Biden allies wage shadow campaign to stop Kamala Harris from becoming vice president  — A group of Biden allies, including a few of his top donors, initiated a campaign against Harris close to a month ago, just weeks before a decision is expected.  — The concerns focus on her attacks …

Louie Gohmert, who refused to wear a mask, tests positive for coronavirus  —  Rep. Louie Gohmert — a Texas Republican who has been walking around the Capitol without a mask — has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to multiple sources.  —  Gohmert was scheduled to fly to Texas …

As Trump Undercuts Aid Talks, White House Says Extra Jobless Benefits Will Lapse  —  President Trump signaled that he was not interested in a broad economic recovery package that would have to be negotiated with Democrats, saying he preferred a narrower plan.

ESPN investigation finds coaches at NBA China academies complained of player abuse, lack of schooling  —  LONG BEFORE AN October tweet in support of Hong Kong protesters spotlighted the NBA's complicated relationship with China, the league faced complaints from its own employees …

Turning Point USA co-founder dies of coronavirus-related complications  —  The co-founder of conservative student group Turning Point USA, Bill Montgomery, has died from complications of the coronavirus, according to two friends of his.  —  Montgomery, who started it in 2012 …

Some Never Trumpers Are Becoming Never Republicans  —  But others in the GOP who have consistently opposed the president will help rebuild the party.  —  “Never Trump” is a house divided.  Some of the conservatives and former Republicans who oppose President Donald Trump have decided …

Federal Tactical Teams to Withdraw From Portland, Governor Says  —  Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon said the teams that have clashed with protesters will begin a withdrawal on Thursday.  The Oregon State Police will help secure the federal courthouse.  —  Federal tactical teams that have clashed …

Pelosi endorses Rep. Tlaib in primary fight, moves to help members of the ‘Squad’  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is moving to help two members of the so-called “Squad” who suddenly find themselves facing difficult primaries.  —  Pelosi endorsed freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib on Wednesday …

A Congressman Asked Mark Zuckerberg Why Facebook Censored Donald Trump Jr., but That Was Twitter  —  If members of Congress intend to smear the CEOs of various tech companies as censors, monopolists, and thieves, you might expect the politicians to at least keep their accusations straight.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after bile duct procedure  —  The 87-year-old justice underwent a “minimally invasive” procedure in New York.  —  Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who recently announced that she is battling a recurrence of liver cancer …

Barr says he won't wait until after election to reveal Durham's findings.  Democrats fear a campaign-altering surprise.  —  Attorney General William P. Barr reiterated this week that he will not wait until after November's election to release whatever U.S. Attorney John Durham finds …

The bewildering bombardment of Bill Barr  —  Attorney General William Barr's seemingly interminable testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday demonstrated two things.  First, AG Barr is the most patient and unflappable man in Alpha Centauri.

Trump Plays on Racist Fears of Terrorized Suburbs to Court White Voters  —  President Trump painted a false picture of suburbs under siege, saying he was protecting them from the perils of low-income housing, as he seeks to win over white voters who were key to his 2016 victory.

Teachers Are Wary of Returning to Class, and Online Instruction Too  —  Unions are threatening to strike if classrooms reopen, but are also pushing to limit live remote teaching.  Their demands will shape pandemic education.  —  As the nation heads toward a chaotic back-to-school season …

USPS Plans to Slash Hours at Many Post Offices, Hoping to Save A Buck  —  “If I can't make it to the post office,” one local union rep for postal workers said, “I'm not going to use the post office.”  —  Aaron Gordon  —  Post offices around the country are slashing their hours …

More Than 6,300 Coronavirus Cases Have Been Linked to U.S. Colleges  —  As college students and professors decide whether to head back to class, and as universities weigh how and whether to reopen, the coronavirus is already on campus.  —  A New York Times survey of every public four-year college …

GOP Rep. Asks Google Chief: Why Are My Campaign's Emails Going to My Dad's Spam Folder?  —  SIGH  —  During Wednesday's House hearing with the CEOs of four Big Tech companies, Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) used his five minutes of questioning time to ask Google CEO Sundar Pichai to troubleshoot his dad's Gmail account.

Madonna's Instagram flagged for spreading coronavirus misinformation  —  The singer claimed a vaccine had been found but was being concealed to ‘let the rich get richer’  —  Instagram has deleted a post by Madonna in which the pop star shared a coronavirus conspiracy theory with her 15 million followers.

Welcome back to Texas, Mr. President.  We need to talk.  —  Welcome back to Texas, President Trump.  —  We wish you the best on your visit Wednesday to Midland, the one-time home of former Presidents George H.W. and George W. Bush, both West Texas wildcatters in their younger days.

Why Seth Rogen's Anti-Israel Rant Matters  —  He overlooks the reasons Israel was founded in the first place, and what makes it unique today.  —  You probably won't be surprised to learn that Seth Rogen has, at best, a facile understanding of basic history, faith, or politics.  We shouldn't expect anything else.

Lindsey Graham campaign ad features image of opponent with digitally altered darker skin tone  —  (CNN)Sen. Lindsey Graham's reelection campaign posted an advertisement to Facebook earlier this month featuring a digitally altered image of his opponent — who is Black — with a darker skin tone.

Irregularities in COVID Reporting Contract Award Process Raises New Questions  —  Toggle more options  —  An NPR investigation has found irregularities in the process by which the Trump administration awarded a multi-million dollar contract to a Pittsburgh company to collect key data about Covid-19 from the country's hospitals.