Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation  —  Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.  —  Mr. Lewis, the civil rights leader who died on July 17, wrote this essay shortly before his death, to be published upon the day of his funeral.

Trump raises idea of delaying election  —  President Trump on Thursday suggested delaying the 2020 elections, something he does not have the power to do unilaterally, as he levied fresh attacks against mail-in voting.  —  Trump, who is badly trailing presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden …

U.S. economy contracted at fastest quarterly rate on record from April to June as coronavirus walloped workers, businesses  —  Data released by the Commerce Department on Thursday is another reminder of the pain felt this year as the nation went into an economic shutdown.

Colleagues feared U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert would catch COVID-19.  Sure enough, he did.  —  Gohmert's colleagues were afraid the mask-avoiding congressman from Northeast Texas might get infected with the coronavirus.  On Wednesday, their fears came true.  —  Copy link  —  WASHINGTON — It was a shock, but no surprise.

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 …

Herman Cain Dies From Coronavirus at 74  —  Herman Cain — the maverick American business czar and Republican presidential candidate who campaigned for a sweeping tax reform plan called 9-9-9 — died Thursday morning after a monthlong battle with the coronavirus.  He was 74.

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.

POLITICO Playbook: A peek inside the Playbook inbox: Boiling over with rage  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  PEOPLE IN THE CAPITOL ARE SICK AND TIRED.  —  QUITE LITERALLY.  —  SICK: THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS — the legislature for the most powerful country on Planet Earth …

He held a BLM sign in what he called 'America's most racist town.' The result?  A viral video of abuse.  —  As a gray Buick SUV approached the man holding a Black Lives Matter sign on a street in Harrison, Ark., the driver slowed down.  —  “What about White lives?” the woman in the passenger's seat yelled out.

Born-again fiscal conservatives are sign of Trump's weakening hand in Congress  —  A growing number of Senate conservatives have provided the latest sign of President Trump's weakening hand on Capitol Hill.  —  From the presidentially ambitious Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) …

The voters who are still backing Trump  —  Moderator: Here's what swing voters are saying about Trump  —  Rich Thau is the president and co-founder of the research firm Engagious, which specializes in message testing and message refinement for trade associations and advocacy groups.

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 …

Why Trump Might Quit  —  The purpose of the nationally televised Oval Office address was to announce new peace initiatives in Vietnam, but Lyndon B. Johnson saved the most startling news until the end of his speech on March 31, 1968.  With his country badly divided over a grinding war …

Senate hearing for controversial Pentagon nominee Anthony Tata canceled just before it was set to begin  —  The nomination of a retired Army general for a senior civilian position in the Trump administration was cast into doubt Thursday morning when his confirmation hearing was canceled …

Obama Unleashes on Trump Privately as He Raises $24 Million for Biden  —  Barack Obama has spoken candidly about President Trump to party donors, bringing up the sexual assault allegations against Mr. Trump and warning of his efforts to push “nativist, racist, sexist” fears.

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 …

Biden campaign launches first TV ads in Ohio  —  WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign is expanding its paid media effort into Ohio with a message focused on his new economic agenda, a sign of the campaign's increasingly bullish view of the battleground map and a shot …

A baseless US conspiracy theory found a foothold in Europe.  New research shows how  —  London (CNN)A baseless claim about a child sex-trafficking ring, a Washington, DC pizzeria, and Hillary Clinton has been passed around among conspiracy theorists for more than three years.

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 …

Live updates: Emergency unemployment payments likely to end; U.S. records 1,400 coronavirus deaths in a day  —  Congress is “nowhere close to a deal” on a new coronavirus relief bill, meaning that 20 million Americans are likely to stop receiving emergency unemployment benefits after this week.

Why the tech giants may suffer lasting pain from their Hill lashing  —  Wednesday's much-anticipated antitrust hearing subjected four of the tech industry's most powerful CEOs to hours of aggressive questioning by Republicans and Democrats alike.  —  But it also may have revealed something far …