Biden Gets No Immediate Convention Bounce, but Still Leads Trump  —  Democratic nominee earns best favorability ratings yet in post-DNC poll  — In a post-convention poll, former Vice President Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump by 9 points among likely voters, compared with an 8-point margin earlier in the week.

William Barr told Murdoch to ‘muzzle’ Fox News Trump critic, new book says  —  The attorney general, William Barr, told Rupert Murdoch to “muzzle” Andrew Napolitano, a prominent Fox News personality who became a critic of Donald Trump, according to a new book about the rightwing TV network.

Mnuchin Paved Way for Postal Service Shake-Up  —  At President Trump's behest, the Treasury Secretary sought out appointees who would restructure the United States Postal Service.  —  WASHINGTON — In early February, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin invited two Republican members …

Court orders Donald Trump to pay legal fees in Stormy Daniels suit  —  (CNN)A California Superior Court judge has ordered President Donald Trump to pay $44,100 to Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, to reimburse her attorneys' fees in the legal battle surrounding her nondisclosure agreement.

Trump is leading Republicans to an unwanted record in the popular vote  —  (CNN)American elections tend to swing on a pendulum.  No one party usually holds power for too long.  Since 1952, for example, only once has a party won the presidency three elections in a row.

A Glimmer of Hope for Trump?  How Bush Mounted a Comeback in 1988  —  For Biden, a cautionary tale.  For Trump, a search for his own Willie Horton.  —  George H.W. Bush was in trouble.  It was July 1988 and Michael Dukakis, the Democratic candidate for president, was on a roll after his party's convention in New York.

Tennessee governor signs bill increasing punishments for certain protests  —  Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) quietly signed a bill into law ramping up punishments for certain kinds of protests, including losing the right to vote.  —  The GOP-controlled state General Assembly passed the measure …

Did Democrats Omit ‘Under God’ from the Pledge of Allegiance?  —  Claim  —  The Democratic National Convention omitted the phrase “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance in 2020.  —  Rating  —  What's True  —  The phrase “under God” was omitted from at least two recitations of the Pledge …

Kanye West's Presidential Campaign Is Both Proceeding and Unraveling  —  The last 48 hours have presented a series of new challenges for Kanye West's haphazard campaign for president.  —  In a span of two days, West was booted from the ballot in five states: Illinois, Montana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

More Than 550,000 Primary Absentee Ballots Rejected In 2020, Far Outpacing 2016  —  Audio will be available later today.  —  An extraordinarily high number of ballots — more than 550,000 — have been rejected in this year's presidential primaries, according to a new analysis by NPR.

McSally asks supporters to ‘fast a meal’ so they can donate to her campaign  —  In an audio clip, Sen. Martha McSally asked supporters to “fast a meal” so they can donate to her campaign but her people said it was just a joke.

President Trump's attempt to bypass Congress on stimulus is offering only limited economic relief  —  Just two weeks after President Trump approved executive actions aimed at bypassing stalled stimulus negotiations with Congress, only one state has said it is paying new jobless benefits …

Once in a lifetime: two hurricanes, same time, same place  —  As if the 2020 hurricane season needed another reason to be remembered, meteorologists are now predicting two hurricanes may hit near the same location at about the same time.  —  The phenomenon is one that has never been recorded before …

Ex-CIA director John Brennan questioned for 8 hours in U.S. Attorney John Durham's probe, a Brennan adviser says  —  Former CIA director John Brennan was interviewed for eight hours Friday by the federal prosecutor specially assigned by Attorney General William P. Barr to review …

Spruced-up White House Rose Garden set for first lady speech  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House Rose Garden has been spruced up in time for its moment in the campaign spotlight.  —  First lady Melania Trump will deliver her Republican National Convention speech Tuesday night from the garden …

Navy SEAL banned by Delta over mask flap wants meeting with CEO  —  Robert O'Neill, the retired Navy SEAL credited with killing terrorist Osama Bin Laden, said Friday he would like the opportunity to speak with Delta CEO Ed Bastian Bastian to reach a resolution after the airline banned …

Trump looks to Republican convention for optimistic campaign reboot  —  Republicans will open their national convention Monday with an urgent mission: To convince voters pessimistic about the state of a country battered by the coronavirus pandemic, economic recession and racial upheaval …

Ohio Republicans try to regroup in crucial state for Trump  —  CINCINNATI (AP) — Complications pummeled Ohio Republicans this week as they sought to put up a united front headed into the GOP's national convention.  —  One of their best-known politicians threw his support behind Democrat Joe Biden …

Trump accuses FDA of thwarting coronavirus response, after admin limits testing oversight  —  President Trump on Saturday baselessly accused the Food and Drug Administration — which he likened to the “deep state, or whoever” — of making it harder for drug companies to distribute coronavirus treatments and vaccines.

Two Weeks For Joe Biden's 24 Minutes In Wilmington  —  WILMINGTON, Del. — The stage where Joe Biden was set to assume the Democratic nomination for president, fulfilling a dream of more than four decades in national politics, was sitting in parts on the backs of trucks, already assembled, waiting to be unloaded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

POLITICO Playbook: USPS battle hits House floor  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  THE BATTLE OVER THE USPS is going to hit the House floor this afternoon.  Speaker NANCY PELOSI has called the chamber back in a rare move during the August recess to force a vote on a bill that would provide $25 BILLION …