The most popular convention speaker on Monday night isn’t who you think it is

Donald Trump is joined by his wife Melania as he speaks during a news conference at the Trump National Golf Club Westchester, Tuesday, June 7, 2016, in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. Trump had promised a convention soaked in celebrity, a different kind of convention. And so we get an opening night during which Americans who tune in will hear from celebrities from "Duck Dynasty's" Willie Robertson to former sitcom actor Scott Baio.

In Trump’s GOP, Jeff Sessions rockets from the fringe to prime time

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, right, stands beside Sen. Jeff Sessions during a Feb. 28 rally in Madison, Ala. By the time Jeff Sessions appeared before the Senate to answer questions about his nomination to the federal bench, his reputation was in tatters.

The Latest: Manafort: Bushes are ‘part of the past’ of GOP

Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort walks off the floor of the Republican National Convention at Quicken Loans Arena after talking to reporters, Sunday, July 17, 2016, in Cleveland. . Workers place a sign as they prepare at Quicken Loans Arena for the Republican National Convention, Sunday, July 17, 2016, in Cleveland.

The Latest: Manafort: Close to 20 states are battlegrounds

Donald Trump's campaign chair says he has "close to 20" states on his list of competitive general election battlegrounds. Paul Manafort says that includes such states as Connecticut and Oregon, which he says are coming into play.

ICYMI: Semi-retired president decides the time is right to revisit the public option for Obamacare

Well, it seems like the public option, a long coveted provision by liberal Democrats on health care is making a comeback. President Obama announced that he would like to see a government-run option to compete with private insurance, which represents another step towards socialized medicine : "Public programs like Medicare often deliver care more cost-effectively by curtailing administrative overhead and securing better prices from providers," Obama writes in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Trump’s convention to feature less glitz, more family

Donald Trump once promised a "showbiz" convention, packed with flash, celebrities and a "winner's night" featuring sports stars and champion coaches. Instead, the Republican National Convention kicking off Monday is shaping up to be a staid family-focused affair, with a lineup that features everyday Americans, successful business people and four of his five children.

Troubled GOP convention opens amid violence

The Republican National Convention is set to kick off as the nation reels from another deadly shooting and dissident delegates stage a longshot, last-gasp effort to deny Donald Trump the GOP nomination for president. Amid the tumult, it was undeniably Trump's moment - a week at the pinnacle of American politics that few could have imagined when the New York billionaire entered the race a year ago.

Portman’s Ohio campaign differs sharply from Trump’s

Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman and his re-election team have been beating the bushes and sifting through reams of data for more than a year. Republicans say Trump needs to take a page from Portman's playbook, and they worry that Trump's flyby approach to one of the most important states on the electoral map won't give him the edge he needs over Democrat Hillary Clinton, who already has a strong Ohio operation.

Coalesce around Trump, governor urges state GOP

None of Arkansas' top Republican leaders supported Donald Trump in the state's March 1 primary, but now that the party's presidential nominating convention is here, they're lining up to back him. Five of the six Republicans in the state's congressional delegation are present.

Tim Kaine as vice president? That would leave a key opening in the Senate.

Just the suggestion that Hillary Clinton may select Sen. Timothy M. Kaine as a running mate has Virginia political circles abuzz about who might replace the swing-state senator if he joins the Democratic presidential ticket. In the event of a Clinton-Kaine victory, state law requires Gov. Terry McAuliffe to appoint someone to fill Kaine's Senate seat for about a year.

At their convention, Republicans will overlook Trump’s foreign policy incompetence

This week's Republican National Convention in Cleveland will be a watershed moment in the takeover of Republican foreign policy by Donald Trump. We are about to watch a host of senior party leaders water down or whitewash their dismay about their candidate's eccentric views about the United States' role in the world.

Four-day GOP convention, six speeches from Trumps

The headline speakers over four nights will include no less than a half-dozen members of the Trump clan, as the Republican party hopes to sand off some of the rough edges on its unpopular candidate with the loving touches of family. The sextet's performance starts Monday.

Talking Points: The GOP Convention In Cleveland

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Connecticut Police Increase Vigilance In Wake Of Baton Rouge Shootings

Police across Connecticut were asked to increase vigilance after the shooting deaths of three police officers in Baton Rouge, La., Sunday morning. "All members of the Hartford Police Department are reminded to maintain situational awareness at all times and utilize officer safety tactics and techniques," Deputy Chief Brian Foley said in a statement released on Twitter.

Toomey likes Trump’s selection of Pence as VP pick

Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania says he likes Donald Trump's selection of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as a running mate, even though Toomey still has concerns about Trump as the GOP's presidential standard bearer. Toomey told The Associated Press on July 15 that Pence is a great guy.

EDITORIAL: Here comes Darryl Glenn

It is unwise for the political class to continue underestimating El Paso County Commissioner and U.S. Senate candidate Darryl Glenn, who consistently brings audiences to their feet. Glenn will have the entire country's attention Monday, when he speaks during a prime-time slot on the opening night of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

The servants behind Hillary’s server: Meet the staffers tied up in the email debacle

Before Hillary Clinton became secretary of state, an aide to Bill Clinton set up a private email server in a " " in the basement of his and Hillary's suburban New York home. Mrs. Clinton says she used email from that server out of " ," as she wanted to use her personal BlackBerry smartphone for all messages.

Hope on Haven Hill slated to open in fall, despite challenges

Kerry Norton and Colene Arnold have not had a good night's sleep since they founded Hope on Haven Hill. The planned residential facility for pregnant women battling substance abuse has come a long way since the two women went public with their idea in September 2015.