TRENDING: First on CNN: DNC secretly scheduled guests: Actresses Johansson, Portman, Washington  —  Charlotte (CNN) - Clint Eastwood meet Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Kerry Washington.  —  The three actresses, firmly anchored in Hollywood's royalty, have been secretly scheduled …

CNN Fact Check: About those 4.5 million jobs ...  San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro touted 4.5 million new jobs created during the Obama administration.  Was he right?  —  (CNN) — Anyone watching the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night heard the number 4.5 million several times.

RNC Highlights: Romney Shares Top Billing With Eastwood  —  Fewer Watch Convention Coverage than in 2008  —  OVERVIEW  —  The public paid far less attention to this year's Republican convention than it did to the GOP convention four years ago.  Just 37% say they watched …

Transcript: Michelle Obama's Democratic Convention Speech  —  Below is the full transcript, as prepared for delivery, of First Lady Michelle Obama's speech to the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night.  —  Thank you so much, Elaine...we are so grateful for your family's service and sacrifice …

Sept. 4: The Simple Case for Why Obama Is the Favorite  —  I've been tiptoeing around this point, because I don't think that our forecast model ought to represent the totality of our analysis about the election.  —  But if you look at the right-hand column of this page …

Monica Lewinsky's Former Rabbi To Deliver Benediction After Bill Clinton Speaks At DNC  —  ABC News' Michael Falcone reports:  —  CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This could get awkward.  —  Rabbi David Wolpe of Los Angeles' Sinai Temple, where Monica Lewinsky and her family were congregation members …

DWS attacks Examiner for ‘deliberately’ misquoting her, but here's the audio … CHARLOTTE - Earlier this evening, in an appearance on Fox News, Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz accused the Washington Examiner of “deliberately” misquoting her comments claiming …

Exclusive: Paul Ryan Quietly Requested Obamacare Cash  —  Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan is barnstorming the country, promising to repeal every provision of the Affordable Care Act if the Romney-Ryan ticket is elected.  But a letter he wrote to the Obama administration may undermine this message.

Barack Obama to Michael Lewis on a Presidential Loss of Freedom: “You Don't Get Used to It—At Least, I Don't” … “Don't be looking to the sidelines all sheepish,” Barack Obama yells at Vanity Fair contributing editor Michael Lewis in “Obama's Way,” in October's V.F. “You got to get back and play D!”

S.C. Dem.  Chair Compares GOP Gov. to Hitler's Mistress  —  South Carolina Democratic chairman Dick Harpootlian compared his state's Republican female governor, Nikki Haley, to Hitler's mistress, Eva Braun this morning at a breakfast in Charlotte, North Carolina.  —  South Carolina's the State reports:

Exclusive: Gabby Douglas to lead DNC Pledge of Allegiance  —  CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Two-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas will be back under the bright lights at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday.  —  The 16-year-old gymnast, known as the “flying squirrel,” …

The Pinocchio Press  —  The bizarre rise of “fact checking” propagandists.  —  In the 19th-century fairy tale “The Adventures of Pinocchio,” the eponymous protagonist is a wooden puppet who dreams of becoming an actual boy.  We suppose people who work as fact checkers have long dreamed …

Rahm Emanuel to raise funds for Democratic campaigns  —  Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a legendary fundraiser and political strategist before he won elected office, has dropped his honorary chairmanship of the Obama campaign to help raise big-dollar contributions so that Democrats can compete …

Charlotte speech increases rumors Kerry is up for Hillary Clinton's job  —  CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) will be defending President Obama's record on national security when he speaks to convention delegates on Thursday evening, but political observers will be watching …