China warns North Korea: You're on your own if you go after the United States  —  BEIJING — China won't come to North Korea's help if it launches missiles threatening U.S. soil and there is retaliation, a state-owned newspaper warned on Friday, but it would intervene if Washington strikes first.

CNN severs ties with Jeffrey Lord  —  CNN severed ties with Jeffrey Lord on Thursday, hours after he ignited controversy by tweeting the words “Sieg Heil!” at a prominent liberal activist.  —  “Nazi salutes are indefensible,” a CNN spokesperson said in a statement.  “Jeffrey Lord is no longer with the network.”

Trump's Twitter Fury at McConnell Risks Alienating a Key Ally  —  WASHINGTON — By preventing President Barack Obama from filling a Supreme Court vacancy, Senator Mitch McConnell secured Donald J. Trump the signature accomplishment of his young presidency: the confirmation of Justice Neil M. Gorsuch.

Here's the Memo That Blew Up the NSC  —  Fired White House staffer argued “deep state” attacked Trump administration because the president represents a threat to cultural Marxist memes, globalists, and bankers.  —  The memo at the heart of the latest blowup at the National Security Council paints …

Google CEO Sundar Pichai cancels all-hands meeting about gender controversy due to employee worries of online harassment  —  Doxxing of search company staffers had already started.  —  Google's CEO Sundar Pichai has cancelled its much anticipated meeting to talk about gender issues today.

Congressional investigators want to question Trump's longtime secretary, Rhona Graff, in Russia probe  —  Congressional investigators want to question President Donald Trump's longtime personal secretary as part of their ongoing probe into a controversial meeting between Trump campaign officials …

Manafort switching legal team as feds crank up heat on him  —  Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is changing his attorneys as a federal investigation heats up into his financial transactions, according to people familiar with the matter.  —  Manafort's case will now be handled …

'When you put this guy in a cage and think you're controlling him, things like this happen'  —  The Debrief: An occasional series offering a reporter's insights  —  President Trump, left, speaks to reporters at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., on Aug. 10, as Vice President Pence looks on.

Trump thanks Putin for expelling U.S. diplomats, infuriating State Department  —  President Donald Trump on Thursday thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for expelling American diplomats from Russia on the grounds that “we're going to save a lot of money,” prompting dismay among many of the rank-and-file at the State Department.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Affirmative Action and Asian-Americans  —  The application process for schools, fellowships, and jobs always came with a ritual: a person who had a role in choosing me—an admissions officer, an interviewer—would mention in his congratulations that I was “different” from the other Asians.

Trump's IRS Swamp  —  Obama-era lawyers are still obstructing lawsuits to hold the agency accountable.  —  Donald Trump promised to drain the swamp, and here's a seven-month progress report: The Washington bog is still as wide and fetid as ever.  Consider that Mr. Trump's Justice Department …

Chelsea Manning Changed the Course of History.  Now She's Focusing on Herself  —  “It's not like I'm living in fear or anything,” Manning says.  “I'm so glad to be out and about and walking around.”  Here, Manning in a Norma Kamali swimsuit.  —  Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, September 2017

Obama to re-emerge in ‘delicate dance’ with Dems  —  Former President Obama will re-emerge on the national scene this fall, though Democrats expect him to do so with caution.  —  One aide describes the beginning of a “delicate dance” that aims to put Obama in the Democratic fray, but prevent him from remaining the face of the party.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll - August 2017: The Politics of ACA Repeal and Replace Efforts  —  KEY FINDINGS:  — The August Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds that the majority of the public (60 percent) say it is a “good thing” that the Senate did not pass the bill that would have repealed and replaced the ACA.