* Obama nearly steals Clinton's thunder at the DNC, and Joe Biden is ever his Biden-y self. * Hillary Clinton’s husband wore a fetching pantsuit at the DNC. * Trump encourages Russia to hack Clinton's emails, and contemplates endorsing its seizure of Crimea. * Later, Trump says he
* Five takeaways from the night that Hillary became the first female major-party nominee in US history. * Confirming the FLOTUS's speech: Historians have long acknowledged the role of slaves in building the White House. * The joke that Sarah Silverman didn't use at the DNC: "This
* Michele Obama wows in Philadelphia—the best person to credibly give a children-centered speech. * Brief history of glass ceilings broken in politics. * The Democrats aren't in disarray—it's Bernie's dead-enders who are in a snit. * Sixteen years ago, William F. Buckley cautioned
* Democrats open their convention in chaos over emails that show dirty dealings toward Sanders. * Clinton campaign manager says emails were leaked by Russian hackers "for the purpose of helping Donald Trump." * Following leak of emails, DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigns. * White House hires hackers to handle relatively
* In Trump's big speech, he conjures up chaos, promises overnight solutions, and portrays himself as a messiah prepared to rescue the country. * Judging by Trump's global views, Clinton is now running against Putin. * The median age of a primetime Fox News viewer is 68, according to
* American airstrike in Syria kills scores of civilians mistaken for ISIS troops. * The Philippines sees wave of extrajudicial killings—but addicted victims elicit little sympathy. * Erdogan uses coup as excuse to clean up civil service, with a travel ban for academics thrown in for good measure. * Cruz's onstage
* Plagiarism blamed on Melania Trump herself, plus a ballet dancing ghostwriter who was an English major. * It's hard to call any political speech plagiarized—they’re all the same anyway. * For Trump to win the general election, it'll require "the most absent-minded political revolution
* Cleveland's GOP convention begins, and Melania Trump lifts a key passage from Michelle Obama's 2008 convention speech. * RNC invites multi-level marketing pyramid schemer to speak. * “Never Trump” Republicans seethe after close call at the start of the convention. * Turkey's latest coup makes no
* Republicans roll into Cleveland for the RNC, with Monday's theme focused on law and order. * Alleged gunman who killed three Baton Rouge police officers yesterday identified as a former marine. * Twenty-six cops have been killed so far in 2016, up 44% from 2015. * FWIW: Hate-ridden Orlando
A young woman is covered in tattoos and her parents have no idea, so she made a video—complete with choir—to show her parents what she's been hiding. Made by Bianca Giaever for This American Life. There's plenty of Giaever's work in the
