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.

Sundar Pichai Should Resign as Google's C.E.O.  —  There are many actors in the whole Google/diversity drama, but I'd say the one who's behaved the worst is the C.E.O., Sundar Pichai.  —  The first actor is James Damore, who wrote the memo.  In it, he was trying to explain why 80 percent of Google's tech employees are male.

Senators learn the hard way about the fallout from turning on Trump  —  Republican senators who have been a thorn in President Trump's side are beginning to see the political consequences of opposing the White House as pro-Trump activists start to mobilize.  —  Just this week …

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.”

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 …

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.

Breitbart's war on McMaster bites Bannon  —  The conservative news site Breitbart has waged a nonstop campaign against national security adviser H.R. McMaster, but so far it seems to have done the most damage to someone else: Steve Bannon.  —  A Wall Street Journal editorial earlier …

Omarosa causes uproar at National Assoc. of Black Journalists conference … There's some “heavy drama” in New Orleans at the National Association of Black Journalists conference after organizers decided to add top Trump aide Omarosa Manigault to a panel.  —  “The majority there don't want her involved.

Trump's D.C. hotel raised room rates after inauguration: report  —  President Trump's Washington hotel raised its room rate after Trump took office, according to documents obtained by The Wall Street Journal.  —  The documents reportedly show that the Trump International Hotel raised its room rates …

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.

Review: Michael Moore, Bragging on Broadway, in ‘The Terms of My Surrender’  —  THE TERMS OF MY SURRENDER - Broadway, Play, Solo Performance - 1 hr. and 30 min. - Closing Date: October 22, 2017 - Belasco Theatre, 111 W. 44th St. - 212-239-6200  —  In 1972, having campaigned on a platform …

SCOOP: Freedom Caucus to file petition TODAY to bring up clean Obamacare repeal — RUCKER on Trump, DAWSEY and HULSE on Trump/McConnell — PLAYBOOK ON THE ROAD winners  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  Happy Friday!  FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — SOMETHING PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL LIKE.

Sinema aiming for Senate, Stanton preps for congressional seat  —  Democratic Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema of Phoenix is planning a 2018 run for the U.S. Senate seat held by first-term Mesa Republican Jeff Flake, according to sources familiar with Sinema's plans.

Joe Arpaio: I'd accept a pardon from Trump  —  Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was found guilty in late July of contempt of court after failing to stop racial profiling practices, said he would accept a pardon from President Donald Trump.  —  “Whatever the president wants me to do …

I'm a woman in computer science.  Let me ladysplain the Google memo to you.  —  I'm a lecturer in computer science at Stanford.  I've taught at least four different programming languages, including assembly.  I've had a single-digit employee number in a startup.  Yes, I'm a woman in tech.

Navy secretary on transgender troops: ‘Any patriot’ should be allowed to serve  —  The recently confirmed secretary of the Navy says he will follow any order the president gives on transgender troops, but that “any patriot” should be allowed to serve.  —  “We will process and take direction …

At raucous town halls, Republicans have faced another round of anger over health care  —  BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The long August congressional recess, which Republicans hoped would begin a conversation about tax reform and must-pass budget measures, has so far seen another round of angry town halls focused …