Whistleblower complaint about President Trump involves Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the matter  —  A whistleblower complaint about President Trump made by an intelligence official centers on Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the matter, which has set off …

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio drops 2020 bid  —  De Blasio's bid — launched in May — ultimately lasted just over four months and was largely mocked for most of its short life.  —  New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped out of the 2020 presidential race Friday …

HUD Secretary Ben Carson makes dismissive comments about transgender people, angering agency staff  —  Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson expressed concern about “big, hairy men” trying to infiltrate women's homeless shelters during an internal meeting, according to three people present …

A Brief History of the Warren Presidency  —  A look back at American politics from the year 2050.  —  A crisis of legitimacy swept across American politics in the second decade of the 21st century.  Many people had the general conviction that the old order was corrupt and incompetent.

Trump Lawyers Argue He Cannot Be Criminally Investigated  —  The president's legal team is trying to block a subpoena seeking his tax returns, claiming that any criminal investigation of Mr. Trump is unconstitutional.  —  Lawyers for President Trump argued in a lawsuit filed on Thursday …

The Senate surrenders legislating on guns to Trump  —  The Senate is essentially outsourcing its legislative duties to a divided White House and the whims of President Donald Trump, as it makes its first sustained attempt at overhauling gun laws in years.  —  It's a clear reaction from senators …

For Trump, a Time of Indecision  —  WASHINGTON — Speaking to a Fox News reporter near the Mexican border on Wednesday, President Trump seemed taken aback when asked if the White House were preparing to roll out gun control proposals the next day, a timeline administration officials had suggested was likely.

Birds Are Vanishing From North America  —  The number of birds in the United States and Canada has declined by 3 billion, or 29 percent, over the past half-century, scientists find.  —  The skies are emptying out.  —  The number of birds in the United States and Canada has fallen by 29 percent since 1970 …

Black Leaders Condemn Attacks by Sanders Supporters Amid Fallout From WFP's Warren Endorsement  —  In a draft letter obtained by Splinter on Thursday, dozens of prominent black progressive leaders condemned the “hateful, violent, and racist threats” they said have been leveled by “self-identified …

Trump appointee Darrell Issa's confirmation hearing held up because he couldn't pass the background check: report  —  Former Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) was once the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, but as of Thursday, he's no longer being considered for a position in President Donald Trump's administration.

Younger Black Voters to Their Parents: Break Up With Joe Biden, I'm Bored  —  An organic effort by black millennials and Gen Z-ers to influence their older family members may be key to overtaking Mr. Biden in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

U.S. Orders Duke and U.N.C. to Recast Tone in Mideast Studies  —  WASHINGTON — The Education Department has ordered Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to remake the Middle East studies program run jointly by the two schools after concluding that it was offering students …

Colt suspends production of AR-15 for civilian market  —  WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Gunmaker Colt says it is suspending its production of rifles for the civilian market including the popular AR-15.  —  Colt's chief executive officer, Dennis Veilleux, says it is not permanently ending production …

Democrats target over 26,000 local races to unseat Republicans  —  Contest Every Race, a new coalition of Democratic groups, is launching a seven-figure campaign to challenge Republican incumbents in 26,849 down-ballot local races, Axios has learned.  —  Why it matters: 2020 is more than just the presidential election.

Donald Trump's Approval Rating Surpasses Obama's, Not Just on Rasmussen Reports  —  President Donald Trump's job approval rating this week averaged across major polls surpassed that of his predecessor President Barack Obama at the same time eight years ago, giving some actual good news to Trump …

Trump officials considering plan to divert billions of dollars in additional funds for border barrier  —  Senior Trump administration officials are considering a plan to again divert billions of dollars in military funding to pay for border barrier construction next year …

U.S. Marine unit wants to hold annual ball at presidential venue: Trump's Mar-a-Lago club  —  At a time when taxpayer and foreign-government spending at Trump Organization properties is fueling political battles, a U.S. Marine Corps reserve unit stationed in South Florida hopes to hold …

Secret F.B.I. Subpoenas Scoop Up Personal Data From Scores of Companies  —  The F.B.I. has used secret subpoenas to obtain personal data from far more companies than previously disclosed, newly released documents show.  —  The requests, which the F.B.I. says are critical to its counterterrorism efforts …

Attorney General Barr once lauded ‘masterful’ book that criticizes campus sexual assault investigations  —  William P. Barr penned a strong endorsement of a book published in 2017 that alleges colleges were unfairly finding students guilty of sexual misconduct amid a national outcry about campus rape.

DNC set to squeeze Dem debate stage again  —  As Democratic presidential candidates barrel into the fall, they are still waiting for the party to write the rules for the most important events of the campaign.  —  The candidates are bracing for another round of strict new debate criteria …

“It Won't End Well”: Trump and His Obscure New National-Security Chief  —  Flattery will get you everywhere with Donald Trump.  The President demonstrated this powerfully on Wednesday, when he named the State Department's little-known hostage negotiator, Robert O'Brien …

Why They'll Never Stop Targeting Kavanaugh  —  The continuing assault reflects both a fixation and an effort to deprive the court of its legitimacy.  —  Here are the reasons, in no certain order, that the accusations against Justice Brett Kavanaugh will never stop and his foes on the progressive left never let up.

‘We were wrong’: Koch network to change strategy against Trump's trade war after ad campaign falls short  —  KEY POINTS  — The political network funded in part by billionaire libertarian Charles Koch is going to try a new strategy against President Donald Trump's trade war with China …

House Judiciary Committee weighs holding Lewandowski in contempt  —  (CNN)The House Judiciary Committee is preparing to take initial steps to potentially hold former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in contempt over his refusal to answer questions at this week's hearing before the panel, multiple sources tell CNN.