"Republicans in Congress are barreling toward a September showdown with the White House over its plan to give up oversight of the internet, as the Obama administration tries to rally support from the tech and telecom industries.

"GOP lawmakers have long warned that the administration's plan to relinquish its authority over ICANN, the global nonprofit that manages the internet's domain name system, could give authoritarian countries like China and Russia an opening to make an online power grab. Now, as the actual date of the transition approaches -- Oct. 1 -- Republicans are looking at throwing up new obstacles.

"Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is pledging to make the issue his primary focus this month, beginning with a floor speech on Thursday, in which he's expected to rail against the Obama administration's strategy. Cruz has already launched a website claiming the president is 'giving away the internet,' complete with a spinning countdown clock against a black background. And he's scheduled a hearing of the Senate Judiciary oversight subcommittee he chairs next week to 'investigate the possible dangers' of the plan."

"Lawmakers are plunging into another fight over Iran sanctions with economic restrictions on the country set to expire at the end of the year.

"Both parties acknowledge that there are enough votes in the House and Senate to renew the sanctions -- but the agreement ends there.

"Outraged by President Obama's nuclear deal, Republicans are seeking to put new restrictions on Iran. And a few moderate Democrats appear willing to go along.

"But the White House is in no mood to negotiate. It has said strengthening the sanctions law could be interpreted as going back on the nuclear deal, meaning the president would likely veto tougher legislation."

"In 37 states and the District of Columbia, any qualified voter may cast a ballot in person during a specified period before Election Day. This includes Oregon, Washington, and Colorado -- which automatically mail ballots to all voters. In 2012, a little more than 31 percent of Americans cast their ballot before Election Day.

"Early voting now represents a good idea run amok. New laws that aimed to make casting a ballot easier and more convenient for busy voters have created Election Month. In some states, voters have six weeks to pull the lever. 'Campaign season' has become 'voting season.' Candidates' political operations may find these rules particularly convenient -- every vote you know you've turned out before Election Day is one less you have to worry about on a particular Tuesday in November -- but the trend will almost inevitably come back to bite voters. ...

"This year, the earliest of ballots will be cast before any of the three presidential debates or the vice-presidential debate. Suppose in the final debate, Hillary Clinton has a sudden mental breakdown and begins barking like a dog. (Again.) Or imagine that Donald Trump declares that he loves reading Hitler's speeches, or some other statement completely beyond the pale. Some voters would suddenly realize they had already cast a ballot for a candidate they cannot abide, and there is no way to un-do their decision."

"Though it was not their primary mission, FBI agents who investigated Hillary Clinton's email collected significant evidence suggesting she and her team violated federal record-keeping laws, including persisting to use a private Blackberry and server to conduct State Department business after being warned they posed legal and security risks, government sources tell Circa. The evidence was compelling enough to convince FBI Director James Comey that the Clinton team had not complied with record-keeping laws and to cause at least one witness to raise their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during an investigative interview, the sources said.

"In public, the FBI recommended not filing criminal charges against Clinton on national security grounds. But in private, the Bureau chose to defer to the State Department on whether to recommend anyone to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution on records law violations, the sources said, speaking only on condition of anonymity. Each email transmission of a government document that was not preserved or turned over to the State Department from Mrs. Clinton's tenure could theoretically be considered a violation of the Federal Records Act, the main law governing preservation of government records and data.

"Other federal laws make it a felony to intentionally conceal, remove or destroy federal records as defined under the Act, punishable with a fine and imprisonment of up to three years. A single conviction also carries a devastating impact for anyone looking to work again in government because the law declares that any violator 'shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States.'"

"Despite a funding cut-off threat from the Justice Department, over 300 so-called 'sanctuary cities' are protecting thousands of illegal criminal immigrants from federal arrest and deportation, according to a new analysis.

"The Center for Immigration Studies on Wednesday published a new interactive map identifying the cities, towns and counties that have so far protected at least 17,000 criminal illegals instead of handing them over to federal authorities. Of those, 68 percent have prior criminal records.

"'Across the U.S., there are over 300 cities, counties, and states that are considered "sanctuary cities." These jurisdiction protect criminal aliens from deportation by refusing to comply with U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement detainers or otherwise impede open communication and information exchanges between their employees or officers and federal immigration agents,' said the analysis from experts."

"The Clintons just refuse to play by the rules -- whether it's 'renting out' the Lincoln Bedroom to big campaign donors in Bill's White House, or giving preferential access to big Clinton Foundation donors at Hillary's State Department.

"And when they get caught, they never, ever just apologize and come clean. Instead, they circle the wagons and stonewall. Finally they answer the drip, drip, drip of fresh damning details with chants of 'old news' and 'let's move on.'

"It's how they'€™ve rolled for four decades in the public eye. ...

You've been warned -- again."

"For years, ObamaCare supporters have been telling critics of the law to shut up and fall in line. Now, they are urging them to come to its rescue.

"A key part of President Obama's domestic legacy is sputtering so badly that even the law's boosters are admitting that the federal government needs to do more to prop it up.

"The ObamaCare exchanges were supposed to enhance choice and hold down costs -- and are doing neither. Abandoned by more and more insurers, the exchanges -- once billed as robust 'marketplaces' -- are becoming pitiful shadows of themselves."

"That didn't take long.

"It was beyond question Hillary Clinton would play the race card. The only issue was when. Progressives are born without forearms, which affords them the ability to have so many such cards up their sleeves. But playing it this early and this forcefully does not demonstrate strength on Hillary's part; it's a testament to her insecurity and weakness. ...

"The 'racist' cries are usually saved for closer to the election, when polls tighten and Democrats worry about turnout. A little fearmongering goes a long way to motivate the otherwise uninterested. That it comes in August reeks of desperation, an aroma permeating the Clinton campaign in recent weeks. ...

"This election is months ahead of schedule when it comes to progressives' panic level. The next 2 1/2 months either will be something to watch or the ugliest invective-filled nightmare this country has ever seen."

"This is the week that the steady drip, drip, drip of details about Hillary Clinton's server turned into a waterfall. This is the week that we finally learned why Mrs. Clinton used a private communications setup, and what it hid. This is the week, in short, that we found out that the infamous server was designed to hide that Mrs. Clinton for three years served as the U.S. Secretary of the Clinton Foundation."

"Welcome and congratulations on your acceptance to the College at the University of Chicago. Earning a place in our community of scholars is no small achievement and we are delighted that you selected Chicago to continue your intellectual journey.

"Once here you will discover that one of the University of Chicago's defining characteristics is our commitment to freedom of inquiry and expression. This is captured in the University's faculty report on freedom of expression. Members of our community are encouraged to speak, write, listen, challenge and learn, without fear of censorship. Civility and mutual respect are vital to all of us, and freedom of expression does not mean the freedom to harass or threaten others. You will find that we expect members of our community to be engaged in rigorous debate, discussion, and even disagreement. At times this may challenge you and even cause discomfort.

"Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called 'trigger warnings,' we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual 'safe spaces' where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own.

"Fostering the free exchange of ideas reinforces a related University priority -- building a campus that welcomes people of all backgrounds. Diversity of opinion and background is a fundamental strength of our community. The members of our community must have the freedom to espouse and explore a wide range of ideas."