Puzzling party

The rise of Donald Trump to the top of the Republican party has been puzzling to many to say the least. Many speculations for that rise have been offered; however, according to some, the main reason might be the majority of Republicans are not true conservatives.

Patrick Gannon: McCrory, Cooper fight to a draw in first debate

In the days following North Carolina's first gubernatorial debate of 2016, polls show Gov. Pat McCrory and N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper neck-and-neck in one of the more closely watched governor's races in the country. A Public Policy Polling survey released in late June showed the candidates deadlocked at 41 percent.

Five key things to watch as Clinton email investigation grows

Howard Baker, then a senator from Tennessee, captured the essence of the Watergate scandal that took down the presidency of Richard M. Nixon in these simple words : "It is almost always the cover-up rather than the event that causes trouble." Nixon resigned 42 years ago, but Baker's words have lived on in Washington, because the impulse to conceal a misdeed is shared by politicians of every persuasion, including Hillary Clinton, who is now running for the office Nixon vacated.

Kathleen Parker: Brexit, meet Trexit

On the surface, this may seem an odd question, but the concerns that led a majority of Brits to vote Also similar have been reactions to Brexit and to Trump's political rise. Analysts and market speculators were shocked that the prediction models they used were wrong.

Trump supporters holding firm

What happens when the veteran pollster Peter D. Hart invites 11 blue-collar and service-industry voters into a downtown office suite here and bids them to talk politics? You are reminded that the despair among those in families with incomes below $50,000 is as deep as the anger they have expressed at the polls all year. You learn that the shortcomings rivals identify in presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump are seen as strengths among his backers.

Critical groups

With each party's presidential candidate virtually chosen, with only the formal procedure of the conventions yet to occur, three critical groups of voters remain in the likely, but still uncertain, category. The questions surrounding each group are whether their expressed opinions will actually translate into votes in November, and whether they will change their choice between now and Election Day.

Ruling boosts corruption

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Berning down the house

Operating theory: Bernie Sanders would be a-okay with a Trump presidency, if it would mean Sanders' own elevation into the far-left activist hall of fame. Sanders still refuses clearly to state the obvious: Namely, that for anyone who cares about the well-being of working people, immigrants and liberal values, Hillary Clinton would be a far superior President to Trump.

The Latest: Alito reads aloud dissenting abortion opinion

Amy Hagstrom Miller, founder of Whole Woman's Health, a Texas women's health clinic that provides abortions, rejoices as she leaves the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday, June 27, 2016, as the justices struck down the ... . Lucy Ceballos, center, and Isabella Soto, left, members of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Texas' abortion restrictions in front of Whole Woman's Hea... AUSTIN, Texas - The Latest on the Supreme Court's decision striking down Texas' strict regulation of abortion clinics : At the U.S. Supreme Court, the justices' decision in the Texas abortion clinic case provoked a strong response from Justice Samuel Alito.

Evangelical vote? Trump, Clinton, nobody?

There are many who will cross party lines on occasion, especially if one bum or another manages to snag the nomination to appear on the ballot, despite disagreement among the party faithful over those candidates' positions or demeanor. And there are many other voters who base their selections solely on a specific issue -- abortion comes to mind immediately.

A welcome and needed windfall for CAT and public transit in…

It's encouraging to see state officials acknowledge that Atlanta isn't the only community in Georgia that has serious transportation problems and needs help from the state. On Wednesday, Gov. Nathan Deal announced that Chatham Area Transit is one of nine systems in the state to receive grant funding from Georgia's $75 million GO! Transit Capital program.

LETTERS: Readers sound off on Title IX confusion at Baylor and wide…

Watching the drama at Baylor University unfold, we have seen a lot of media-fueled hysteria followed by knee-jerk reactions with little careful thought and consideration. We also have seen the Baylor University regents act rashly to remove high-level administrators and employees without a single document - the law firm Pepper Hamilton reportedly presented its conclusions orally without documents - to support them.

LETTERS: Readers express opinions on self-defense, drafting women, spiritual needs

Readers express opinions on self-defense, drafting women, spiritual needsThe Senate recently passed S 2943, the National Defense Authorization Act, which currently includes a provision forcing young women to sign up for the Selective Service, making them eligible for a future military draft.Women and men have equal natural rights, but equality ... (more)

Column: Why political correctness is a good thing

Why did a 29-year-old man who had previously been investigated by the FBI remain free and able to terrorize an Orlando gay bar? The NRA's Chris Cox wrote a column for USA Today identifying political correctness - specifically, the Obama administration's - as the chief factor in creating the opportunity for the massacre. He later doubled down on his claim in an interview with Face the Nation.