Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Soon after Donald Trump announced plans to dispatch National Guard troops to the southern border, the Trump campaign sent out an alert to supporters, hoping to collect contact information for future use.
* Larry Kudlow, the new head of the White House National Economic Council, argued yesterday that nervous Republican candidates shouldn't worry about the adverse effects of Donald Trump's trade policies. "We don't want to hurt districts," he told Roll Call. "We don't want to hurt congressmen. And I think, at the end ... of my mythical rainbow, they're all going to come out ahead."
* Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) conceded to Kentucky Today that this year will be "challenging" for his party. "We know the wind is going to be in our face," he said. "We don't know whether it's going to be a Category 3, 4 or 5."
* Though I've never fully understood it, the Independent Democratic Caucus in New York's state Senate has effectively allowed Republicans to control the chamber. Yesterday, the IDC disbanded -- and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D), running for re-election this year, was on hand for the event.
* Still desperate for evidence that he's not unpopular, Donald Trump is starting to promote Rasmussen data with increasing frequency. I continue to think that's a bad idea.
* In Oklahoma, state Rep. Kevin McDugle (R) this week denounced the teachers demanding increased investments in education, writing in a since-deleted Facebook post that he would not vote "for another stinking (education) measure when they're acting the way they're acting." As the Tulsa World reported, Cyndi Ralston, an educator for the last 30 years, announced soon after that she's running against McDugle.
* And former Vice President Joe Biden continues to maintain an extremely busy schedule. He announced plans yesterday to headline a fundraising event next week in Tennessee in support of former Gov. Phil Bredesen (D), the party's U.S. Senate candidate this year.