Republican Shadow Campaign for 2020 Takes Shape as Trump Doubts Grow  —  WASHINGTON — Senators Tom Cotton and Ben Sasse have already been to Iowa this year, Gov. John Kasich is eyeing a return visit to New Hampshire, and Mike Pence's schedule is so full of political events that Republicans joke …

The Mooch's replacement could be Stephen Miller  —  Stephen Miller, the Trump senior policy adviser who just tangled on-camera with CNN's Jim Acosta, is under consideration for White House communications director, top Trump sources tell me.  —  The effort to find a Mooch successor is still …

Jeff Sessions' Attack on the Media Is Worse Than You Think  —  Attorney General Jeff Sessions held a press conference to announce how avidly the Department of Justice was going to investigate and prosecute leakers of classified national security information.  From now on, he said, “the Department of Justice is open for business.”

Google Employee's Anti-Diversity Manifesto Goes ‘Internally Viral’  —  At least eight Google employees tweeted Friday about a document that was circulated within the company calling for replacing Google's diversity initiatives with policies that encourage “ideological diversity” instead.

AM Joy panel destroys ‘race-baiting’ lawyer Alan Dershowitz for attacking diversity of Trump grand jury  —  Former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz was accused of being a “race-baiter” on MSNBC on Saturday morning over his comments that the grand jury looking into allegations …

Far-right Bannon Affiliates Attack McMaster for Being ‘Controlled by Jews’ and ‘Hostile to Israel’  —  Campaign against McMaster intensified after he fired a number of mid-level officials from the National Security Council, who were considered loyal to Bannon and to the former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn

The GOP has become the party of the grotesque  —  Southern Gothic is a literary genre and, occasionally, a political style that, like the genre, blends strangeness and irony.  Consider the current primary campaign to pick the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions.

Trump's Fledgling Presidency Has Already Collapsed  —  President Trump's approval rating has dropped by about one percentage point per month and now sits in the mid-30s.  At the current rate, it would hit zero in September 2020.  (A highly unlikely possibility, though with Donald Trump, anything is possible.)

Vladimir Putin gets away from it all in Siberia: in pictures  —  ‘It was a very brief, but very eventful trip,’ according to presidential spokesman.  —  Russian President Vladimir Putin enjoyed a few days of swimming, fishing, sunbathing and more while holidaying in southern Siberia last week.

Trump's Trans Military Ban Now Policy  —  President Donald Trump may be on a 17- day vacation but his White House has been scrambling to hand him a “win” by the time he returns.  Trump's tweets last week announcing a ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the U.S. military was turned into a …

Fox News Host Sent Unsolicited Lewd Text Messages To Colleagues, Sources Say  —  Eric Bolling, a co-host of “The Specialists,” said through an attorney that he “does not believe he sent any such communications.”  —  Eric Bolling, a longtime Fox News host, sent an unsolicited photo …

Next Slide  —  MUSKEGO - U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan cast doubt Friday on a plan by President Donald Trump to cut legal immigration, saying the American economy needs workers to replace retiring baby boomers.  —  “I just think arbitrary cuts to legal immigration don't take into effect …

FBI: ‘Destructive device’ caused explosion at Bloomington mosque … BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - The FBI says preliminary investigation indicates a “destructive device” is to blame for an explosion at an Islamic center Saturday.  —  Police say no one was injured in the blast at Dar Al-farooq Islamic Center at about 5:05 a.m.

Communication Regarding Intent To Withdraw From Paris Agreement  —  Media Note  —  Office of the Spokesperson  —  Washington, DC  —  Today, the United States submitted a communication to the United Nations, in its capacity as depositary for the Paris Agreement, regarding the U.S. intent …

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit MV-22 Osprey mishap update 1  —  MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP BUTLER, Okinawa, Japan - Search and rescue operations continue for three U.S. Marines that were aboard an MV-22 Osprey involved in a mishap off of the east coast of Australia around 4:00 p.m. Aug. 5.

Memo to Mark Zuckerberg: So You Want to Be President ...  You've road tripped to meet with real Americans in a quest to visit all 50 states.  You've hired Barack Obama's pollster along with his first campaign manager to advise your philanthropic fund.  You've given a flat “no” …

Democrats fear Russia probe blowback  —  ALISO VIEJO, Calif. — Democrats are increasingly conflicted about how forcefully to press the issue of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.  —  Fearful of alienating voters who appear more concerned about the economy and health care …

Mueller Seeks White House Documents on Flynn  —  Investigators working for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, recently asked the White House for documents related to former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn, and have questioned witnesses about whether he was secretly paid …

National Security Advisor General H.R. McMaster on MSNBC with Hugh  —  The transcript:  —  HH: General H.R. McMaster, thank you for joining me.  —  HRM: Thanks, Hugh.  It's a pleasure to be with you.  —  HH: This Sunday in Venezuela, more demonstrations are expected.  Your old friend James