinton's “bimbo eruptions” away from Sunday's presidential debate.  —  Candice Jackson — a lawyer who works with Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey …

APNewsBreak: Report faults top Pentagon aide's behavior  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A Pentagon investigation has concluded that Defense Secretary Ash Carter's former senior military aide used his government credit card at strip clubs or gentlemen's clubs in Rome and Seoul, drank in excess and had …

Donald Trump Is Now Going Full On Pickup Artist  —  The story of Donald Trump's misogyny is so old that if it were a person, Donald Trump probably would not date it.  The gospel of Trump—that money leads to power leads to women—is the most consistent thing in a career characterized …

Poll: Clinton retakes 11-point lead over Trump in Michigan  —  WASHINGTON — Three weeks after it looked like Donald Trump could challenge Hillary Clinton in Michigan, it now appears the Republican nominee may have squandered that chance with a poor debate performance, revelations about his taxes …

Donald Trump's Ventures Began With a Lot of Hype.  Here's How They Turned Out.  —  When Donald J. Trump unveiled his new online travel booking venture, GoTrump.com, he said in a promotional video in 2006 that customers would “love everything I put on this site.”  “There's nobody better,” he added.

ObamaCare's Meltdown Has Arrived  —  With insurers pulling back, half of Tennesseans covered under the plan are losing their coverage.  —  By  —  Tennessee is ground zero for ObamaCare's nationwide implosion.  Late last month the state insurance commissioner, Julie Mix McPeak …