Jeffrey Epstein Confidante Ghislaine Maxwell Arrested, Sources Say  —  Maxwell was accused in a civil suit of allegedly helping Epstein traffic underage girls; he died by suicide awaiting trial last year  —  Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite and heiress who became a confidante …

His troops have suffered a very different fate.  —  Only a few hours had passed since President Trump pardoned 1st Lt. Clint Lorance and the men of 1st Platoon were still trying to make sense of how it was even possible.  —  How could a man they blamed for ruining their lives …

More Voters Rule Out Trump Than Biden  —  Mixed results on who has presidential ‘stamina’  —  West Long Branch, NJ - Half of the nation's electorate says they have ruled out voting for Donald Trump in November, while 4 in 10 say the same about Joe Biden.  Biden currently holds a 12 point lead …

Herman Cain Hospitalized With COVID-19  —  Newsmax TV contributor Herman Cain was admitted to a hospital Wednesday and is being treated for COVID-19.  —  The former Republican presidential candidate is doing well and is not on a ventilator, his staff tells Newsmax.

Afghan Contractor Handed Out Russian Cash to Kill Americans, Officials Say  —  A small-time businessman became a key middleman for bounties on coalition troops in Afghanistan, U.S. intelligence reports say.  Friends saw him grow rich, but didn't know how.  —  KABUL, Afghanistan …

Supreme Court will hear arguments over Mueller's secret evidence, a delay for House Democrats investigating President Trump  —  The Supreme Court on Thursday dealt a significant blow to House Democrats' efforts to have access to secret grand jury material from Robert S. Mueller III's investigation …

In the Covid-19 Economy, You Can Have a Kid or a Job.  You Can't Have Both.  —  Our struggle is not an emotional concern.  We are not burned out.  We are being crushed by an economy that has bafflingly declared working parents inessential.  —  Last week, I received an email from my children's principal …

You, yes you, are subject to Hong Kong's new security law  —  On Wednesday, the sun arose over Victoria Harbour in a Hong Kong that remains beautiful and rich, but at this moment, no longer self-governing.  The day before saw the passage of a breathtakingly broad State Security Law …

Jeff Sessions Just Told Us Who He Is  —  The Senate candidate tells his version of the Obama beer summit story.  —  It's not often that a man who has spent three and a half decades in public life opens a window into his truest self.  But that's what Jeff Sessions did in the course of a New York Times profile.

Democratic ad makers think they've discovered Trump's soft spot  —  Donald Trump wasn't halfway through his speech in Tulsa, Okla., and Democratic ad makers in Washington and New York were already cutting footage for an air raid on the slumping president.  —  They didn't focus …

Trump's pick for ambassador involved in racist smear against black politician  —  President Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Norway is facing demands that he abandon his pursuit of the diplomatic post following the unearthing of a 1994 court filing indicating his involvement in the production …

China Never Reported Existence of Coronavirus to World Health Organization  —  WHO backtracks on original claim that China self-reported, admits this never happened  —  Contrary to claims from both Chinese officials and the World Health Organization, China did not report the existence …

Zuckerberg Tells Facebook Staff He Expects Advertisers to Return ‘Soon Enough’  —  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees he was reluctant to bow to the threats of a growing ad boycott, saying in private remarks that “my guess is that all these advertisers will be back on the platform soon enough.”

White House Directed Hiring of Conspiracy Theorist Over Pentagon Objections  —  The White House wants fired National Security Council aide Rich Higgins hired for a senior Defense position.  —  The White House directed Defense Department officials to hire a former National Security Council staffer fired …

Feds arrest ‘ringleader’ in attack on Andrew Jackson statue by White House  —  Jason Charter was arrested at his residence Thursday morning, sources say  —  Federal law enforcement officials on Thursday arrested a man in Washington they call a “ringleader” in the recent attempt to destroy …

Young people are throwing coronavirus parties with a payout when one gets infected, official says  —  (CNN)Some young people in Alabama are throwing Covid-19 parties, a disturbing competition where people who have coronavirus attend and the first person to get infected receives a payout, local officials said.

More than 40 Bay Area school principals in quarantine after in-person meeting  —  More than 40 school principals in the South Bay are in quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19 during an in-person meeting held by the Santa Clara County Unified School District.

He Built a Privately Funded Border Wall.  It's Already at Risk of Falling Down if Not Fixed.  —  Trump supporters funded a private border wall on the banks of the Rio Grande, helping the builder secure $1.7 billion in federal contracts.  Now the “Lamborghini” of border walls is in danger …

Oregon State Police don't wear coronavirus masks while patronizing coffee shop, despite governor's order  —  A group of Oregon State Police troopers appeared to defy Gov. Kate Brown's statewide mask order while in uniform Wednesday, entering a Corvallis coffee shop without wearing required face coverings …

Donald Trump Is All Done Caring  —  His only reason for getting re-elected is so that he can keep having rallies.  —  The presidency is no fun.  Thomas Jefferson called it “a painful and thankless office” and said it brought him “nothing but unceasing drudgery and daily loss of friends.”

CHOP Made Seattle Look Like a Real City  —  At around 4:00 p.m. on June 28, here I am walking down the stretch of 13th Avenue between Pike and Pine.  My destination is around the corner.  My thoughts are completely disconnected from my surroundings.  I'm thinking about Hannah Arendt.

The U.S. Is Lagging Behind Many Rich Countries.  These Charts Show Why.  —  The United States is different.  In nearly every other high-income country, people have both become richer over the last three decades and been able to enjoy substantially longer lifespans.  —  But not in the United States.

Trump administration hires tech firm to build a virtual border wall, an idea Democrats have praised  —  The Trump administration has awarded a major border security contract to a California technology start-up that will use artificial intelligence on an unprecedented scale …

The U.S. job market is still in very bad shape.  Just wait until the fiscal time bomb goes off.  —  In June the U.S. economy added 4.8 million payroll jobs, which is of course great news for those newly hired.  Unfortunately, it means diddly squat for those still out of work.

Gun Demand Is Off the Charts in America  — Smith & Wesson, Sturm Ruger rally on consumer buying spree  — Background checks for firearms rise to record in June  —  U.S. consumers are rushing to buy guns as the Covid-19 pandemic and protests over police brutality combine …

The House: Democratic Murmurings in the Texas Suburbs - and Elsewhere  —  11 rating changes, most in favor of Democrats  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — Joe Biden's currently strong lead in the presidential race is being felt in the suburbs, which if it lasts could imperil Republicans in some of their formerly dark red turf.