Trump's First Amendment defense in Jan. 6 case is shaky, experts say  —  Former President Trump's legal team says he's been indicted for actions that are protected by the First Amendment — and that the First Amendment will ultimately exonerate him. … - “Donald Trump had every right …

DeSantis vows to ‘start slitting throats on day one’  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Sunday said he would “start slitting throats on day one” when it comes to taking on the “deep state.”  —  DeSantis made the remarks at a barbecue campaign event in Rye, N.H., hosted by former Sen. Scott Brown (R-N.H.).

Devon Archer said the opposite of what Republicans claimed  —  Soon after Hunter Biden's former business partner Devon Archer finished testifying before investigators working for the House Oversight Committee, two top House Republicans joined Sean Hannity's Fox News program in prime time.

CNN Poll: Percentage of Republicans who think Biden's 2020 win was illegitimate ticks back up near 70%  —  The share of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who believe that President Joe Biden's 2020 election win was not legitimate has ticked back up, according to a new CNN poll fielded throughout July.

Judge Says Manhattan DA Can See Trump's Rude Rape Trial Deposition  —  The Manhattan DA is hoping to use Trump's own damning words in the E. Jean Carroll case against him in this Manhattan criminal case.  —  A federal judge on Thursday decided to give the Manhattan District Attorney exactly what he wants …

Dianne Feinstein's Long Fight Over Control of Late Husband's Estate  —  As Dianne Feinstein, 90, struggles to function in the Senate, a dispute within her family over control of her late husband's estate is another difficult chapter at the end of a long career.

Arizona Republicans wanted to hand-count ballots.  Then they saw the price tag — and the errors.  —  Election workers spent three days counting 850 ballots in Mohave County.  They made errors in 46 races.  —  An Arizona county has decided not to hand-count its ballots in next year's elections …

Majority in U.S. Say Biden Administration Ethics Are Subpar  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans rate the ethics of “top Biden administration officials” more negatively than positively in Gallup's first measure of this assessment since President Joe Biden took office.

Montana GOP Senate candidate keeps his CEO job — but his company won't say how he avoids conflicts  —  Tim Sheehy's Bridger Aerospace, a major federal contractor, is all over his campaign ads as he simultaneously serves as CEO.  Democrats have raised ethical concerns.

House GOP worries that hardliners actually want a shutdown  —  Speaker Kevin McCarthy insists Congress will avoid a government shutdown in the fall.  But some members of his right flank seem to be embracing that outcome.  —  The entire GOP was listening closely when ultra-conservative Virginia …

Dan Bishop to run for attorney general in North Carolina, leaving House seat open  —  Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) is set to run for attorney general next year, forgoing a third term in the House and leaving open a reliably red seat ahead of a crucial election cycle, the Republican freshman announced on Thursday.

US military may put armed troops on commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz to stop Iran seizures  —  The U.S. military is considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, in what would be an unheard of action aimed at stopping Iran from seizing …

Cornel West Owes More Than Half a Million in Unpaid Taxes  —  The presidential candidate has made raising taxes on the rich a fixture of his campaign.  He's shorted the IRS more than the median salary in six of the last 20 years. … Veteran Ivy League professor and bestselling author …

Scoop: DeSantis' state-funded office hires ousted campaign aides … DeSantis' chief of staff from the governor's office, James Uthmeier, then appeared and urged them to apply for jobs in his office, two people familiar with the meeting said.  — The governor's office followed up with an email …

How cities can stem the tide of pedestrian deaths from large cars and SUVs  —  Ever-larger cars and trucks are causing a safety crisis on US streets.  —  Deadly traffic incidents have declined in most developed countries in recent years.  But in the US they're becoming more common.