National News at a Glance

Embracing Conspiracy Theory, Trump Escalates Attack on Bruce Ohr

President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to quickly revoke the security clearance of Bruce Ohr, a little-known Justice Department official, for the first time seeking to apply his power to cut access to sensitive information to a midlevel government worker rather than a prominent former national security official. The president told reporters that Ohr was “a disgrace” and said incorrectly that Ohr played a part in starting the investigation into Russian election interference and possible links to Trump associates. Trump began this week to use his power to void security clearances to punish perceived adversaries in the Russia investigation.

Trade War Worries Iowa Republicans in a Close House Race

Iowa has a lot riding on global trade. Its farmers export 1 of every 4 rows of soybeans. One in 5 Iowans has a job tied to agriculture. John Deere has several plants in the state, and hundreds of metal manufacturers churn out fences and grain bins for growers. If the trade dispute between the United States and much of the world isn’t resolved soon, economists say, it will almost certainly lead to financial losses across the state. Republican strategists worry that the unease over that possibility may be enough to keep party faithful at home on Election Day.

Rite of Passage for Candidates That Goes Well With a Corn Dog

A year from now, the Iowa State Fair will be the political epicenter of the country. The New York Timesspoke with fairgoers, who provide a political bellwether for the 2020 presidential election and the midterms in November. “It’s not Iowa’s job to pick the president,” said Paul D. Pate, the Iowa secretary of state. “It’s our job to ask the questions you would want asked.” The relentless politicking seems to be testing the outer limits of “Iowa Nice,” but the state relishes its role as the first presidential caucus in the nation.

Trump’s Plan for Coal Emissions: Let Coal States Regulate Them

The Trump administration next week plans to formally propose a vast overhaul of climate change regulations that would allow individual states to decide how, or even whether, to curb carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants, according to a summary of the plan and details provided by three people who have seen the full proposal. The plan would also relax pollution rules for power plants that need upgrades. That, combined with allowing states to set their own rules, creates a serious risk that emissions, which had been falling, could start to rise again, according to environmentalists.

Trump Calls Manafort Trial ‘Sad,’ But Is Quiet on a Possible Pardon

President Donald Trump refused to say on Friday whether he would pardon Paul Manafort as a federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, ended its second day of deliberations without reaching a verdict in Manafort’s financial fraud trial. The jurors are weighing what prosecutors have called overwhelming evidence that Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, engaged in a seven-year scheme to hide more than $16 million in income and deceive banks into lending him $20 million. Asked on Friday whether he would pardon Manafort if he is convicted, Trump replied: “I don’t talk about that, no. I don’t talk about that.”

Some States Sitting on Piles of Cash, and Cities Want a Cut

Ohio announced a budget surplus of $657 million in July. State officials have made it clear, however, that none of the windfall will go to any city or town, many of which are struggling because of heavy cuts made by the state over the years. Instead, Ohio is putting it all away in a rainy-day fund that now totals nearly $2.7 billion. What’s happening in this political swing state offers a snapshot of what is playing out across the country. States have reaped the benefits of an expanding national economy, at least 39 have reported budget surpluses.

Citing Costs, Trump Retreats From Massive Military Parade in Capital

President Donald Trump on Friday surrendered his order for a massive military parade in the nation’s capital. Trump sought to blame local government officials in Washington for inflating the price of the parade “so ridiculously high that I cancelled it” — a charge they swiftly rejected. Several administration officials described a sort of sticker shock after seeing a Pentagon estimate that soared as high as $92 million. Responding in a tweet of her own, Washingtons Mayor Muriel E. Bowser said she was “the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House” so he would understand the “realities” of the expense of the kind of parade he wanted.