Trump antagonizes GOP megadonor Adelson in heated phone call  —  When President Donald Trump connected by phone last week with Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson — perhaps the only person in the party who can cut a nine-figure check to aid his reelection — the phone call unexpectedly turned contentious.

Unwanted Truths: Inside Trump's Battles With U.S. Intelligence Agencies  —  Last year, intelligence officials gathered to write a classified report on Russia's interest in the 2020 election.  An investigation from the magazine uncovered what happened next.  —  In early July of last year …

Jerry Falwell's Zipper Has Been Down for Years  —  His bizarre Instagram picture is just the latest in a long line of bad decisions that have harmed Liberty University.  —  The board of trustees of Liberty University announced on Friday that the president and chancellor of the university …

Unsanitized: Federal Benefit Extension Looks Remote as Anger Mounts  —  Plus, the post office tries to stick up states.  This is The COVID-19 Daily Report for August 7, 2020.  —  Unsanitized-080720  —  The public is fixing to get out their pitchforks.  —  First Response

No Wrist Corsages, Please  —  Has America grown since 1984, or will the knives still be out for Biden's running mate?  —  WASHINGTON — On the cusp of Joe Biden teaming up with a woman, I am casting back to my time covering the first woman who was a serious contender for veep.

AP sources: Whitmer met with Biden as he nears VP decision  —  LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer traveled to Delaware last weekend to meet with Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's first known in-person session with a potential running mate as he nears a decision.

Joe Arpaio loses sheriff's race in second failed comeback bid  —  PHOENIX — Joe Arpaio on Friday was narrowly defeated in his bid to win back the sheriff's post in metro Phoenix that he held for 24 years before being voted out in 2016 amid voter frustrations over his taxpayer-funded legal bills …

N.Y.P.D. Besieges a Protest Leader as He Broadcasts Live  —  A helicopter and dozens of officers, some in riot gear, were deployed for an arrest at a Manhattan apartment but withdrew after protesters arrived.  —  Derrick Ingram, an organizer of a group leading New York's Black Lives Matter protests …

Bill Gates on Covid: Most US Tests Are ‘Completely Garbage’  —  The techie-turned-philanthropist on vaccines, Trump, and why social media is “a poisoned chalice.”  —  For 20 years, Bill Gates has been easing out of the roles that made him rich and famous—CEO, chief software architect …

Calling it a ‘peaceful protest,’ Trump flouts coronavirus guidelines with golf club gathering  —  The Debrief: An occasional series offering a reporter's insights  —  BEDMINSTER, N.J. — Just before 7 p.m. Friday evening, members of President Trump's private golf club here began streaming into a gilded ballroom by the dozens.

How Kristi Noem, Mt. Rushmore and Trump Fueled Speculation About Pence's Job  —  After Ms. Noem, the South Dakota governor, flew to Washington on Air Force One, speculation about her ambitions ensued.  She made a second trip to smooth things over with Mike Pence.

America's Authoritarian Governor  —  America has botched its coronavirus response in so, so many ways since the pandemic began.  Even in a country that stands apart from the world for its horrific failures, there have been as many leadership bungles as there are states: Some failed to heed early warnings.

This Is Exactly What Susan Rice Feared  —  A few days before Donald Trump's inauguration, then-National Security Adviser Susan Rice held a press briefing in her office to talk about the threats she saw on the horizon as Barack Obama's presidency drew to a close.

Identity Politics Conservatism  —  Conservative elites trying to come up with the next stage of Trumpism are out of touch with what Republican voters actually want.  —  Trumpism  —  I keep telling people that Trump is forever and no one believes me.  —  I get that.  I don't want to believe me, either.

Chris Dodd, an Insider From Biden's Past, Is Helping Him Pick His Future  —  As Biden works to win over progressive voters, he has empowered a Washington uber-veteran long trailed by allegations of personal and financial indiscretion.  —  Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. knew how to flatter an old friend.

Bar Complaint Claims Kanye West's Campaign Lawyer is Violating the Rules by Simultaneously Working For Trump  —  A government watchdog group on Friday filed a complaint against Lane Ruhland with the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) alleging the attorney has been violating ethics …

I was a Republican, and I drew my red line too late.  I'll answer for my choices for years to come.  —  Beth Fukumoto served three terms in the Hawaii House of Representatives and is a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.

John Roberts' Stealth Attack on Abortion Rights Just Paid Off  —  The Supreme Court's recent decision in June Medical v. Russo was hailed by many liberal court watchers as a win for reproductive rights, as the court declined to overturn Roe v. Wade and formally eliminate the right to an abortion.

U.S. Intelligence Says Republicans Are Working With Russia to Reelect Trump  —  Two weeks ago, William Evanina, director of the United States National Counterintelligence and Security Center, published a somewhat vague warning about various forms of foreign interference in the upcoming election.