Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of Trump  —  How he became a heartland evangelical—and the President's most loyal soldier.  —  In the winter of 2016, Donald Trump was roaring through the primaries, and Mike Pompeo was determined to stop him.  Pompeo, a little-known congressman from Wichita …

Trump cuts off one of his closest friends  —  Tom Barrack and Donald Trump have been friends and confidants for more than three decades — the two men are so close, for instance, that Barrack comforted Trump during the funeral of his father, Fred.  —  But the intimate relationship between …

There could have been three more mass shootings if these men weren't stopped, authorities say  —  (CNN)Authorities this weekend announced they had foiled three potential mass shootings after arresting three men in different states who expressed interest in or threatened to carry them out.

Group of top CEOs says maximizing shareholder profits no longer can be the primary goal of corporations  —  The organization representing the nation's most powerful chief executives is rewriting how it views the purpose of a corporation, updating its decades-old endorsement of the theory …

In Economic Warning Signals, Trump Sees Signs of a Conspiracy  —  President Trump, confronting perhaps the most ominous economic signs of his time in office, has unleashed what is by now a familiar response: lashing out at what he believes is a conspiracy of forces arrayed against him.

Scaramucci says he's putting together coalition to stop Trump in 2020  —  Washington (CNN)Anthony Scaramucci, a former White House communications director who has recently withdrawn his support for President Donald Trump, said Monday that he is putting together a coalition of former Trump Cabinet officials …

Sandoval apologizes for mock Trump assassination photo at political fundraiser  —  ILLINOIS (WCIA) — A series of pictures posted online after a Friday night political fundraising event for state Senator Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) show an event attendee pointing what appears to be a fake assault weapon …

Redemption sounds nice, but disgraced pundit Mark Halperin doesn't deserve it  —  Want to make a comeback?  —  First make amends.  —  Mark Halperin, the author and media commentator who stepped down from his various lofty perches in 2017, seems to have missed that step along the path to would-be redemption.

Democrats Want to Turn Trump's Twitter Addiction Into an Election Issue  —  The party recently commissioned polling that showed framing the president as ineffective because of his social media habits is one of its most persuasive arguments.  —  Donald Trump's Twitter habit has caused no shortage of controversy during his presidency.

8 Democratic presidential candidates will participate in CNN climate town hall  —  (CNN)Nine Democratic candidates for president have qualified for next month's Climate Crisis Town Hall, which will air exclusively on CNN platforms, and eight of them have said they will participate.

Video: California High-School Students Sang Nazi Song and Gave Hitler Salute  —  Athletes performed a homage to the Third Reich before an awards ceremony.  Their school won't say how they were disciplined.  —  A group of high-school students in Southern California gave a Nazi salute and sang …

FEC chair says Trump's claim of election fraud 'undermines people's faith' in system  —  FEC chair calls out Trump over voter fraud claims  —  Washington (CNN)The Democratic chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission said Monday that President Donald Trump “undermines people's faith” …

Jay-Z Joins the Ranks of the Insufficiently Woke  —  The social-justice Left sees only one path to redemption for the NFL, and that's a team signing Colin Kaepernick.  —  Rapper and mogul Jay-Z announced his company's new partnership with the National Football League and has made much of the social-justice Left furious:

White House, Treasury Considering Actions to Protect American Business Interests in Angola  —  The White House and Treasury Department are considering a number of actions to protect American business interests in Angola, multiple senior administration officials tell Breitbart News.

Why Is Joe Rogan So Popular?  —  Every morning of my Joe Rogan experience began the same way Joe Rogan begins his: with the mushroom coffee.  —  It's a pour-and-stir powder made from lion's mane and chaga—"two rock-star mushrooms," according to Joe—and it's made by a company called Four Sigmatic …

How Much Damage Have Republicans Done in the States?  —  Turns out making cuts to public services to fit an ideology of small government and traditionalism is just not very popular.  —  Mr. Grossmann is the author of “Red State Blues: How the Conservative Revolution Stalled in the States.”

Five Years After Killing Eric Garner, NYPD Fires Officer Daniel Pantaleo  —  Garner's last words, 'I can't breathe,' became a rallying cry for justice in New York and across the country.  —  “Five years after Eric Garner's dying plea “I can't breathe” became the rallying cry …

Did Bill Clinton See This Coming?  —  In the summer of 1996, as he prepared to turn 50—and win a second term in the White House—Bill Clinton took to musing aloud that he now had “more yesterdays than tomorrows.”  If that sentiment seemed maudlin for a man still in the prime of life …

Mueller Was Listening to This Guy?  Sam Patten's wild life as a cooperating witness.  —  I.  —  Late one morning just after Easter 2018, Sam Patten's Siberian husky, Pepper, began to go “berserk.”  Patten, a 48-year-old Republican political operative, could hear a commotion from the basement …

For Trump, appeals to white fears about race may be a tougher sell in 2020: Reuters/Ipsos poll  —  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric and focus on the grievances of white voters helped him win the 2016 election.  But a Reuters analysis of public opinion …

‘I Believe in Capitalism’: Kamala Harris Courts Big Donors in the Hamptons  — Harris, Biden, Buttigieg mingle with elite for money boost  — Progressives Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders notably absent  —  Teslas and Maseratis lined the street as Kamala Harris greeted guests sipping drinks …

The low-key, Harley-riding senator Democrats are leaning on to win the majority  —  GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Democrat Gary Peters, a bearded, buttoned-down genial Midwesterner who could easily pass for the investment adviser he once was, is known in the Senate mostly for steering as far clear from the spotlight as he possibly can.

Biden to skip DNC meeting in San Francisco where 13 candidates are expected  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Hundreds of Democratic National Committee delegates will be here next weekend for a three-day gathering that gives them a chance to meet and hear from 13 presidential contenders …

'I'm not happy with it': Trump hits Fox News over poll results  —  President Donald Trump on Sunday slammed his preferred news network over recent unfavorable poll results, saying: “There's something going on at Fox [News], I'll tell you right now.  And I'm not happy with it.”

Gillibrand: ‘Of course’ I'd consider a VP offer  —  Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Monday that she would be open to serving as the running mate to the eventual Democratic presidential nominee should her faltering White House bid flame out short of a primary victory.

There Will Be No Justice for Trump's Enablers  —  Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders with President Donald Trump in the East Room, June 13, 2019.  —  After Donald Trump became his party's nominee for president in 2016, a great many Republicans in Washington said publicly …

Rep. Steve King says media, GOP leaders owe him an apology after his comments on rape and incest  —  Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is demanding an apology from the media and Republican leaders after he remarked last week that humanity might not exist if not for rape and incest.

Gillibrand on whether Franken should make a comeback: 'It's not my decision'  —  Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) declined to say Monday whether she opposes a comeback by former senator Al Franken, suggesting that the Minnesota Democrat should make that decision himself.

Op-Ed Columnist  —  Good morning, readers.  I'm taking a break from writing the newsletter until Labor Day.  This week, Jonathan Bernstein of Bloomberg Opinion — a political scientist whom I regularly quote — is taking over.  I hope you enjoy his thoughts.  As always, you can find links to the full Times Opinion report below.