Trump Blew Up More Than Just TikTok and WeChat  —  The latest executive orders targeting China could be deep and damaging.  Brace for impact.  —  U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to ban dealings with ByteDance Ltd., owner of video-sharing sensation TikTok, appears to codify what his administration has already been warning.

Trump advisers hesitated to give military options and warned adversaries over fears he might start a war  —  Washington (CNN)Amid escalating tensions with both North Korea and Iran, President Donald Trump's advisers hesitated to give him military options fearing the President might accidentally …

Donald Trump is losing the culture wars  —  The culture wars aren't working for Donald Trump.  —  His law-and-order rhetoric isn't registering with suburban voters.  One of his leading evangelical supporters, Jerry Falwell Jr., was just photographed with his zipper down.

‘The Photo Does Not Look Good’: Georgia School's Crowded Halls Go Viral  —  A student was suspended for five days for posting images of packed hallways at North Paulding High School, her mother said.  —  The widely circulated photo from North Paulding High School in Dallas, Ga. …

US election 2020: Trump says opponent Biden will ‘hurt God’  —  US President Donald Trump has said Joe Biden is “against God”, ramping up attacks on his Democratic rival and foreshadowing an ugly election battle.  —  The remarks, during a trip to Ohio, came as Mr Trump tries to make up ground …

The case against American truck bloat  —  When I was growing up in rural Colorado, my family had a classic work truck: a 1980 F-150 with the famous 300 cubic inch inline six-cylinder engine.  It was often my task to fetch a load of sand for mixing concrete, or landscaping soil, or lumber for some project.

Where Do Republicans Go From Here?  —  The party looks brain-dead at every spot Trump touches.  But off in the corners, there's a lot of intellectual ferment.  —  Jonathan V. Last thinks President Trump is here forever.  Last, an editor at The Bulwark, a conservative site that's been hostile to Trump …

Who made the cut — or got axed — for coveted Democratic convention speaking slots  —  Bernie Sanders and John Kasich will share a night in the spotlight, and both Clintons are slated to have prominent speaking roles at the all-virtual Democratic National Convention in less than two weeks …

“Mr. President, What Are Your Priorities?”  Is Not a Tough Question  —  Trump is running for reëlection, but, unlike four years ago, he can't even say why.  —  It was not supposed to be a trick question, or even all that tricky.  For any other candidate, it would have been the softest of softballs, the slowest of pitches.

Right-wing media defanged by dissolving anti-Biden storylines  —  The three biggest anti-Joe Biden storylines in right-wing media over the last year have either fizzled or are getting less online traction than they used to, according to data from NewsWhip provided exclusively to Axios.

The Great Escape: Donald John Trump's Exit Strategy  —  Where does the President go from here?  —  1 hr  —  THAT SOUND YOU HEAR is the death rattle of a presidency.  —  A thousand Americans are dying of the novel coronavirus every day.  Volume Five of the Senate Intelligence Committee Report is due for release any day now.

Trump re-imposes tariffs on Canadian aluminum, prompting Trudeau to vow retaliation  —  Industry groups panned the U.S. decision and disputed the idea of a Canadian deluge  —  President Trump said Thursday he has re-imposed a tariff of 10 percent on some aluminum products imported from Canada …

In second coronavirus test, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine now tests negative  —  COLUMBUS, Ohio — After an earlier rapid coronavirus test returned a positive result for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a second coronavirus test for DeWine, Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine and members of his staff all have come back negative …

Trump long has relied on nondisclosure deals to prevent criticism.  That strategy may be unraveling.  —  For decades, Donald Trump has relied on broadly worded nondisclosure agreements as a powerful weapon against anyone who would say something critical of him.

A Season of Grief and Release: 5 Months of the Virus  —  A photographic timeline of a historic half-year.  —  The restaurant was empty, save for two other tables.  Spoons slid through our dessert, split three ways.  We were anxious but determined to enjoy it, somehow.

Released from jail at height of pandemic, Alexandria rape suspect allegedly killed his accuser  —  Ibrahim Bouaichi then shot himself as police closed in Wednesday, leaving him in critical condition  —  The incident in Karla Dominguez's apartment last October was violent, and it was not consensual …

Searchers in Beirut recover more bodies days after blast  —  BEIRUT (AP) — Rescue teams pulled more bodies from the rubble of Beirut's port Friday, nearly three days after a massive explosion sent a wave of destruction through Lebanon's capital, killing nearly 150 people and wounding thousands.

Power Up: Anthony Fauci cautiously supports sending kids back to school  —  It's Friday.  We made it.  Tips, comments, recipes?  Reach out and sign up.  Thanks for waking up with us.  See you on Monday.  —  The people  —  POWER UP'S FAUCI INTERVIEW: The nation's top infectious-disease …

POLITICO Playbook: The politics of walking away  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  THERE ARE LOTS OF POLITICAL CALCULATIONS in legislative negotiations: what to give away when, what to ask for, where to hold the meeting and what aide to bring in tow, for example.  —  PERHAPS NOTHING IS MORE TRICKY than deciding when — and how — to walk away.

How cities can tackle violent crime without relying on police  —  An anti-violence cookout is held to celebrate the life of 11-year-old Davon McNeal, who was fatally shot by a stray bullet on July 4, 2020, and persuade the community to put down their firearms.  Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Exclusive: Kanye West Indicates That His Spoiler Campaign Is Indeed Designed To Hurt Biden  —  In an exclusive interview, the billionaire rapper says he's “walking for president” as GOP operatives work to get him on state ballots.  —  Amid various reports that Republican …

Milwaukee police chief demoted over tear-gas use, other concerns  —  MADISON, Wis. — An oversight board demoted Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales on Thursday after questioning how he handled multiple incidents, including ordering officers to fire tear gas and pepper spray at protesters demonstrating over George Floyd's death.

Incremental Change Is a Moral Failure  —  Mere reform won't fix policing.  —  Author of Stakes Is High: Life After the American Dream  —  I know that where I live is the hood, and not only because I am in a part of Brooklyn where a substantial number of Black people still live.

Health directors told to keep quiet as Fla. leaders pressed to reopen classrooms  —  “I don't think any of us are in a position to balk the governor,” one director said.  —  As Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed this summer for schools to reopen, state leaders told school boards they would need Health …

Trump-endorsed Hagerty wins Tennessee Senate primary  —  Bill Hagerty, President Donald Trump's former ambassador to Japan, won the contentious Tennessee primary Thursday, securing the party's nomination in the safe red state.  —  Hagerty had 52 percent of the vote, compared to 38 percent …