Another Trump Mystery: Why Did He Resist Returning the Government's Documents?  —  As with so much else with the former president, there is not one easy answer as to why he refused and ignited a legal firestorm.  But here are some possibilities.  —  For four years, former President Donald J. Trump treated …

Trump Associate's Stated Plan to Publicly Release “Declassified” Documents  —  As this article was going to press, ABC News published a report that weeks before the Mar-a-Lago search, former President Donald Trump's associate Kash Patel “vowed to retrieve classified documents from the National Archives and publish them on his website.”

Liz Cheney releases call to Trump-backed opponent who said she didn't concede  —  Cheney releases recording of her call to Harriet Hageman, conceding her loss in the Wyoming US House primary on Tuesday  —  Liz Cheney has released her concession call to Harriet Hageman …

POLITICO Playbook: Donald Trump's Senate field flounders  —  With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  Twelve weeks before the midterm elections, Republicans' hopes of retaking the Senate rest on a slate of Donald Trump's hand-picked nominees.  And, across the board, they appear to be struggling.

National Republican group plans massive ad buy boosting J.D. Vance, signaling deepening GOP focus on Ohio's Senate race  —  COLUMBUS, Ohio — A political action committee with close ties to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is launching a massive new ad campaign in Ohio …

Senate Control is a Toss Up, Rating Changes in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Utah  —  Nightmares of Sharron Angle, Christine O'Donnell, Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock are taunting Republican lawmakers and Senate strategists as fears grow that this midterm cycle could be 2010 and 2012 all over again.

After their daughters were beat by a girl in sports, Utah parents triggered investigation into whether she was transgender  —  School opened girl's enrollment records dating back to kindergarten to confirm she was female, Utah High School Activities Association representative tells legislators

On radio show, Paladino said Merrick Garland ‘probably should be executed’; he later said he was being ‘facetious’  —  Republican congressional candidate Carl Paladino said on a radio show last week that U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland “probably should be executed” following the raid of Donald Trump's estate in Mar-a-Lago.

GOP group apologizes for mistakenly posting KKK image  —  A Republican group in Alabama is apologizing after accidentally using a picture of the GOP elephant that contained Ku Klux Klan imagery.  The Lawrence County Republican Party intended to post an image of the GOP elephant on its Facebook page …

Home Appraised With a Black Owner: $472,000.  With a White Owner: $750,000.  —  Nathan Connolly and his wife, Shani Mott, say an appraisal company undervalued their home based on their race.  The couple has filed a lawsuit in Maryland.  —  Last summer, Nathan Connolly and his wife …

Who Will Get Rid of Putin?  The Answer Is Grim.  —  What's easier to imagine — Vladimir Putin suddenly declaring an end to the war on Ukraine and withdrawing his troops or a Russia without Mr. Putin that revises his policies, ends the war and begins to build relations with Ukraine and the West on a peaceful new foundation?

'I don't see justice in this war': Russian soldier exposes rot at core of Ukraine invasion  —  Exclusive: Pavel Filatyev has fled his homeland after publishing a 141-page account detailing his experiences on the frontline  —  avel Filatyev knew the consequences of what he was saying.

Madison Cawthorn Personally Lost Big Money With Failed Campaign  —  The soon-to-be-former congressman's latest campaign filing shows big problems.  —  After losing his primary in May, Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) now officially identifies himself as a self-employed investor.

New Cortez Masto ad goes after Laxalt's family upbringing in tight Nevada Senate race  —  Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., has already hit Republican opponent Adam Laxalt with negative ads that have garnered some criticism.  —  But her latest is a doozy.

The Satanic Panic Is Back, and It's Bipartisan  —  A new poll looking at Americans' belief in conspiracy theories finds high levels of support for loony-tunes ideas about sex, Satan, and U.S. institutions.  In addition, more than half of those surveyed believed child sex-trafficking myths.

The Gubernatorial Races: Look to the West  —  Dear Readers: We all know democracy is in crisis, but what can we do to fix it?  Politics Is Everything is a new podcast from the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia hosted by Carah Ong Whaley, Kyle Kondik, and other members of the Center for Politics team.

Finnish PM: No drugs, just lots of dancing at ‘wild’ party  —  Finland's prime minister says she did not take any drugs during a “wild” party in a private home, adding she did nothing wrong when letting her hair down and partying with friends.  A video posted on a social media shows six people dancing …

Michigan governor's race could cost $100 million as billionaire DeVos family spends millions to oust Gov. Gretchen Whitmer  — State records show DeVos family members contributed more than $4 million toward outside groups that have either supported Tudor Dixon or blasted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.