Obama, in scathing Trump rebuke, warns democracy on the line  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Barack Obama painted a unsparing portrait of American democracy on the brink if President Donald Trump wins in November, warning in a scathing, and at times emotional, address Wednesday …

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 …

Michelle Lujan Grisham says the convention is less important than what comes after for Democrats' Latino outreach  —  Some Latino Democrats have expressed disappointment that more prominent voices from their community aren't in prime spots at the Democratic National Convention given the demographic's size in the American population.

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 …

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 …

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.

QAnon groups hit by Facebook crack down  —  Facebook on Wednesday banned about 900 pages and groups and 1,500 ads tied to the pro-Trump conspiracy theory QAnon, part of a sweeping action that also restricted the reach of over 10,000 Instagram pages and almost 2,000 Facebook groups pushing …

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.

School Reopenings Linked to Union Influence and Politics, Not Safety  —  New data suggest that school districts in states with stronger teachers unions are significantly less likely to reopen in person this fall.  —  School closures have affected over 55 million K-12 students in the U.S. since March …

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.

Attorney General William Barr announces nearly 1,500 arrests so far under ‘Operation Legend’  —  Of the more than 1,000 arrests, roughly 217 are facing federal charges.  —  Attorney General William Barr announced Wednesday that there have been nearly 1,500 arrests across eight U.S. cities thus far under the …

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 …

The Senate just dropped a massive Russia bombshell (and most people missed it)  —  (CNN)On Tuesday, the Senate Intelligence Committee dropped a bombshell about Russia's interference in the 2016 election — and its ongoing efforts to disrupt the 2020 contest as well.  —  And most people just sort of shrugged.

1.5 Million Antibody Tests Show What Parts of N.Y.C. Were Hit Hardest  —  The data from the city is on a far larger scale than previously released information, and includes all antibody test results reported to the city's Department of Health.  —  New York City on Tuesday released …