Michael Cohen Agrees to Settle Lawsuit With Trump Organization  —  Donald J. Trump's former fixer had accused the company of failing to abide by the terms of a deal and refusing to pay more than $1 million in legal costs  —  Michael D. Cohen, the longtime fixer to Donald J. Trump …

Fulton county prosecutors prepare racketeering charges in Trump inquiry  —  Exclusive: racketeering charges based on influencing witnesses and computer trespass, sources say  —  The Fulton county district attorney investigating Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results …

‘This Is a Really Big Deal’: How College Towns Are Decimating the GOP  —  Growing population in America's highly educated enclaves has led to huge gains for the Democratic Party.  And Republicans are scrambling for answers. Animation by Shira Inbar for POLITICO

Justice Department planning legal action against Texas over floating border barrier  —  The Justice Department told Texas Thursday that it intends to file legal action against the placement of floating barriers in the Rio Grande River as part of the state's operation along the Texas-Mexico border …

Trumpworld Quietly Prepares for a Chaotic Convention Fight  —  Trump may be projecting confidence, but he's trying to pack the convention floor with loyalists—just in case. … As the Trump campaign tells it, the 2024 Republican presidential primary is already over.

Alabama GOP refuses to draw second Black district, despite Supreme Court order  —  House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., have been calling state legislators about the map, which could affect control of Congress.  —  Alabama Republicans rejected calls …

Biden to keep Julie Su on indefinitely as Labor chief despite lack of Senate votes  —  A White House official told NBC News that it will utilize a law that enables Su, who was confirmed as deputy labor secretary, to serve in an acting role without a time limit.

Texas A&M President Katherine Banks resigns amid fallout from failed hiring of journalism professor  —  “The recent challenges regarding Dr. McElroy have made it clear to me that I must retire immediately,” Banks wrote in her resignation letter.  “The negative press is a distraction from the wonderful work being done here.”

Election interference grand jury heard testimony on Trump's state of mind  —  Prosecutors from special counsel Jack Smith's office focused their questioning of ex-White House aide William Russell on Trump's state of mind during and after the 2020 election.  —  Prosecutors from special counsel …

Analyzing Joe Biden's drip  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With help from producer Raymond Rapada  —  It would probably come as a shock to many that an American president was more sharply dressed than his European counterparts.

Fire damages building that houses office of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul  —  FRONT PAGE PODCAST  —  QUESTION OF THE DAY  —  If the AWOL GI in North Korea crossed over voluntarily, should the US government work to secure his release?  —  Question of the Day Yes, of course Probably so  —  Unsure

Nebraska Teen Who Used Pills to End Pregnancy Gets 90 Days in Jail  —  Celeste Burgess, 19, and her mother, Jessica Burgess, 42, were charged last year after the police obtained their private Facebook messages.  —  A Nebraska teenager who used abortion pills to terminate her pregnancy …

Ex-staffer pulls back the curtain on Santos  —  Naysa Woomer, former communications director for besieged New York Congressman George Santos, spoke for the first time with POLITICO's Daniel Lippman about what it was like to work for the fact-challenged freshman.

Grassley releases internal FBI document about unverified Biden bribery allegations  —  GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa on Thursday released an internal FBI document containing unverified allegations President Joe Biden was involved in an illegal foreign bribery scheme.

Iowa poll shows Scott gaining on DeSantis; Trump with commanding lead  —  A new poll out of Iowa shows Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) gaining momentum on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the 2024 presidential race, though former President Trump maintains a commanding lead.

DeSantis calls for state investment manager to consider action against Bud Light's parent company  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is urging the state's pension fund manager to consider legal action against Bud Light's parent company amid conservative backlash to the beermaker's recent marketing efforts …

Kamala Harris to travel to Florida and speak out against state's new Black history standards  —  The standards, approved Wednesday, teach students that some Black people benefited from slavery because it provided them with useful skills.  —  Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to travel …