Todd Blanche is a surprisingly competent lawyer. And he’s on track to keep Donald Trump out of jail until the election. trib.al/PIOtjqf

Todd Blanche doesn’t have to believe his client, Donald Trump. He just needs to keep him out of jail until after the election. @riceID reports for our latest cover story: trib.al/Bi6IRnD

If Jerome Powell would lower interest rates — and therefore make housing and much of everything else cheaper — it would probably help Joe Biden’s election odds. But the Federal Reserve doesn’t look ready to help him. trib.al/yMLRpPu

Meta has an idea: Instead of ever leaving its apps, why not stay and chat with an AI? It’s putting its chatbots everywhere so you don’t go anywhere, writes John Herrman. trib.al/gbzJG6K

Donald Trump’s repeated lie that he won Michigan’s ‘Man of the Year’ award resulted in a cringey display of Republican fealty. trib.al/S0G0VTo

Suspended Barnard College student Isra Hirsi talks to Sarah Jones about the purpose of the encampment, the crackdown by Columbia president Shafik, and what’s next for her and other pro-Palestinian activists on campus. trib.al/sTiAm0E

The House of Representative’s vote on the $95 billion aid package pits Speaker Mike Johnson against hard-right Republicans who oppose more aid for Ukraine. Here are the latest updates. trib.al/c42TnhP

Democracy doesn’t need independent candidates like RFK Jr. Candidates who represent no party or distinct point of view other than their own ambitions don’t make our system better. They’re often just spoilers. trib.al/uquca9o

“I thought it was a profile in courage to do the right thing and be on the right side of history,’ explained one House GOP colleague about embattled Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. trib.al/YkVjtTm

Inside Salman Rushdie’s book party — a defiant celebration of ‘Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder’ caps a physical (and reputational) comeback. trib.al/cRGXwK5

The Trump campaign plans to deploy over 100,000 election “observers” at the polls in November. This should ensure there’s lots of material for fraud allegations, even if it’s all frivolous. trib.al/C5K60Rk

Will Taylor Swift endorse Joe Biden? The ‘Tortured Poets Department’ singer has not made a 2024 presidential election endorsement. But it seems likely she’ll support Biden again since she has beef with Trump. Here’s when to expect her announcement. trib.al/wYsg026

Ron Wydens discusses the FISA Section 702 expansion bill that could make thousands of businesses part of a foreign surveillance dragnet. trib.al/RNBzxYq

The man wrapped in an American flag who self-immolated near Trump's trial has been identified as Max Azzarello, who published a manifesto minutes before the fire trib.al/CpFoumI

Online spaces once plastered with ads — not just publications but social networks, too — are now full of salespeople working on commission. Product recommendations have eaten the web and broken Google in the process. trib.al/TjoN0mJ

New York police had trouble reaching the scene because of all the barricades. Here are the latest updates on this developing story. trib.al/jYoiKT7

An individual set themselves on fire outside of the courthouse where Donald Trump is on trial. The video showed police rushing into barricades set up for crowd control at the fire to extinguish the individual, who was seen twitching in flames. trib.al/XDZppzS

What do Trump vs. Biden polls say about the hush money trial? Polls show voters think these are the least serious charges against Trump. Reactions to a possible conviction match party affiliation. trib.al/K2pfWQV

Republican national Committee co-chait Lara Trump threatened, ‘There are no holds barred here. He is going full-throttle. He’s not worried about winning another election. It’s four years of scorched earth when Donald Trump retakes the White House.’ trib.al/zatXvGV

Still, Trump will probably lose in the Supreme Court. But he might win in the political arena, writes legal columnist Elie Honig. trib.al/uKshsmZ