Wiretap: Did the ‘Shadow Brokers’ really just hack the NSA?

In the shadows

It was one thing when someone (probably the Russians) hacked the Democratic National Committee, embarrassing the DNC but basically doing no other damage. But now it seems that the Shadow Brokers, whoever they are — and they’re maybe connected to the Russians — may have hacked the National Security Agency, which could be more than embarrassing. Via The New York Times.

Urge to merge

Is Aetna’s pullback from Obamacare about making or losing money — or about making or losing a proposed merger with Humana that the Obama administration is opposing? Via Politico.

Back to harass

Roger Ailes wasn’t gone for very long. The former Fox News chairman, kicked out of his job on charges of sexual harassment, is back as a debate adviser for Donald Trump, presumably now to harass Hillary Clinton. Via The New York Times.

Some strategy

Trump visits a 95 percent white Wisconsin town, an hour’s drive from the violent protests in Milwaukee, to appeal for black votes, accusing  Clinton of “bigotry” and Democrats of having “betrayed” the African-American community. It could work. Via Politico.

Serbs love Trump

Despite what you see in the polls, Trump seems to be doing very well in certain places. Like Serbia. Via The Washington Post.

Sick burns

The fight between Sean Hannity and The Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens over Trump — and why it’s so hard to find anyone to root for. Via Vox.

Silly Hillary

Jeet Heer writes that Hillary Clinton is the silly putty of American politics, and that her malleability just may be the best thing that could happen to the progressive movement. Via The New Republic.

Do Not Leak

The FBI sends Congress the material it used in determining that Clinton should not be charged. And here’s the kicker: The FBI sent the case notes with the warning that the material should not be leaked. Via CNN.

Burkini ban

Kathleen Parker: And so now the French (or at least some French cities) are banning the burkini. It’s just one more example of men getting exercised over what women wear at the beach. Via The Washington Post.

Cool runnings

Sometimes the Olympic stories about sportsmanship are real. This time there was the “girl shaking my shoulder, telling me, ‘Come on, get up,'” as two racers who collided and fell in a 5,000-meter heat got up and struggled to the finish line. Via The Washington Post.

Photo credit: Adikos, Creative Commons, Flickr