NOAA staff warned in Sept. 1 directive against contradicting Trump  —  Nearly a week before the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration publicly backed President Trump over its own scientists, a top NOAA official warned its staff against contradicting the president.

‘The Trumps will be a dynasty that lasts for decades’  —  INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — With their dominance dissolved in once-storied bastions like Orange County and ranks reduced to third party status, California Republicans this weekend gathered to reboot and forge strategy for a 2020 comeback …

Trump Says He Canceled Secret Camp David Talks With the Taliban  — Taliban leaders, president of Afghanistan were to be present  — Trump had sought in-person meetings after Bolton raised doubts  —  President Donald Trump said Saturday that he canceled a secret meeting …

Warren and Clinton talk behind the scenes as 2020 race intensifies  —  Analysis: Neither camp wants to talk about it, but the two women have recently grown closer.  —  WASHINGTON — Elizabeth Warren's team doesn't want to talk about Hillary Clinton, but that doesn't mean the 2020 presidential candidate …

Suffolk/Globe poll finds Kennedy leading Markey in possible Senate primary matchup  —  Buoyed by youth and a dynastic name, Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III would hold an immediate edge over Senator Edward J. Markey should the 38-year-old congressman launch a primary challenge to the seasoned incumbent …

Checking In at Trump Hotels, for Kinship (and Maybe Some Sway)  —  To ethics lawyers, the most extraordinary aspect of the daily merging of President Trump's official duties and his commercial interests is that it has now become almost routine.  —  WASHINGTON — At a table in the lobby bar …

Amber Rudd quits government over Johnson's Brexit stance  —  Amber Rudd has quit the cabinet and surrendered the Conservative whip saying she cannot “stand by” while “moderate Conservatives are expelled”.  —  The work and pensions secretary said she no longer believed leaving the EU with a deal was the government's “main objective”.

Director of M.I.T.'s Media Lab Resigns After Outcry Over Jeffrey Epstein Ties  —  The director of M.I.T.'s prestigious Media Lab stepped down on Saturday after an outcry over his financial ties with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, whose contributions to the proudly contrarian lab roiled and divided its members.

Something Strange Is Going On With All Those Retiring Texans  —  A wave of G.O.P. House members leaving Congress is a political opportunity for hungry Democrats.  —  Mr. Hooks is a journalist who writes about politics for Texas Monthly and The Texas Observer.

‘Joker’ Wins Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival, Roman Polanski Takes Runner-Up Prize  —  Todd Phillips' dark supervillain origin story “Joker” has come up trumps at the Venice Film Festival, taking the Golden Lion from a jury headed by Argentine auteur Lucrecia Martel.

Buttigieg's Brother-In-Law Tells Him To ‘Repent’ For Using Bible To Justify His Abortion Views  —  Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's evangelical brother-in-law says the South Bend, Indiana mayor needs to “repent” for finding a false Biblical basis to justify his abortion views.

Military Stopover at Scottish Airport Sometimes Includes a Stay at a Trump Resort  —  WASHINGTON — United States military personnel have occasionally stayed at the Trump Turnberry golf resort in Scotland while Defense Department planes stop over and refuel at the nearby airport …

Bernie Sanders Trots Out Linda Sarsour As A Campaign Surrogate  —  Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders enlisted the services of far-left activist Linda Sarsour to campaign for him this week as he seeks the Democratic presidential nomination. … Sarsour has come under fire for her harsh criticism …

Immigration agents arrest Houston father and community activist lauded by the city after he invited ICE to a town hall  —  Roland Gramajo organized a community town hall in Sharpstown last month to allay residents' fears after a tense few weeks this summer when President Donald Trump's promises …

Gabbard: Impeachment would only tear U.S. apart  —  Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) said in a new interview that she opposes an effort by dozens of House Democrats for an impeachment inquiry into the president, saying it would cause further divisions within the U.S.

Lindsey Graham jets off to Europe as Hurricane Dorian batters his state of South Carolina  —  As Hurricane Dorian brought flooding and power outages to South Carolina, the state's senior senator was nowhere in sight.  Instead, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was 5,000 miles away visiting Croatia and Montenegro …

Is China Trying to Elect a Democrat?  —  For the last three years, Democrats have obsessed over Russia's relatively trivial participation in the 2016 election.  But if they have any concern about China's reported interest in 2020, they haven't shown it.  Why?