The Scandal of Trump's China Policy  —  The president pleaded with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for domestic political help, subordinated national-security issues to his own reelection prospects and ignored Beijing's human-rights abuses  —  U.S. strategy toward the People's Republic of China …

Arizona Sheriff Who Refused to Enforce Lockdown Now Has COVID-19  —  INFECTED  —  A month ago, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb said he would not enforce Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order because he thought the lockdown had gone on long enough.  Now, Lamb is revealing …

Impeachment casts shadow over Army officer's promotion  —  An Army officer's promotion is in jeopardy over what some officials fear could be White House retaliation for his role in last year's impeachment inquiry, raising the possibility that President Trump might again intervene in military affairs …

‘Wednesday night massacre’ as Trump appointee takes over at global media agency  —  New York (CNN Business)The heads of four organizations overseen by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) were all dismissed Wednesday night — a move likely to heighten concerns that new Trump-appointed CEO Michael Pack means …

Does Trump Want to Fight for a Second Term?  His Self-Sabotage Worries Aides  —  Advisers and allies say the president's repeated acts of self-destruction have significantly damaged his re-election prospects, and yet he appears mostly unable, or unwilling, to curtail them.

Blackface incident at Post cartoonist's 2018 Halloween party resurfaces amid protests  —  Every year, Tom Toles's Halloween party draws an eclectic mix — journalists and political types from Washington's power elite, but also artists and musicians, everyone from retirees to college kids …

Half brother of Palmdale hanging victim Robert Fuller is fatally shot by deputies  —  The half brother of Robert Fuller, a young Black man who was found hanging from a tree in Palmdale last week, was shot dead by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies during a shootout Wednesday afternoon in Kern County …

Jean Kennedy Smith, last surviving sibling of JFK, dies  —  NEW YORK — Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving sibling of President John F. Kennedy and a former ambassador to Ireland, died Wednesday, her daughter confirmed to The New York Times.  She was 92.  —  Smith died at her home in Manhattan, her daughter Kym told the Times.

Our New Polling Averages Show Biden Leads Trump By 9 Points Nationally  —  Today we launched our general election polling averages, nationally and for all states with a sufficient number of polls.  Recent polls show former Vice President Joe Biden with a solid lead over President Trump nationally, and in most swing states.

Black Teenage Boy Found Hanged Outside Houston Elementary School: Report  —  Houston Police said a black teenage boy was found hanged outside an elementary school, reported the Houston Chronicle.  —  The boy was found in a remote corner on Ehrhardt Elementary School property in Spring …

The Coming Urban Exodus  —  Failing progressive governance is making daily life too chaotic and stressful in many U.S. cities.  —  In his speech last weekend to the graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, President Trump said something with which, in normal times, few would disagree …

The Kentucky Senate primary showcases the 2 theories of how to beat Mitch McConnell  —  Amy McGrath is facing a competitive challenger in Charles Booker.  Both Democrats have an uphill battle to topple McConnell.  —  Two years ago, retired Marine Corps fighter pilot Amy McGrath …

10 Problematic Films That Could Use Warning Labels  —  It's now widely accepted that despite being a beloved classic, “Gone With the Wind” needs an explanation of its context when it's screened on TV or in theaters.  HBO Max says it will eventually restore the Oscar-winning film to the service, but with “context and framing.”

Uncle Ben's rice to change brand as part of parent company's stance against racism  —  The parent company of Uncle Ben's rice said Wednesday that “now was the right time to evolve” the brand, including visually, but did not release details of what exactly would change or when.

Joe Biden Begins First General Election TV Ad Blitz  —  The $15 million advertising effort will target six fall battlegrounds, all states that President Trump carried in 2016.  —  Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is making his first television ad buy of the general election …

LGBTQ immigrants are waiting on another possibly life-changing decision from the Supreme Court  —  Three immigrants on identifying as LGBTQ, living with DACA status, and the change they're seeking.  —  For José Alonso Muñoz, the prospect of coming out as queer to his friends …

COVID-19 modeling site: Michigan one of three states ‘on track to contain’ virus  —  Lansing — A national nonprofit that's been monitoring the spread of COVID-19 says Michigan is one of three states “on track to contain” the novel coronavirus, but officials still warn the fight here is far from over.

No, Trump can't defy the laws of gravity  —  Since complacency in an election involving Donald Trump is dangerous, maybe former vice president Joe Biden should be grateful for all the second-guessing being directed his way.  —  Sure, the thinking goes, Biden has a substantial lead on the president, but maybe it won't last.