Biden Builds Polling Lead in Battleground States, With Strength Among White Voters  —  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

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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

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.

Poll Shows Trump Dragging Down G.O.P. Senate Candidates  —  Tomorrow: How voters see Mr. Biden's possible vice presidential choices.

Defense Secretary Faces White House Pressure on Aides and a Military Promotion  —  Senior Defense Department personnel who are perceived as White House critics are resigning or facing what is viewed as reprisal.  —  WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is facing a hemorrhage of talent …

The Far Right Establishes Autonomous Zone Safe Space App Parler  —  ‘Free Speech!’ cry the snowflakes seeking a place to vent about their triggered feelings.  —  Twitter will “soon fade into a little cry room for the leftists babies who need a safe space from words,” user Snyderart tweeted …

The Supreme Court just allowed Trump's expansion of deportations to go unchecked  —  President Donald Trump visits the US-Mexico border fence in Otay Mesa, California, on September 18, 2019.  Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images  —  Asylum seekers now have little recourse to challenge fast-tracked deportations.

The 6 Trump Bombshells Still Waiting to Explode  —  We have known since nearly the beginning of Donald Trump's presidency that he believes his first attorney general was a dangerous idiot.  We have known for nearly as long that his first secretaries of state and defense think the same thing about Trump.

Why NASCAR's Bubba Wallace says he'll take embarrassment over the alternative  —  The 43 car driver thanked NASCAR and FBI for taking threat seriously.  —  After “an emotional few days,” NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace addressed his followers on Twitter Wednesday after the FBI investigation concluded …

The head of US broadcasting is leaning toward pro-Trump propaganda.  Biden would fire him.  —  Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign exclusively told Vox he plans to fire US Agency for Global Media CEO Michael Pack if Biden becomes president.  —  If Joe Biden wins the presidency …

Threats and racist tirades against Sen. Tim Scott increasing  —  Editor's note: This story contains disturbing language.  —  (CNN)GOP Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has seen an uptick in racist and profanity-laced voicemails at his office since becoming the lead Republican on police reform legislation …

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 …

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.”

Trump's pick for Manhattan U.S. attorney refuses to say he would recuse from probes of president's associates  —  President Trump's nominee to take over the Manhattan federal prosecutors office after the abrupt dismissal of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman refused on Thursday to say whether …

Bank stocks surge after regulators ease Volcker Rule, JPMorgan Chase climbs 2%  — U.S. banking regulators are about to ease restrictions created in the aftermath of the Great Recession, a development that sent bank stocks surging.  — FDIC officials said they are loosening the restrictions …

The Temptation of Kayleigh McEnany  —  Kayleigh McEnany marched past a graffiti-covered wall and black metal security barriers, her signature cross necklace dangling above her double-breasted navy blazer.  She watched as President Donald Trump held a Bible aloft in front of St. John's Episcopal Church.

The Dixie Chicks Change Their Name, Dropping the ‘Dixie’  —  The platinum-selling country trio will be known as the Chicks, the latest example of sweeping cultural changes brought on by nationwide protests spotlighting racial inequality.  —  The Dixie Chicks are now the Chicks.

‘Faces of the conquerors’: Trump trip to Rushmore draws fire  —  SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — President Donald Trump's plans to kick off Independence Day with a showy display at Mount Rushmore are drawing sharp criticism from Native Americans who view the monument as a desecration of land violently stolen …

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 …

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 …

White House meetings on Israeli annexations end with no decision  —  Discussions at the White House on the Trump administration's plan on how to handle possible Israeli annexations in the West Bank ended with no final decision, a U.S. official told me.  —  Why it matters: The fact …

In Racist Screed, NYT's 1619 Project Founder Calls ‘White Race’ ‘Barbaric Devils,’ ‘Bloodsuckers,’ Columbus ‘No Different Than Hitler’  —  In an indication of what was to come, the founder of the New York Times' 1619 Project penned a lengthy racist screed attacking all white people in 1995.

Moscow Held Back Dirt So It Could Slime President Hillary  —  “They fully expected Hillary Clinton to become president, and [the Russians] wanted to have bullets they could use during her presidential term,” John Brennan said.  —  BEAST INSIDE  —  After four years, 34 indictments …