As Trump ranted and rambled in Phoenix, his crowd slowly thinned  —  PHOENIX — Just before President Trump strolled onto the rally stage on Tuesday evening, four speakers took turns carefully denouncing hate, calling for unity and ever so subtly assuring the audience that the president is not racist.

The strange story of that ‘Blacks for Trump’ guy standing behind POTUS at his Phoenix rally  —  At a number of political rallies over the year, a character calling himself “Michael the Black Man” has appeared in the crowd directly behind Donald Trump, impossible to miss and possibly planted.

Trump Holds Steady After Charlottesville; Supporters Think Whites, Christians Face Discrimination  —  PPP's newest national poll finds that Donald Trump's approval rating is pretty steady in the wake of the Charlottesville attack, probably because his supporters think that whites and Christians …

James Clapper calls Trump speech ‘downright scary and disturbing’  —  (CNN)James Clapper, former director of National Intelligence, said Wednesday morning he questioned President Donald Trump's fitness for office.  —  “I really question his ability to be — his fitness to be — in this office …

Exclusive: Hillary Clinton in her own words  —  Hillary Clinton reflects on the 2016 campaign in her new book ‘What Happened.’ Morning Joe has an exclusive first look. ...  more Duration: {{video.duration.momentjs}}

Bundy Ranch standoff trials … A federal jury in Las Vegas did not return any guilty verdicts Tuesday against four men accused of taking up arms against federal agents during the Bundy Ranch standoff in 2014.  —  Jurors dealt government prosecutors a stinging defeat in the case when …

Shutdown threat grows as Trump digs in on wall  —  President Donald Trump's vow Tuesday to close down the government if he doesn't get money for the border wall mirrors private comments he has made to advisers in recent days — and could cause significant rifts within his own party if he follows through.

Firefighters eat sausages made of piglets they saved from blaze  —  Farmer sends gift of sausages to thank Wiltshire firefighters who rescued piglets and two sows from fire in barn  —  A farmer whose piglets were saved from a barn fire has served the animals up as sausages to thank the firefighters who rescued them.

White House has paperwork ready for Joe Arpaio pardon  —  (CNN) The White House has prepared the paperwork for President Trump to pardon former sheriff Joe Arpaio when he makes the final decision to do so, CNN has learned.  —  An administration official said the White House …

Trump's ambassador to Israel: Charlottesville response 'wasn't fine'  —  President Trump's ambassador to Israel on Wednesday criticized the president's response to the deadly violence earlier this month at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va.  —  During an interview …

MSESPN Pulls Asian Announcer Named Robert Lee Off UVa Game To Avoid Offending Idiots  —  UPDATE: ESPN ISSUES OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON MOVING ROBERT LEE FROM VIRGINIA GAME:  —  “We collectively made the decision with Robert to switch games as the tragic events in Charlottesville were unfolding …

The President of Blank Sucking Nullity  —  Put a cone on it.  —  W  —  O  —  R  —  D  —  F  —  C  —  T  —  O  —  R  —  Y  —  MY FATHER IS CONVINCED that his dog is embarrassed.  He doesn't mean the rudimentary way that dogs ever show embarrassment …

Exclusive: Russian ex-diplomat Kislyak downplays Trump campaign contacts  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  — Sergey Kislyak downplayed his contact with members of the Trump campaign in an interview with CNN on Wednesday  — “It's nonsense,” Kislyak said when asked if he tried to recruit members of the Trump administration.

'He's anti-left, anti-PC, anti-stupid': Trump supporters in their own words  —  Trump is breath of fresh air.  He's totally not a political person.  He's a businessman: he's anti-left, he's anti-PC, he's anti-stupid.  He just wants to go in and make the best deal for Americans that he can.

‘This Is Not Hazing.  This Is Rape’: Inside a Texas Town's Football Nightmare … LA VERNIA, Texas—When Jennifer's* son made varsity—as a freshman, no less—it should have been cause for celebration.  —  Here, football is king.  The town is one of the oldest communities in the Lone Star State …

Charlottesville: United Nations warns US over ‘alarming’ racism  —  UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination expresses alarm at growth of far-right groups and hate crimes  —  A UN committee charged with tackling racism has issued an “early warning” over conditions in the US …

Dems to Trump: We won't yield on wall funding  —  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) warned Democrats would hold fast to their pledge to oppose border wall funding after President Trump threatened a government shutdown over the issue.  —  “President Trump's multi-billion dollar …

16-year-old MPS student arrested after punching teacher several times in the head  —  MILWAUKEE — A teacher at South Division High School punched by a student.  The whole thing was captured on camera.  —  The video shows a student punching a teacher several times in the head.

After angry rally, Trump calls for healing in Nevada  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  Reno, Nevada (CNN)Hours after his irate campaign rally in Phoenix, President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for national healing.  —  “It is time to heal the wounds that divide us and to seek a new unity based …