Lebanese confront devastation after massive Beirut explosion  —  BEIRUT (AP) — Residents of Beirut confronted a scene of utter devastation Wednesday, a day after a massive explosion at the port rippled across the Lebanese capital, killing at least 100 people, wounding thousands …

Trump Puts Aides on Tightrope With White House Acceptance Speech  — All employees are subject to Hatch Act except Trump and Pence  — Law prohibits campaigning on duty or on government property  —  President Donald Trump's idea to give his nomination acceptance speech from the South Lawn …

Trump and his spinners are suddenly freaking out about Florida.  Here's why.  —  After spreading endless lies about vote-by-mail's supposed susceptibility to fraud, President Trump and his family members — who often double as his propagandists — are suddenly scrambling to reassure voters …

He Predicted Trump's Win in 2016.  Now He's Ready to Call 2020.  —  Most historians just study the past.  But Allan Lichtman has successfully predicted the future.  —  This is professor Allan Lichtman.  He's taught history at American University for almost 50 years.  He's a former steeplechase champion.

State Department watchdog resigns in another shake-up at IG's office  —  The internal State Department watchdog, whom President Trump installed after the previous inspector general was abruptly fired, has resigned, the department said in a statement, marking another significant shake …

Gov. Kim Reynolds signs executive order restoring felon voting rights, removing Iowa's last-in-the-nation status  —  Thousands of Iowans with felony convictions who have served their sentences will be allowed to vote in November's presidential election after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed …

Biden hits back at reporter asking if he took a cognitive test: ‘Are you a junkie?’  —  Joe Biden rebuked a reporter who asked if the former vice president had taken a cognitive test, claiming that asking the question was similar to asking the interviewer if he was using cocaine.

The Truth Behind A Viral Picture Of A Reopening School Is Worse Than It Looked  —  An alarming photo of a hallway crowded by mostly maskless students in a Georgia high school raises issues with reopening schools all around the country.  —  Copy … Behind a viral photo of a crowded hallway …

Yates says Obama, Biden didn't influence Flynn investigation  —  Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates told lawmakers Wednesday that neither President Barack Obama nor Vice President Joe Biden attempted to influence the FBI's investigation of incoming national security adviser Michael Flynn during …

The Senate: Ranking the Top Dozen Best Targets  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — National Republicans breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday night, as Rep. Roger Marshall (R, KS-1) beat 2018 gubernatorial nominee Kris Kobach (R) in the Kansas Senate primary.

Journalists' Twitter use shows them talking within smaller bubbles  —  CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Journalists in Washington, D.C., have long been accused of living in a “Beltway bubble,” isolated from the broader public, talking too much to each other.  —  Their interactions on Twitter, however …

If you're in love with Trader Joe's, its stances can also break your heart  —  Grocery chain Trader Joe's has built a devoted following that other brands might only dream of.  —  It has a podcast.  It prints an old-timey newsletter called the Fearless Flyer that makes readers laugh out loud.

Former clients of acting Homeland Security chief Chad Wolf received millions in department contracts  — Several former lobbying clients of Chad Wolf, now the acting secretary of Homeland Security, have received millions of dollars' worth of government contracts while he has held senior positions within the department.

Why Your Boomer Parents Are Obsessed With Sarah Cooper  —  More than anything, older Democrats and #Resistance types want to ‘trigger’ the president  —  Sarah Cooper has an outstanding résumé.  Apart from her background as a standup comedian, she's worked at Google …

Asked if the U.S. has the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world, Dr. Fauci says: 'The numbers don't lie'  — White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci agreed on Wednesday that the United States has the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world.  — “Yeah, it is quantitatively if you look at it, it is.

Trump still not grasping the severity of the pandemic, source tells CNN  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump was still struggling to fully grasp the severity of the coronavirus pandemic during a task force meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday, a source familiar with the meeting told CNN.

Exclusive: Trump campaign seeks early September presidential debate  —  The Trump campaign is asking the Commission on Presidential Debates to move up the last presidential debate to the first week in September to get ahead of an expected surge in early voting.

Legendary journalist and writer Pete Hamill dead at 85 after fall  —  Pete Hamill, the Brooklyn-born bard of the five boroughs and eloquent voice of his beloved hometown as both newspaper columnist and best-selling author, died Wednesday morning.  He was 85.

Instagram Displayed Negative Related Hashtags For Biden, But Hid Them For Trump  —  “A technical error caused a number of hashtags to not show related hashtags.  We've disabled this feature while we investigate.”  —  Copy  —  For at least the last two months, a key Instagram feature …

Digital Revenue Exceeds Print for 1st Time for New York Times Company  —  The pandemic squeezed advertising for the web as well as print, but subscription growth was the best ever for a quarter.  —  Over a three-month period dominated by the coronavirus pandemic and a slowdown in advertising …

Republicans in at least four states are helping Kanye West gain ballot access  —  WASHINGTON — Republicans in at least four states, including a crucial swing state, appear to be helping music superstar Kanye West gain ballot access for November's election, actions that raise new questions about the hip-hop star's presidential bid.