ThinkProgress, a Top Progressive News Site, Has Shut Down  —  A search had been underway for a new publisher.  But none was found.  —  ThinkProgress, the influential news site that rose to prominence in the shadow of the Bush administration and helped define progressivism during the Obama years, is shutting down.

The Secret Files of the Master of Modern Republican Gerrymandering  —  Thomas Hofeller preached secrecy as he remapped American politics from the shadows.  The Republican Party operative, known as the master of the modern gerrymander, trained other G.O.P. operatives and legislators nationwide …

Boris Johnson calls David Cameron ‘girly swot’ in leaked note  —  Prime minister's comment in handwritten document condemned for sexist language  —  Boris Johnson referred to David Cameron as a “girly swot” in a recent cabinet paper, an unredacted version of court documents has shown …

'He's losing his s—': Trump's advisers are increasingly worried about his mental state following days of erratic behavior  — President Donald Trump's aides and confidants are increasingly worried about his mental state after days of erratic behavior and wild outbursts.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says he will defy NRA, take lead on gun background checks  —  ‘Someone in the Republican Party has to take the lead on this,’ Patrick said, of requiring checks when strangers sell to strangers. … AUSTIN — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says he's “willing to take an arrow” …

Air Force crew made an odd stop on a routine trip: Trump's Scottish resort  —  In early Spring of this year, an Air National Guard crew made a routine trip from the U.S. to Kuwait to deliver supplies.  —  What wasn't routine was where the crew stopped along the way: President Donald Trump's Turnberry resort …

NOAA backs President Trump on Alabama hurricane forecast, and rebukes Weather Service office that accurately contradicted him  —  The Alabama office's forecast for Hurricane Dorian turned out to be accurate  —  The Federal agency that oversees the National Weather Service has sided …

Howard Schultz says he won't run for president because people were mean online  —  Several months ago, Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO, said he was exploring the possibility of running for president in 2020 as an independent.  It immediately drew scorn from all corners of the internet.

‘Everything conservatives hoped for and liberals feared’: Neil Gorsuch makes his mark at the Supreme Court  —  Some justices ascend to the Supreme Court quietly, deferring to their elders and biding time before venturing out too far to offer their own views of the law.

Trump Administration Considers a Drastic Cut in Refugees Allowed to Enter U.S.  —  WASHINGTON — The White House is considering a plan that would effectively bar refugees from most parts of the world from resettling in the United States by cutting back the decades-old program that admits tens …

Republicans to scrap primaries and caucuses as Trump challengers cry foul  —  Four states are poised to cancel their 2020 GOP presidential primaries and caucuses, a move that would cut off oxygen to Donald Trump's long-shot primary challengers.  —  Republican parties in South Carolina …

'It's Kind of Like an Addiction': On the Road With Trump's Rally Diehards  —  Libby DePiero is almost always one of the first few people in line at the president's campaign events, part of the self-described group of ‘Front Row Joes’ who routinely travel to see the president perform.

Top Navy SEAL admiral fires entire leadership team of SEAL Team 7  —  The top admiral in charge of Naval Special Warfare has fired the entire leadership team of SEAL Team 7 over a “breakdown of good order and discipline,” a spokeswoman for Naval Special Warfare Command told Task & Purpose on Friday.

Alabama Dean Resigns After Conservative Snowflakes Publicize His Old Tweets  —  Fainting-couch conservatism strikes again: A University of Alabama dean of students is out of a job after conservative media dug up some of his old tweets.  —  Jamie Riley had dared to criticize the American flag and the police …

James Mattis Doesn't Want to Talk About the President  —  Jim Mattis has been everywhere this week, and nowhere at all.  Over the past several days, President Trump's former Secretary of Defense has appeared on CBS, CNN, Fox, MSNBC (twice), PBS (twice), NPR, and various podcasts to hawk his new …

The Washington Post's lost summer  —  It's been a lost summer for the Washington Post.  —  From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Post had some pretty embarrassing moments.  Whether it was incorrectly stating that presidents do not deliver remarks on the Fourth of July, ignoring speeches by Presidents Reagan …

Bloomberg Law tried to suppress its erroneous Labor Dept. story  —  News organizations commonly request that their staffers promote their stories on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms.  And why not — the idea, after all, is to secure a large audience for the scoops and analysis in which the outlet takes such pride.

Dare We Dream of the End of the G.O.P.?  —  In a new book, the pollster Stanley Greenberg predicts a blue tidal wave in 2020.  —  Toward the end of his new book, “R.I.P. G.O.P.,” the renowned Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg makes a thrilling prediction, delivered with the certainty of prophecy.

Can Jared's millennial ‘mini-me’ bring peace to the Middle East?  —  Thirty-year-old Avi Berkowitz has landed a very big job.  —  Before his promotion this week to a leading role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, 30-year-old Avi Berkowitz filled a number of odd jobs in the West Wing.

Eric Trump Encounters Journalism, Is Confused  —  The manipulation of journalism is perhaps Donald Trump's only real talent.  His career was created by deceiving the media into presenting him as a budding tycoon when he had done almost nothing in business.  He used the media to reinflate …

Bari Weiss' New Book on Anti-Semitism Talks About the Left the Way Anti-Semites Talk About Jews  —  Here are a few things that a journalist might want to do if she were attempting to write a good and worthwhile book titled How to Fight Anti-Semitism.  —  The journalist could carefully explore …

Mitch McConnell sinks to new lows in enabling Trump's corruption  —  The diversion of military funds to pay for President Trump's border wall obsession — which is taking money away from more than 100 military projects around the country, just as a junkie's habit might take money from the grocery kitty …

The Real Donald Trump Is a Character on TV  —  Understand that, and you'll understand who he is and what he's doing in the White House.  —  Mr. Poniewozik is the chief television critic of The Times and the author of “Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television and the Fracturing of America.”

Exclusive: Feds Order Apple And Google To Hand Over Names Of 10,000+ Users Of A Gun Scope App  —  Own a rifle?  Got a scope to go with it?  The government might soon know who you are, where you live and how to reach you.  —  That's because Apple and Google have been ordered by the U.S. government …

Bolton-Pompeo relationship hits new low as foreign policy tests mount  —  Washington (CNN)Long-simmering tensions between top figures on President Donald Trump's national security team have devolved into all-out hostility, creating a deep disconnect between staffers on the National Security Council …

Donald Trump Was “Colluding” with Roger Stone on Four Different Direct Lines  —  The parties in the Roger Stone trial just released some pre-trial documents that include a stipulation for a bunch of emails and phone numbers that will be discussed at trial.  (I'm not linking them because they're not redacted.)

‘You need to ask first’: Iowa teacher blasts Biden for grabbing her hands when she asked him a question  —  CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Joe Biden left an Iowa teacher unimpressed with his canned response to her question about collective bargaining, but what she resented more was how he abruptly seized her hands and clung onto them.

Justice Department Launches Antitrust Probe Into Four Auto Makers  —  Government seeks to determine if Ford, Honda, BMW, VW violated competition law by agreeing with each other to follow emissions standards beyond those proposed by Trump administration  —  WASHINGTON—The Justice Department …

Sohrab Ahmari Is a Joke  —  Not too long ago, Sohrab Ahmari, the editor of the New York Post op-ed page, wrote a jeremiad against National Review's David French, succinctly titled “Against David French-ism.”  At its core, it was an argument not only that French was too nice but that he embodied …

Trump may have committed tax fraud by fabricating a loan to avoid paying income taxes on nearly $50 million  — A bombshell investigation by Mother Jones found that President Donald Trump may have invented a loan to avoid paying income taxes on nearly $50 million.

A hurricane and a tweetstorm  —  Listen 55 min MORE  —  Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas and battered the Carolinas, but what dominated the news cycle?  President Trump's insistence that Alabama would “most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated” by the hurricane.

Trophy hunter who paid $400G for rhino kill allowed to import remains by Trump admin  —  The Trump administration has issued two permits to import black rhinos.  The Obama administration issued three starting in 2013.  —  WASHINGTON — The Trump administration says it will issue a permit …

Trump Has Make-Up Meeting With David Bossie  —  The former top aide was on the outs after reports of self-dealing.  But he and the president met privately and have made up.... For now.  —  Donald Trump has made up—for now—with David Bossie, his former top 2016 campaign aide who was recently exiled …

Mike Pence will get nothing for his humiliation  —  Vice President Mike Pence is the rare servant who pays his master.  —  This week he visited Ireland, where he stayed at one of President Trump's properties, the Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Doonbeg.