Trump Won't Let No. 2 Spy Chief Take Over When Coats Leaves  —  WASHINGTON — The White House is planning to block Sue Gordon, the nation's No. 2 intelligence official, from rising to the role of acting director of national intelligence when Dan Coats steps down this month …

At rally, Trump seethes with elite contempt for Real Americans  —  The candidate for president was seething with disdain for a large swath of Real Americans.  The candidate scoffed at their suffering.  The candidate oozed with haughty superciliousness as he wrote off all those Americans as unworthy of concern or outreach.

Detailed Maps of the Donors Powering the 2020 Democratic Campaigns  —  Candidates with the most individual donors  —  Darker shades on the map indicate a greater share of estimated donors.  —  1. Sanders  —  2. Warren  —  3. Buttigieg 4. Harris  —  5. Biden  —  6. O'Rourke

Majority of House Democrats now support Trump impeachment inquiry  —  Despite the growing calls for an impeachment inquiry, Pelosi has remained steadfast in recommending restraint.  —  A majority of House Democrats have now called for opening an impeachment inquiry into President Donald …

Rep. Will Hurd: It's time to serve my country in a different way  —  There are many reasons why I love America.  I have learned over my three terms in Congress, by representing people that voted for me, didn't vote for me or didn't vote at all, that America is better than the sum of its parts.

A key police official recommends NYPD terminate the officer accused of fatally choking Eric Garner, a source says  —  New York (CNN)New York Police Department Officer Daniel Pantaleo should be terminated following his controversial involvement in the death of Eric Garner …

Ben Folds makes a song called ‘Moscow Mitch’  —  Rock musician Ben Folds was performing on the roof of New York City's Pier 17 Thursday when he asked the audience to help him out with a new song.  “What I want to do is put a little cool stutter in it, like, you know, 'My-my-my-my-my-my Sharona …

John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick to lead U.S. intelligence claims he arrested 300 illegal immigrants in a single day.  He didn't.  —  President Trump's choice to lead the nation's intelligence community often cites a massive roundup of immigrant workers at poultry plants in 2008 as a highlight of his career.

Brittany Kaiser's work with Cambridge Analytica helped elect Donald Trump.  She's hoping the world will forgive her.  —  She'd like to be remembered as a whistleblower and a human rights advocate.  You decide.  —  Brittany Kaiser first emerged in last year's Cambridge Analytica scandal …

Top State Department adviser fired over ‘abusive’ management style  —  A senior adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was fired this week over what officials described as her “abusive” management style, including making homophobic remarks and accusing people of having affairs, according to two people.

Conservatives Are Hiding Their ‘Loathing’ Behind Our Flag  —  The molten core of right-wing nationalism is the furious denial of America's unalterably multiracial, multicultural national character.  —  The Republican Party under Donald Trump has devolved into a populist cult of personality.

With Zoning Changes, Des Moines Says No to Density  —  Last December, Minneapolis passed an ambitious plan to increase the housing density allowed across the city.  Since then, similar “upzoning” proposals appear to be popping up everywhere.  Austin and Seattle both passed laws that let the air out of their restrictive zoning codes.

Trump Makes 9/11 and Dad's Funeral All About Him  —  From his claims to first responders and his self-regarding Fred Trump eulogy to his bombastic Cincinnati rally, the narcissistic shtick is wearing thin.  —  President Donald Trump started the week with a Rose Garden ceremony …

Donald Trump doubts Russian meddling in 2020 election, disputing Robert Mueller  —  Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential elections and helped Donald Trump win.  We look back at history and ask: Will they do it again?  —  CONNECT  —  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump …

Saoirse Kennedy Hill, Granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, Dies After Overdose  —  BOSTON — A granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy died on Thursday afternoon after suffering an apparent overdose at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Mass., according to two people close to the family.

Erick Erickson, It's Time to Get Out of Pete Buttigieg's Bedroom  —  Erick Erickson seems creepily focused on Pete Buttigieg's sexuality, and alleged hypocrisy.  He would do better to take on Buttigieg's message about Christian behavior and ethics.  —  Erick Erickson really doesn't like …

July was Earth's hottest month on record, beating or tying July 2016  —  A sizzling Europe and warm Arctic helped propel the global average temperature to new heights.  —  July was Earth's hottest month ever recorded, “on a par with, and possibly marginally higher” than the previous warmest month …

EXCLUSIVE: 8 Covington Catholic Teens Sue ‘Most Egregious High-Profile Individuals’ for Defamation  —  Lawyers for eight Covington Catholic students (John Does 1-8) filed a defamation lawsuit on Thursday in Kentucky's Kenton County Circuit Court against 12 individuals — lawmakers …

Fact check: Trump makes numerous false claims at Cincinnati rally  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump's rally speech in Cincinnati on Thursday was littered with false claims — several of them egregious, several of them trivial, and most of them repeated from previous remarks.

POLITICO Playbook: A gutting few weeks for the GOP  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  IF YOU ARE A HOUSE REPUBLICAN, this has been an absolutely gutting few weeks.  And, truly, if someone is trying to spin you on how the political picture is not that bad for the House GOP right now — at this moment …

California Removes Arrest Reports From Kamala Years  —  Routine website redesign obscures Democrat's record on criminal justice  —  A redesign of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website will make it harder for voters to inspect Sen. Kamala Harris's controversial record as the state's top cop.

Biden Inc.  —  The day the Bidens took over Paradigm Global Advisors was a memorable one.  —  In the late summer of 2006 Joe Biden's son Hunter and Joe's younger brother, James, purchased the firm.  On their first day on the job, they showed up with Joe's other son, Beau …