GOP Operative Made “Suspicious” Cash Withdrawals During Pursuit Of Clinton Emails  —  In one of the most intriguing episodes of the 2016 presidential campaign, Republican activist Peter W. Smith launched an independent effort to obtain Hillary Clinton's emails to help defeat her and elect Donald Trump.

Omarosa Tells NPR She Heard Trump ‘N-Word Tape,’ Contradicting Her Own Tell-All Book  —  “Hearing it changed everything for me,” former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman told NPR on Friday.  —  Manigault Newman was referring to what she calls the “N-word tape” …

Twitter Suspends Proud Boys And Founder Gavin McInnes Accounts Ahead Of Unite The Right Rally  —  Twitter suspended several accounts associated with the Proud Boys, a right-wing group present at last year's Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville, ahead of a similar rally in Washington, DC this weekend.

Witness in Mueller probe refuses to appear before grand jury  —  A witness in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation has refused to appear for scheduled grand jury testimony Friday, prompting a sealed hearing before a federal judge.  —  Andrew Miller, a former aide …

Are you still sure there's no need to worry?  —  “Don't worry, the institutions will stop him.”  Or: “Don't worry, he hasn't done any real damage yet, the institutions have stopped him.”  How many times have you heard some version of this analysis since the election of President Trump?

Michael Avenatti Urges Democrats to Reject Michelle Obama's Advice on Trump  —  CLEAR LAKE, Iowa — Michael Avenatti, fresh off his declaration that he may run for president in 2020, used his first big speech as a prospective candidate to call on the Democratic Party to reject Michelle Obama's …

Once ‘No Longer a Nuclear Threat,’ North Korea Now in Standoff With U.S.  —  WASHINGTON — North Korea is insisting that the United States declare that the Korean War is over before providing a detailed, written disclosure of all its atomic weapons stockpiles, its nuclear production facilities …

The inside story of a toxic culture at Maryland football  —  Several current University of Maryland football players and people close to the Terrapins program describe a toxic coaching culture under head coach D.J. Durkin before offensive lineman Jordan McNair's death in June after a football workout.

Iran test-fires ballistic missile for first time in 2018, officials say  —  EXCLUSIVE - For the first time in more than a year, Iran test-fired a ballistic missile in a brazen display of defiance months after President Trump pulled the United States out of a landmark nuclear deal and days …

Democrats all but acknowledge Kavanaugh is headed toward confirmation to Supreme Court  —  ORONO, Maine — Democrats have all but acknowledged that they are unable to stop the Senate from confirming Trump nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court this fall.

How Turkey Sees the Crisis With the U.S.  —  Unilateral actions against Turkey by the United States will undermine American interests and force Turkey to look for other friends and allies.  —  Mr. Erdogan is the president of Turkey.  —  ANKARA, Turkey — For the past six decades …

Trump's Economy Might Not Be Enough to Save the House  —  With the November congressional elections only 87 days away, Donald Trump has added to his revolutionary use of tweets what might prove to be an outdated reliance on two old-fashioned electoral winners to pull Republican candidates …

Newspaper calls for war of words against Trump media attacks  —  BOSTON (AP) — A Boston newspaper is proposing a coordinated editorial response from publications across the U.S. to President Donald Trump's frequent attacks on the news media.  —  “We are not the enemy of the people,” …

Newly released video shows incredible Afghanistan heroics of Air Force sergeant, 36, killed in battle with Al Qaeda 16 years ago and he will finally receive a posthumous Medal of Honor  — A new video shows him taking on Al Qaeda fighters single-handedly after coming back from unconsciousness …

Woman killed by neighborhood dogs  —  Montgomery County Sheriff Chris Watkins released this statement Friday, August 10.  —  a resident of a Lake Tillery development on the western side of Montgomery County went missing while taking her daily walk.  After several hours the 66 year old female did not return home.

Study: 78,000 transgender Americans could be prevented from voting in 2018  —  Congressional races in 8 states could be affected by the absence of transgender people due to strict photo ID requirements  —  A new study estimates that approximately 78,000 transgender people in eight crucial states …

Democrats seek stronger social media presence to guard against potential Russian interference in midterms  —  Democratic leaders fearful of potential Russian interference and burned by recent conservative success on social media have begun a new effort to win the midterm election battle on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

Mulvaney Looks to Weaken Oversight of Military Lending  —  The Trump administration is planning to suspend routine examinations of lenders for violations of the Military Lending Act, which was devised to protect military service members and their families from financial fraud …

DOJ Official Bruce Ohr Will Appear Before Congress Later In August  —  The Department of Justice official whose wife worked for dossier firm Fusion GPS and maintained close contact with dossier author Christopher Steele will appear for an interview before members of two congressional committees later in August.

Democratic National Committee Proposes Reversing Its Ban On Fossil Fuel Donations  —  The move comes just two months after the party adopted a resolution to prohibit oil, gas and coal company contributions.  —  The Democratic National Committee plans to vote on a resolution Friday afternoon …

FROM THIS EPISODE  —  Does President Trump deserve the credit he took for dragging the Republican candidate in that Ohio House race over the finish line?  Tuesday was also not a good night for high-profile progressive candidates in Democratic primaries.  Is this the revenge of the Democratic establishment?

‘Do you know who I am?’  Bill Murray, photographer get into dispute on Martha's Vineyard  —  Actor and comedian Bill Murray was involved in a dispute with a photographer at a Martha's Vineyard restaurant Wednesday night, according to a police report.  —  Peter Simon, 71, said he was on …