Only 7 Candidates Have Qualified for the Next Democratic Debate  —  While 20 presidential candidates debated this past week, far fewer are assured the chance of doing so again in September.  —  So you made it through the second set of Democratic debates.  Congratulations!  Ready to talk about the next ones?

The mistakes Biden's opponents made will haunt them  —  In defending achievements like the Affordable Care Act and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, former vice president Joe Biden clearly positioned himself as President Barack Obama's heir and the dominant, perhaps the only …

No more debate.  Impeachment inquiry is underway  —  Although Special Counsel Robert Mueller's testimony may not have been a summer blockbuster, it confirmed the damning conclusions of his report.  The investigation revealed substantial evidence that President Trump obstructed justice.

Exclusive: FBI document warns conspiracy theories are a new domestic terrorism threat  —  The FBI for the first time has identified fringe conspiracy theories as a domestic terrorist threat, according to a previously unpublicized document obtained by Yahoo News.  (Read the document below.)

After ‘Send her back!’ chant, Ohio rally a test for Trump  —  CINCINNATI (AP) — President Donald Trump's latest rally will be a test for both candidate and crowd.  —  The Cincinnati gathering Thursday night will be Trump's first since his audience chanted “Send her back!” …

Trump's former top adviser: tariffs backfiring on US  —  US President Donald Trump's trade war with China is backfiring and impacting the US economy, according to his former chief economic adviser.  —  The tariff battle has had a “dramatic impact” on US manufacturing and capital investment, Gary Cohn told the BBC.

Facebook announces first takedown of influence campaign with ties to Saudi government  —  Washington (CNN Business)Facebook said Thursday it had found evidence of something cyber security and national security experts have long suspected: people tied to the government of Saudi Arabia …

Liberal Watchdog Group That Targeted Google And Devin Nunes Paid Fusion GPS $140K For Research  — A liberal watchdog group that has investigated the Trump administration, companies like Google and Republican California Rep. Devin Nunes hired Fusion GPS for research last year.

Voter Purge Rates Remain High, Analysis Finds  —  Using data released by the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in June, a new Brennan Center analysis has found that between 2016 and 2018, counties with a history of voter discrimination have continued purging people from the rolls at much higher rates than other counties.

What America Gets Wrong About Tracy Flick  —  In “Election,” she's preyed upon by a teacher and almost cheated out of her rightful victory.  But somehow she's the villain.  —  Even if you've never seen “Election,” Alexander Payne's 1999 comedy about high school politics run amok, you probably know something about Tracy Flick.

Dying Gasp of One Local Newspaper  —  The Warroad Pioneer, a pillar of its small Minnesota town, ended its 121-year run with bloody marys, bold type and gloom about the void it would leave behind.  —  WARROAD, Minn. — Whenever she thought her small staff would be facing a particularly stressful deadline …

Fox News Stars Go After Tomi Lahren for Sexist Jab at Kamala Harris  —  “Do you have any idea how damaging this is to women who've actually been sexually harassed, assaulted or demeaned in the workplace?” one of Lahren's Fox co-workers tweeted at her.  —  Several of Tomi Lahren's Fox News colleagues …

Judge overturns IRS rule that shielded political donors' identities  —  A federal judge in Montana overturned an Internal Revenue Service rule that allowed many political nonprofit groups to keep their donor lists private.  —  The ruling upends a change the IRS made last year that permitted …

Robot racism?  Yes, says a study showing humans' biases extend to robots  —  (CNN)Have you ever noticed the popularity of white robots?  —  You see them in films like Will Smith's “I, Robot” and Eve from “Wall-E.”  Real-life examples include Honda's Asimo, UBTECH's Walker, Boston Dynamics' Atlas, and even NASA's Valkyrie robot.

‘How the hell is this not inciting violence?’  Gun store erects billboard with minority lawmakers' faces … The sign warns of the “4 Horsemen” — typically a reference to biblical imagery symbolizing the end of the earth: conquest, war, famine and death.  —  But the North Carolina billboard …

Notes on the State of Politics  —  Debate effects can fade; Trump may be running behind his approval; the NC-9 special; a Magnolia runoff?  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — The polling effects from the first debate largely wore off by the time the second round started.

Charlotte Is Starting To Regret Hosting Trump's Renomination Convention  —  President Donald Trump's racist and xenophobic statements have drawn official condemnation from a city that is now predominantly black and Latino.  —  CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Republican Party leaders scoping out locations …

Senate passes $2.7 trillion budget deal  —  The Senate voted 67-28 to pass a $2.7 trillion budget deal Thursday that would suspend the debt ceiling through 2021, sending the package to President Trump's desk after the House passed it last week.  —  Why it matters: The Congressional Budget Office projected …

James Comey's next reckoning is imminent — this time for leaking  —  The Justice Department's chief watchdog is preparing a damning report on James Comey's conduct in his final days as FBI director that likely will conclude he leaked classified information and showed a lack of candor …

RNC chair defends GOP donor platform in tense meeting  —  Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel grew visibly emotional during a meeting with senior GOP officials on Wednesday, as she insisted that she isn't personally profiting off a new, President Donald Trump-endorsed small-donor platform.

Watchdog tells Democrats he can't probe White House security clearances until Trump asks  —  Four top Senate Democrats responded by asking Trump himself to order an investigation into White House security clearances for Kushner, Ivanka and others.  —  WASHINGTON — The Trump administration's …

Donald Trump Lied About Almost Dying In Helicopter Crash, Ex-Employee Says  —  “Total, total lie,” said former Trump Organization vice president Barbara Res.  —  President Donald Trump made up a story that he narrowly avoided boarding a helicopter that crashed and killed five people …

Do Any of the 2020 Democrats Have a Foreign Policy?  —  Credit CNN in this week's debates: The moderators attempted to ask the candidates questions about foreign policy and national security.  Foreign policy is a pretty important topic for a country that was once the undisputed hegemon of the world …

‘Constant chaos’: Senate Republicans eye summer exit  —  Senate Republicans' long, hot summer of Trump is finally ending.  And for many in the GOP, it can't come soon enough.  —  In just the month of July, the party has weathered a flurry of racist tweets from President Donald Trump attacking …