Obama torches Trump like American democracy depends on it  —  Barack Obama went high.  —  On the third night of the Democratic convention — a word that seems increasingly absurd to describe what is really just two hours of nightly programming from the DNC — the former president delivered …

Putin Critic Alexey Navalny Allegedly Poisoned by Toxin in His Tea  —  The Russian anti-corruption activist was rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state on Thursday morning, according to his press secretary.  —  MOSCOW—Vladimir Putin's nemesis, corruption fighter Aleksey Navalny …

Scoop: Jon Meacham to speak on Democratic convention's last night  —  For the finale of the Democratic National Convention, historian Jon Meacham will speak from Nashville, urging Americans to remember that “history, which will surely be our judge, can also be our guide. ...

Trump embraces QAnon conspiracy because ‘they like me’  —  Tapper: Greene's videos indicate detachment from truth and decency  —  (CNN)After skirting the issue for weeks, President Donald Trump offered an embrace Wednesday of the fringe internet phenomenon QAnon, praising its followers …

Kemp lashes out at coverage of White House COVID report critical of Georgia  —  Gov. Brian Kemp accused The Atlanta Journal-Constitution of playing “pandemic politics” and sparking panic at a testy press conference Wednesday, a day after a confidential report from President Donald Trump's …

The GOP Should Shun Laura Loomer  —  Laura Loomer, the far-right gadfly and conspiracy theorist, has prevailed in her bid to become the Republican Party's candidate for Florida's 21st Congressional District.  She will face incumbent Rep. Lois Frankel, a Democrat, in the general election.

Mail-order chicks are arriving dead, costing Maine farmers thousands of dollars  —  Several Maine poultry farms have received shipments of hundreds of chicks that died while being delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, either because the shipments were delayed or mishandled.  —  RELATED COVERAGE

Rand Paul: No incentive to open economy “if you soften the amount of suffering”  —  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told Fox News Wednesday that he opposes Congress passing more stimulus funding because “if you give people money and you make it less painful to be in a recession,” governors “will not have an incentive” to reopen the economy.

A 1,000 square foot mosaic of Ida B. Wells is being installed at Union Station in DC  —  (CNN) — It's been 100 years since American women were granted the right to vote.  To commemorate this milestone, a massive mosaic of suffragist and civil rights leader, Ida B. Wells …

Trump Administration Pushes Arms Sale to U.A.E. Despite Israeli Worries  —  The Trump White House is quietly planning sales of F-35 stealth fighters and advanced drones to the Emiratis as part of a wider plan to realign the Middle East, but Israel and Congress may object.

US Warship Arrives in Crete as Greece-Turkey Standoff Escalates  —  ATHENS, GREECE - The massive American warship, the USS Hershel Woody Williams, has arrived in the Greek island of Crete, on a mission to keep an eye on escalating tensions between NATO allies Greece and Turkey over energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

How Voters View the Major Parties' Competence Has Hardly Changed Since 2016  —  Nearly four years after Trump's election, voters remain slightly more likely to deem Democrats capable of governing and tackling big issues  — 48% of voters said the Democratic Party is capable of governing …

Pompeo's housing request set off legal alarm bells, memo shows  —  In his early months on the job, Mike Pompeo sought an unusual perk for a secretary of State: permission to rent a Washington, D.C.-area house that was controlled by the U.S. military.  —  Pompeo and his aides initially tried …

School Reopenings Linked to Union Influence and Politics, Not Safety  —  School closures have affected over 55 million K-12 students in the U.S. since March as the nation deals with the coronavirus pandemic.  Although numerous private schools and day care centers have adjusted to the pandemic and reopened …

Mnuchin Pushed DeJoy Appointment, USPS Pricing Changes  —  Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin met with the United States Postal Service Board of Governors in February to discuss the search for a new Postmaster General as part of his larger campaign to exert influence over the USPS, according to documents obtained by CREW.

Kansas Democrat, 19, Who Admitted to Revenge Porn, Ekes Out Primary Win  —  Aaron Coleman defeated a seven-term incumbent for a state House seat by 14 votes, alarming Democrats who worry he will hurt other candidates in the general election.  —  Aaron Coleman admitted that he harassed girls online when he was in middle school.

Trump, While Attacking Mail Voting, Casts Mail Ballot Again  —  President Trump cast a vote-by-mail ballot in Florida this week after months of questioning the security of the method of voting, and in doing so he returned it to election officials using a technique many Republicans say should be illegal.

State Dept. ends three agreements with Hong Kong, over Chinese crackdown on freedoms  —  It's the latest move aimed at a crackdown on freedoms in the former British territory  —  The State Department announced Wednesday that it is ending three agreements with Hong Kong …

Trolls flood DNC Native American event with Elizabeth Warren, forcing organizers to disable chatroom  —  Trolls got wind that Warren was scheduled to speak and inundated the livestream  —  Organizers of the Native American Caucus where forced to shut down a virtual event's chatroom Tuesday …

Harris sets off Democratic donor stampede  —  Kamala Harris is tapping into a new tranche of campaign cash for Joe Biden: money from both big and small donors who were reluctant to give to the white, male and over-70 nominee-in-waiting before she arrived.  —  Biden has turned things around …