Two Foreign-Born Men Who Helped Giuliani on Ukraine Arrested on Campaign-Finance Charges  —  Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman are expected to appear in federal court in Virginia later on Thursday  —  WASHINGTON—Two foreign-born donors to a pro- Trump fundraising committee who helped Rudy Giuliani's efforts …

Barr Meets With Murdoch as Trump Steps Up His Criticism of Fox News  —  William P. Barr, the attorney general, met privately Wednesday evening with one of President Trump's frequent confidantes, Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul whose holdings includes Fox News, which has recently become more critical of the president.

Lindsey Graham dishes on Trump in hoax calls with Russians  —  Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has in the last year become something of a congressional point man for President Donald Trump's negotiations with Turkey, leading discussions on everything from Ankara's purchase of a Russian missile system …

Trump adviser says China provided information about Hunter Biden  —  Michael Pillsbury, an informal White House adviser on China, said he received information about the business activities of Hunter Biden during a visit to Beijing in the same week Donald Trump urged China to probe the son of Joe Biden.

Metro East Congressman John Shimkus pulls Trump support after Syria decision  —  “Pull my name off the ‘I support Donald Trump’ list.”  —  ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - As the battle between Democrats and Republicans over impeachment continues on like a heatwave in August, President Trump makes moves to remove U.S. troops from Syria.

White House Shifted Authority Over Ukraine Aid Amid Legal Concerns  —  House Democrats are investigating why a political appointee was given control of dispensing military aid after career budget staff questioned the legality of delaying the funds  —  WASHINGTON—The White House gave …

Houston Rockets Nike merchandise disappears from China stores  —  BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Houston Rockets sneakers and other merchandise were pulled from several Nike (NKE.N) stores in major Chinese cities amid the furor surrounding a tweet from the team's general manager in support of anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

The House Can Play Hardball, Too.  It Can Arrest Giuliani.  —  Two ways that Democrats in the House can match the White House's aggressive tactics.  —  Josh Chafetz is the author of “Congress's Constitution.”  —  In his letter to House leadership, the White House counsel, Pat Cipollone …

Trump attacks Sessions: A ‘total disaster’ and ‘an embarrassment to the great state of Alabama’  —  President Trump hammered former Attorney General Jeff Sessions Thursday, calling the tenure of the nation's former top cop a “total disaster.”  —  Trump appeared to blame Sessions for failing …

Scoop: John Bolton to write Trump book, pairs with top agents  —  President Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton has decided to write a book about his time in the Trump administration, according to 2 people familiar with the matter.  Bolton has agreed to be represented by Javelin's Matt Latimer and Keith Urbahn.

DeSantis to return money from Giuliani associates arrested on campaign finance charges  —  Gov. Ron DeSantis will return the $50,000 he received as a contribution from two South Florida businessmen who helped President Donald Trump's personal attorney look into his political opponents in Ukraine

‘The Only Person Capable of Preventing This Disaster Is President Trump’  —  The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces speaks out.  —  Amid the unfolding disaster in Syria, Mazloum Abdi offers the slightest sliver of hope: The Kurdish and Arab fighters guarding Islamic State prisoners remain at their posts.

State Dept. officials frustrated, angry with Pompeo over Ukraine, ambassador's treatment: Sources  —  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as of Thursday had yet to say a public word about the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who fought against corruption there and has been repeatedly besmirched …

The spiraling president adds self-impeachment to his repertoire  —  Donald Trump, an ongoing eruption of self-refuting statements ("I'm a very stable genius" with “a very good brain"), is adding self-impeachment to his repertoire.  Spiraling downward in a tightening gyre …

McMaster: It's “absolutely” inappropriate for Trump to solicit foreign interference  —  Former White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster said at a Foundation for Defense of Democracies event on Thursday that it's “absolutely not” appropriate for President Trump to solicit foreign …

Every Republican on the 2020 ballot should face the kind of scorn heaped on Joni Ernst  —  There are some Republicans who are less effective than others in disguising their moral cowardice and partisan blindness.  Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is among the worst.  —  Iowa Starting Line reports:

We investigated the Watergate scandal.  We believe Trump should be impeached.  —  By 17 former Watergate special prosecutors  —  We, former members of the Watergate special prosecutor force, believe there exists compelling prima facie evidence that President Trump has committed impeachable offenses.

Could Facebook Actually Nuke Elizabeth Warren's Campaign?  —  Mark Zuckerberg doesn't need to tip the scales in 2020.  His platform will do that naturally.  —  Mr. Warzel is an Opinion writer at large.  —  This week, Facebook is embroiled in a different kind of election interference scandal.

Conservatives claim Elizabeth Warren lied about pregnancy firing.  Women reality-checked them on social media.  —  Roxanne Conlin was in her second year of law school when she became pregnant.  —  It was 1966 in Des Moines, and she was 20 years old, putting herself through school with the help …

James Murdoch buys stake in Vice Media  —  James Murdoch's new holding company has agreed to buy a minority stake in Vice Media Group, according to people briefed on the deal, as the younger Murdoch son looks to make his own mark in media after the break-up of his family's entertainment empire.

Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey announces retirement  —  House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey announced Thursday that she is not running for reelection.  The New York Democrat was the first woman to lead the powerful committee.  —  “After 31 years in the United States Congress …

The Rich Really Do Pay Higher Taxes Than You  —  By any measure, the overall U.S. tax system is progressive.  —  For Democrats, the Overton window — the range of ideas that are not considered extreme — has shifted markedly to the left in the last few years.