Business partner of Falwells says affair with evangelical power couple spanned seven years  —  Giancarlo Granda says his sexual relationship with the Falwells began when he was 20.  He says he had sex with Becki Falwell while Jerry Falwell Jr, head of Liberty University and a staunch supporter of President Trump, looked on.

Republican Convention takeaways: All Trump, all the time  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump aggressively asserted control over the Republican National Convention on Monday, overshadowing the prime-time speakers, as he made clear he wants voters to focus on him.

Former RNC chair Michael Steele joins anti-Trump group  —  (CNN)Former chairman of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele is joining the Lincoln Project, a group of Republicans working to prevent President Donald Trump's re-election.  —  “Today is the day where things should matter …

New York attorney general files legal action against Trump Organization, revealing state investigation into the company's financial dealings  —  The New York attorney general is investigating President Trump's private business for allegedly misleading lenders by inflating the value of its assets …

Richard Spencer Backs Joe Biden, Says ‘MAGA/Alt-Right Moment is Over’  —  White nationalist Richard Spencer has said he will be backing Democratic candidate Joe Biden in November's election after previously distancing himself from Donald Trump.  —  Spencer, who was one of the key figureheads …

Man who believed virus was hoax loses wife to Covid-19  —  A Florida taxi driver, who believed false claims that coronavirus was a hoax, has lost his wife to Covid-19.  —  Brian Lee Hitchens and his wife, Erin, had read claims online that the virus was fabricated, linked to 5G or similar to the flu.

Jim Inhofe caught in decades-long corruption scandal to get government contracts to his close associates  —  Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) turns 86 this year, and it's unclear if he's forgotten the promise he made to his voters to root out corruption in Washington.

Pompeo to Speak at RNC Despite Long-Standing State Department Prohibition  —  On Tuesday, while on official travel to Jerusalem, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will remotely address the Republican National Convention.  Yet according to a March 2016 State Department legal memorandum obtained …

Scoop: Melania Trump's Comments About Trump Family Were Taped  —  I hope you'll subscribe to my newsletter by clicking the button above or the button at the end of this post.  Please follow me on Twitter and Instagram  —  If you want to post this edition on social media, use the button above.

The Shooting of Jacob Blake Is a Wake-Up Call  —  The national conversation may have moved on from police violence, but the shootings themselves continue.  —  Staff writer at The Atlantic  —  The shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is at once freshly horrifying and achingly familiar …

New Details of China's Efforts to Remove Critic in U.S. Revealed in Hawaii Court  —  Case details work of GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy, and the alleged fraud mastermind who paid him  —  A senior Chinese government official enlisted the help of a top fundraising official …

Scoop: UAE cancels Israel meeting after Netanyahu opposes F-35 arms deal  —  The United Arab Emirates canceled a planned trilateral meeting with the U.S. and Israel last Friday to send a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his opposition to a pending arms deal between the U.S. and UAE …

Exclusive: Fauci says rushing out a vaccine could jeopardize testing of others  —  CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The top U.S. infectious diseases expert is warning that distributing a COVID-19 vaccine under special emergency use guidelines before it has been proved safe and effective in large trials …

The Grand Old Meltdown  —  Earlier this month, while speaking via Zoom to a promising group of politically inclined high school students, I was met with an abrupt line of inquiry.  “I'm sorry, but I still don't understand,” said one young man, his pitch a blend of curiosity and exasperation.

Major GOP donor gives emotional speech  —  Maximo Alvarez, owner of Sunshine Gasoline Distributors in Florida, delivered an emotion-filled speech in favor of President Trump and against Democratic nominee Joe Biden.  —  What stands out about Alvarez, aside from his personal story …

CNN Cuts Out of Trump RNC Speech — ‘A Lot of What You Just Heard From the President of the United States Is Wrong, Misleading and Outright Lies’  —  Monday, the GOP formally nominated President Donald Trump for reelection.  As Trump delivered remarks following his nomination, “CNN Newsroom” …

Matt Gaetz: “Biden knows failure”  —  Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) stroked fears while speaking at the Republican National Convention Monday night, saying Democrats will “disarm you, empty the prisons, lock you in your home and invite MS-13 to live next door.”  —  What he's saying: Gaetz …