Showing Strength With White Voters, Biden Builds Lead in Battleground States  —  NYT UPSHOT/  —  SIENA COLLEGE POLL  —  Joe Biden holds a strong lead among registered voters in six battleground states carried by Donald Trump in 2016.  —  2016 Result NYT/Siena  —  Michigan  —  Trump

Why Did the Washington Post Get This Woman Fired?  —  Last week, when Sue Schafer learned that the Washington Post planned to publish a story about one of the dumbest things she had ever done, she had the same question that many readers would have about the resulting 3,000-word article …

The coronavirus surge is real, and it's everywhere  —  The coronavirus pandemic is getting dramatically worse in almost every corner of the U.S.  —  The big picture: The U.S. today is getting closer to the worst-case scenario envisioned in the spring — a nationwide crisis …

She Wanted to Be a Republican President.  She's Voting for Biden.  —  Republicans who say Donald Trump should lose in November but insist they won't vote for Joe Biden aren't being honest, Carly Fiorina argues.  —  Fiorina was a Republican candidate for president just four years ago …

How the Virus Won  —  Invisible outbreaks sprang up everywhere.  The United States ignored the warning signs.  We analyzed travel patterns, hidden infections and genetic data to show how the epidemic spun out of control.  —  Invisible outbreaks sprang up everywhere.  The United States ignored the warning signs.

Trump Brother Was in ICU Just Before Filing Suit Over Tell-All  —  Robert Trump, Donald's younger brother, spent at least 10 days in a neuro intensive care unit just before launching legal action to stop the publication of his niece's book.  —  Robert Trump, Donald's younger brother …

Trump won't follow New Jersey quarantine mandate during upcoming trip  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump will not abide by a new travel advisory in New Jersey requiring a quarantine period for visitors from coronavirus hotspots when he visits his Bedminster golf club this weekend.

The 3 most populous states are breaking coronavirus records, leading to fears of ‘apocalyptic’ surges  —  (CNN)The three most populous states set records for new coronavirus cases daily and there are fears of “apocalyptic” surges in major Texas cities if the trend continues.

Dozens of Secret Service officers and agents told to self-quarantine after Trump's Tulsa rally  —  Dozens of Secret Service officers and agents who were on site for President Trump's rally in Tulsa last week were ordered to self-quarantine after two of their colleagues tested positive …

U.S. Marshals told to prepare to help protect monuments nationwide as Trump targets people who vandalize structures during protests  —  U.S. Marshals have been told they should prepare to help protect national monuments across the country, according to an email directive viewed by The Washington Post …

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice forces out top health official, questions accuracy of coronavirus data amid outbreaks  —  CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice forced out the commissioner of his public health bureau on Wednesday, hours after he publicly questioned the accuracy …

Trump's Sagging Popularity Drags Down Republican Senate Candidates  —  A New York Times/Siena College poll paints a grim picture for Republicans in three states as voters shun candidates aligned with President Trump.  —  What Tuesday's Unresolved Elections Reveal About Voting in November

NYC to paint ‘Black Lives Matter’ in front of Trump Tower  —  The city is planning to paint the words “Black Lives Matter” in bold letters right in front of Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan.  —  “The president is a disgrace to the values we cherish in New York City,” Julia Arredondo …

Trump team looks to prevent a Tulsa-style debacle in Jacksonville  —  President Donald Trump wasn't the only one thrown off course by a lower-than-expected turnout at his comeback rally in Tulsa.  —  Republican officials and Trump campaign aides, some of whom have been working since last year …

Treasury sent more than 1 million coronavirus stimulus payments to dead people, congressional watchdog finds  —  The checks sent to dead people as of April 30 totaled nearly $1.4 billion, according to the Government Accountability Office  —  The federal government sent coronavirus stimulus payments …

NASA will name its headquarters after Mary W. Jackson, the agency's first African American female engineer  —  (CNN)NASA is renaming its headquarters after Mary W. Jackson, the agency's first African American female engineer who helped inspire the story behind the book and film “Hidden Figures.”

All the worrisome things happening at the DOJ could be just the tip of the iceberg  —  To adapt the famous Watergate query to this moment, what don't we know about the Justice Department, and why don't we know it?  The answers are, in turn: probably a lot.  And: because Attorney General William P. Barr …

New research explores how conservative media misinformation may have intensified the severity of the pandemic  —  The three studies paint a picture of a media ecosystem that entertains conspiracy theories and discourages audiences from taking steps to protect themselves and others

Conservative Principles Never Require You to Submit to Tyranny  —  There's a basic rule that far too many conservatives ignore: if some alleged conservative principle makes you less free, then it's not a good conservative principle and you should toss it in the trash.

MSNBC Expected to Tap Joy Reid to Anchor Daily News and Opinion Program  —  Current host of ‘AM Joy’ would fill 7 p.m. time slot vacated by Chris Matthews  —  MSNBC is expected to tap political analyst Joy Reid to anchor a 7 p.m. daily news and opinion program, people familiar with the matter said …

Here's The Good COVID-19 News That's Being Buried By The Press  —  Once again, the U.S. is undergoing a media-driven COVID-19 scare after a “spike” in infections.  But as we noted earlier this week, the number of cases depends on the amount of testing.  The key gauge to watch is deaths.

Black Americans say racism, policing top issues for November, favor Biden by huge margin, Post-Ipsos poll finds  —  Black Americans say racism and police conduct are the most important issues in their choice of candidates for president, are sharply critical of President Trump on both matters …

Can We Call Trump a Killer?  —  There is no way to remove his culpability in the neglectful handling of the coronavirus.  —  The coronavirus pandemic is still raging in this country.  In fact, in more than 20 states, the number of cases is rising.  More than 120,000 Americans have died from the virus.

3 North Carolina police officers fired over racist rants  —  WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Three members of a North Carolina police department have been fired after a department audit of a video recording captured one of the officers saying a civil war was necessary to wipe Black people off the map and that he was ready.

The dirty secret behind Ben Shapiro's extraordinary success on Facebook  —  Founder of The Daily Wire, Ben Shapiro.  (MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)  —  The success of The Daily Wire, the website run by right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro, on Facebook is mind-boggling.

Trump is headlining fireworks at Mount Rushmore.  Experts worry two things could spread: virus and wildfire.  —  National Park Service and local fire marshal officials have warned for years about dangers in resuming fireworks at the memorial  —  President Trump is planning a massive fireworks display …

Florida's Idiocracy  —  Come and witness the wisdom of The People.  —  In the 2006 movie, Idiocracy, Mike Judge imagined “a dystopian world where commercialism has run rampant, mankind has embraced anti-intellectualism, and society is devoid of such traits as intellectual curiosity, social responsibility, justice, and human rights.”

The U.S. Military Has a Boogaloo Problem  —  The U.S. military appears to have a brewing boogaloo problem.  Active-duty military are flocking to online networks frequented by the anti-government movement, known for its meme culture and Hawaiian shirt-clad adherents, who are often called Boogaloo Bois.

Stocks fall for a second day on continuing virus concern, worse-than-expected jobless claims  —  Stocks fell for a second day on Thursday following the release of disappointing unemployment data while traders grappled with a rising number of coronavirus cases.  —  The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 101 points lower, or 0.4%.

Firefighters Union Chief With Ties to Democratic Leaders Is Mired in Internal Financial Dispute  —  Labor leader, who is also a Biden confidant, is accused of improperly drawing on pension benefits  —  WASHINGTON—The head of a major firefighters union, a supporter of Democratic Party causes …

Twitter's Brazen 2020 Election Interference Will Eventually End In Banning Trump  —  Twitter's policies about misleading tweets and abusive behavior are deeply cynical and designed merely to censor speech Jack Dorsey doesn't like.  —  It seems clear now that Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is going to ban President Donald Trump.