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.

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.

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 …

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.

TikTok's fate was shaped by a ‘knockdown, drag-out’ Oval Office brawl  —  Trump advisers Mnuchin and Navarro fought over TikTok as Silicon Valley dealmakers tried to get closer to Trump  —  Last week, as leaders in Silicon Valley, China and Washington raced to seal the fate …

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

TikTok To Sue Trump Administration Over Ban, As Soon As Tuesday  —  TikTok is planning to sue the Trump administration, challenging the president's executive order banning the service from the United States.  —  The video-sharing app hugely popular with the smartphone generation TikTok …

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 …

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.

Memphis woman, who said she is recovering from COVID-19, evicted in Raleigh  —  Leslie Nelson, a 56-year-old Raleigh resident, was evicted from her home of several years Thursday.  Nelson, who struggled to breathe while talking to The Commercial Appeal, said she is recovering from COVID-19.

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.

Dozens Of NYPD Officers Swarmed The Home Of A BLM Protester But Didn't Make An Arrest  —  Derrick Ingram, a Black Lives Matter protester with the group Warriors in the Garden, livestreamed on Instagram dozens of police officers trying to enter his home.  Hours later, police retreated without making any arrest.

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.

Polish police detain 48 people after LGBT protest  —  WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish police said they detained 48 people after protesters tried to stop them arresting an LGBT activist accused of hanging rainbow flags over statues in Warsaw and damaging a pro-life campaigner's van.

Clemson prof: Trump and ‘anyone who still calls themselves a Republican’ is ‘racist’  — A Clemson University professor wrote that Trump and “anyone who still calls themselves a Republican” is “xenophobic and racist.”  — The professor also asked for the home address for the author …

Biden risks alienating young Black voters after race remarks  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden's controversial remarks about race this week risk alienating young Black voters who despise President Donald Trump but are not inspired by his Democratic rival.  —  When pressed by Errol Barnett …

NYC Councilman Paul Vallone credits Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 recovery  —  A Democratic New York City Councilman says hydroxychloroquine saved his life after a near-fatal run-in with COVID-19 in March.  —  Paul Vallone, who represents northeast Queens, took the drug along with a standard flu Z-pack …

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 …