Thursday's Headlines: Trump’s whiplash: Three personas in three speeches, but the same president

'I don't know how it got this bad': Trump supporters and protesters meet in Phoenix; 'Have you lost your minds?' Critics pile on Virginia GOP for saying Democrat rejected...

Democracy Dies in Darkness     The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Top Stories Trump's whiplash: Three personas in three speeches, but the same president Like a contestant on one of his reality TV shows, President Trump has showcased divergent traits with flourishes seemingly to survive another day of his beleaguered presidency. Or, as Trump the television producer might say, to keep up ratings. By Philip Rucker  •  Read more » 'I don't know how it got this bad': Trump supporters and protesters meet in Phoenix America's deepening political and racial divisions played out on the Arizona city's downtown streets this week. By Jenna Johnson, Danielle Paquette and Lourdes Medrano  •   Read more »   'Have you lost your minds?' Critics pile on Virginia GOP for saying Democrat rejected Confederate 'heritage' After state Republicans tweeted that gubernatorial nominee Ralph Northam "turned his back on his own family's heritage," the blowback was so severe that the party apologized. By Laura Vozzella and Fenit Nirappil  •   Read more »   Mosul learns the price of driving out militants: Homes are now graves Weeks after Iraq's landmark military victory that ended the Islamic State's occupation of Mosul, the terrible cost is emerging in quarters of the Old City ground to rubble by airstrikes, shelling and suicide bombs. Under the barrage were thousands of homes packed with families. By Kareem Fahim and Aaso Ameen Schwan  •   Read more »   Amid reports of a widening rift, Trump and McConnell push back The president has waged a public war with the Senate majority leader in recent weeks, but both issued statements Wednesday indicating unity on key Republican agenda items. By Abby Phillip  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT Opinions   The generals have Trump surrounded By Charles Lane  •   Read more »   Today, Stonewall Jackson. Tomorrow, Michael, Reggie and Jackson Hole By Dana Milbank  •   Read more »   The disgraceful way Trump walks in Obama's footsteps By George F. Will  •   Read more »   We know how a true leader deals with hatemongers. We've seen it. By Douglas Brinkley  •   Read more »   The most consequential question facing the world By E.J. Dionne Jr.  •   Read more »   What a president we could be proud of would have said in Phoenix By Editorial Board  •   Read more » ADVERTISEMENT More News   A reprieve for Joe Arpaio wouldn't be the first 'political pardon' issued by a president If the controversial former Arizona sheriff is pardoned — as President Trump strongly suggested this week — it will be one of the rare but not unprecedented instances when a president short-circuits legal proceedings and acts preemptively. By Devlin Barrett  •  Read more »     Energy Dept.'s recommendations would bolster coal, nuclear power plants The report on the electricity grid rejects the notion that regulations or renewable energy sources caused premature shutdowns of coal and nuclear plants over the past 16 years, noting that cheap, abundant natural gas had been the main factor. By Steven Mufson  •   Read more »   Qatar restores diplomatic ties to Iran amid regional crisis Since the diplomatic dispute with Arab nations began in June, Iran has sent food shipments to Qatar and it also has incorporated the crisis into its regular criticism of Saudi Arabia, part of the two Mideast powers' long-running proxy war. By Jon Gambrell | AP  •   Read more »   A teen reunited with her birth mother — who then killed her and burned her body, police say Rebecca Ruud is accused of murdering the teen, Savannah Leckie, whom she'd given up for adoption 16 years before. Investigators allege that Leckie was tortured on an isolated farm in Missouri, forced to crawl through hog pens and have salt rubbed in her wounds. By Avi Selk  •   Read more »   One postal worker faked cancer and got paid to miss two years of work. She received a special punishment. The woman got probation, was fined, ordered to pay restitution and she must serve 652 hours of community service at a cancer treatment center, cancer research center or hospice — precisely how many hours of falsified sick leave she took. By Alex Horton  •   Read more »   Missed the solar eclipse? You won't have to wait too long for the next one. If you didn't see it this time, you'll have another chance in less than seven years to see one in the United States. If you can't wait that long, there will be four others elsewhere in the world before then. By Justin Grieser  •   Read more »         Share Today's Headlines:    Twitter     Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. 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