The Day Jeffrey Epstein Told Me He Had Dirt on Powerful People  —  Almost exactly a year ago, on Aug. 16, 2018, I visited Jeffrey Epstein at his cavernous Manhattan mansion.  —  The overriding impression I took away from our roughly 90-minute conversation was that Mr. Epstein knew …

The World Turns, America Sleeps  —  Protest movements no longer fall within the U.S. field of vision.  —  Since the protests in Hong Kong started two months ago, I have been struck by the coolness of the American response.  I am referring not just to President Donald Trump …

NYT Top Editor: Trump Racism Headline Was a ‘F*cking Mess’  —  In a lengthy town-hall meeting on Monday, the paper's top brass addressed a bevy of recent controversies centering around the Times' coverage of Trump, race, and politics.  —  New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet admitted Monday …

How Iowa State Fair-Goers Narrowed Their Candidate Options  —  The list of Democratic presidential candidates who attended the Iowa State Fair was so long this weekend it forced undecided voters to choose which of the 20 candidates they wanted to see speak at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox the most.

Joe Biden Knows He Says the Wrong Thing  —  Many advisers and donors to Joseph R. Biden Jr. were elated last Wednesday as he delivered one of the best-reviewed speeches of his 2020 campaign, using prepared remarks on a Teleprompter to accuse President Trump of encouraging white supremacy …

The Filibuster Is Suffocating the Will of the American People  —  To save our country's future, Democrats must abolish this arcane Senate rule.  —  Mr. Reid is a former Senate majority leader from Nevada.  —  I am not an expert on all of government, but I do know something about the United States Senate.

Fourth board member resigns from NRA in a sign of further upheaval  —  Julie Golob, a professional sport shooter and a strong public advocate for gun rights, announced Monday she was resigning from the National Rifle Association board before the end of her three-year term.

Chris Cuomo Threatens Man Who Hurled Italian Slur ‘Fredo’ at Him  —  CHRIS CUOMO Enraged After Guy Hurls Italian Slur ... 'I'LL F***IN' THROW YOU DOWN THESE STAIRS!!!'  —  CNN anchor Chris Cuomo went nuclear on a guy who called him a derogatory name, threatening to beat his ass.

Trump Administration Weakens Endangered Species Act Amid Global Extinction Crisis  —  Environmentalists see the rule as another handout to industry amid rising alarm that the ecosystems on which humans rely are collapsing.  —  Three months after leading scientists warned that humans have driven …

The US budget deficit is up 27% and getting closer to $1 trillion  —  The U.S. budget deficit widened another $119.7 billion, good for a 27% increase over a year ago, according to government figures released Monday.  —  Total outlays increased by 22.8% over last July as receipts grew 11.6%.

How an unarmed 65-year-old stopped a gunman from attacking a Norwegian mosque  —  BERLIN — A 65-year-old former Pakistani military officer is being credited with thwarting an attack at a mosque in Norway after he tackled a heavily armed gunman who allegedly stormed into the house of worship …

Julián Castro has a message for Trump.  He bought a ‘Fox & Friends’ ad to reach him.  —  Julián Castro, a Democratic candidate for president, plans to release a television ad Wednesday directly addressing President Trump and faulting his incendiary rhetoric for the massacre …

The danger of vilifying poor immigrants  —  Your ancestors weren't as legal — or as wealthy — as you think.  —  The Trump administration recently proposed to massively expand something called “expedited removal,” which allows immigration agents to shunt people more easily into deportation proceedings without due process or review.

Why the Trump administration is going after low-income immigrants, explained by an expert  —  Acting Director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli announces the “public charge” rule change during a briefing at the White House on Monday.  Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

Harris, Warren ignore DOJ report to claim Michael Brown was ‘murdered’  —  “Michael Brown's murder forever changed Ferguson and America.  His tragic death sparked a desperately needed conversation and a nationwide movement.  We must fight for stronger accountability and racial equity in our justice system.”

New Tariffs Will Have Bigger Impact on Women's Clothing Than Men's  —  Some 42% of women's and girls' clothing and shoes imported to U.S. in 2018 came from China, compared with 26% of same categories for men and boys  —  WASHINGTON—The Trump administration's next round of tariffs …

Useful Idiots and Trumpist Billionaires  —  Greed, ego and willful blindness at the top.  —  Whoever came up with the phrase “useful idiots” — it's often credited to Lenin, but there's no evidence he ever said it — was on to something.  There are times when dangerous political movements …