Inside the convention arena, before the convention. (AP Photo/Mark Gillispie)

At this time next week, we'll be in Cleveland watching...ok, we're not entirely sure, since the Trump campaign hasn't released a full convention schedule yet. (More on that below.) But here's a list made up mostly of things we do know:

Cleveland. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

—The polls are saying things. There was good news for Donald Trump in a string of state polls today, including a Quinnipiac Florida poll that had Trump gaining 11 points in a month, from an 8-point deficit down to 3-point lead, and tight races in Ohio in Pennsylvania. There was bad news, in a Monmouth University poll that had Clinton with a double digit lead in Colorado. And there was historically bad news: A string of the Ohio and Pennsylvania polls today — with a limited sample size — found Trump with 0 percent of the black vote in those states. As in, none. Though, as Philip Bump notes, "if you include the margin of error, it's possible that Trump is getting -10 percent of the black vote. (That's not a typo; the margin of error is 11 percent.)"

In other words: whoever you are, if you are reading this right now, unless you are Hillary Clinton (or perhaps a current third-party candidate not included in this direct head-to-head number), according to the most recent polls you are currently tied with Donald Trump among African American voters in two major swing states. Congratulations!

"This is all pretty remarkable, but clearly it's not the case that literally no black voters in Ohio or Pennsylvania will back Trump," says Bump. "It is also not the case, it seems pretty safe to assume, that Trump will win the black vote, as he has claimed in the past. Unless he means the one, solitary black vote in Ohio or Pennsylvania. That one vote. If that's what he meant, he's probably right."

Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Here are some other things we know about the numbers:

—National polls show Hillary Clinton with a bigger lead than state polls.

—Often — including today — different polls of the same state show wildly different results, with different leaders.

—And despite the fact that Donald Trump is doing far worse with some demographics than Republicans have in the past (we don't just mean traditionally Democratic voting blocs like African Americans. At this moment, Clinton is significantly outpacing Trump among college-educated white women, a group Republicans haven't lost at the presidential level in 20 years, according to exit polls), he's still very close to Clinton in many polls — even leading in some.

—Hillary Clinton tried to keep the focus on possible reasons for the Trump goose egg with black voters. At an Illinois campaign stop, she delivered "broadsides against her Republican opponent in an appearance that her campaign had previewed as a sober address about uniting the country in the wake of unsettling violence. 

"In a half-hour speech, Clinton argued that Trump does not belong in the White House when the country is grappling with difficult issues of race and violence.

Clinton urges empathy to heal national divisons

“Donald Trump’s campaign adds up to an ugly, dangerous message to America,” the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said. “A message that you should be afraid — afraid of people whose ethnicity is different, or whose religious faith is different, or who were born in a different country or hold different political beliefs.”

"The pattern that has emerged reflects a contest in which Clinton — who has high negative ratings herself — is placing as much value on disqualifying her opponent as she is on detailing her policy prescriptions for the country.

"Clinton’s aides recognized early on that it would be a challenge to run against a candidate with nearly universal name identification but who had not been fully vetted, said Simon Rosenberg, a Democratic strategist and a former aide to President Bill Clinton.

"'I think part of what’s going on in this election is that Americans are bored by politics and at least Donald Trump is interesting,' Rosenberg said. 'What the Clinton campaign has to do is not make him interesting but make him threatening.'..."

—We're at Peak Trump Veepstakes ahead of the Friday morning announcement in Manhattan, although campaign aides have also said news could emerge earlier. The presumptive GOP nominee and his family decided over the weekend to meet with each of the top contenders, a decision that made for precious moments like this one: "Former House speaker Newt Gingrich" — who still has $4.6 million of baggage from the last presidential campaign cycle — "was seen in Indiana late Wednesday morning by multiple Trump campaign associates who said he was scheduled to meet with Trump and his family. He appeared to be initially unaware that Trump had also met with [Indiana Gov. Mike] Pence until several news outlets reported the gathering."

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was in D.C. holding Trump presidential transition project meetings, reported Robert Costa. In Clinton veepstakes news: Retired Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis is reportedly being vetted.

—We learned that while campaign season isn't over, the legal battles have already begun: the presumptive nominee is asking for "$10 million in damages from a fired campaign consultant, alleging that the staffer disclosed information to media outlets in violation of a confidentiality agreement he signed, according to newly filed court documents.

"Trump is seeking the funds through arbitration from Sam Nunberg, who was fired from the campaign last summer amid clashes with then-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and for posting what the campaign said was racially offensive material on Facebook. Nunberg is trying to halt arbitration and has accused Trump's campaign of trying to cover up an affair between other campaign staffers.

"The dispute, which was thrust into public view through media reports on Wednesday, underscored Trump's practice of binding staffers to non-discloure agreements, which is highly unusual in political campaigns. It was also a concrete example of how the many firings and resignations that have rocked Trump's campaign could become distractions in the run-up to November."

Nunberg's petition to stop the arbitration "accuses the Trump campaign of 'a misguided attempt to cover up media coverage of an apparent affair its former campaign manager was witnessed as having with a Trump Campaign female staffer.'..."  

(In other legal news: Judge Gonzalo Curiel held his first hearing in the Trump University case since the presumptive nominee attacked him.)

Cleveland. (Photo by Angelo Merendino/Getty Images)

—We did not learn the speaker lineup for Cleveland, a full week after the day Trump had initially said he would be releasing those details,  "suggesting a last-minute scramble to book speakers," reported Philip Rucker. "Republican operatives have complained privately this week that likely speakers have not been given final word on when they will address the delegates or what themes the Trump team would like them to discuss in their remarks. Such late uncertainty is unusual, as political conventions tend to be tightly scripted and highly choreographed.

"Members of the Republican National Committee, which puts on the convention and is meeting here Cleveland this week, said they have been kept in the dark about the convention program.

"'Donald Trump’s run an unconventional campaign from the get-go and he said right from the outset he wanted an unconventional program with not the usual speakers,' said Steve Duprey, an RNC member from New Hampshire. 'Frankly, it might stir up more interest than parading out past luminaries of a party. Maybe the Trump way will work.'" Maybe!

Indiana. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Top 2 convention speaker thoughts in Rucker's story from ever-quotable GOP strategist and confirmed #NeverTrumper Rick Wilson:

—On Philadelphia: "Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Warren — they’re all going to be out there swinging for the fences. But the Republicans, it’ll be like a hostage video of people forced on stage." (In related news: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Michelle Obama will all be speaking on the first night of the Democratic convention, which starts a week from Monday. Today, Sanders lost his Secret Service protection. "Now I don’t have to tell anybody when I’m going to the bathroom," he joked.)

—On the parallel universe RNC: "'On Earth 2,' you’d be showing the Republican Party isn’t this stupid white boys’ club. But Donald Trump has rejected everybody who’s not in the stupid white boys’ club. At this point, we might as well have a giant cross burning out front."

Cleveland. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

—Speaking of convention mysteries: The list of #NeverTrump options has narrowed. Considerably. Nobody — probably not even the majority of those looking to stop Trump — know exactly what form the resistance might take in Cleveland. And the GOP is reportedly already mobilizing to stop it. But if the opposition did make The Q their Alamo, here's what might happen, via The Post's Ed O'Keefe:

"DONALD TRUMP EASILY SAILS TO THE NOMINATION. Likelihood: Better than most.

"DELEGATES BECOME 'UNBOUND.' Likelihood: Depends on how things go in the committee meeting. ...Keep an eye on two key swing votes: Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), and his wife, Sharon Lee. They're representing Utah on the committee and haven't signaled how they would vote" on a proposal that would allow delegates to vote as they wished, regardless of the results in their states. 

"THE 'ARRANGED MARRIAGE' OPTION. Likelihood: Depends on what happens with the 'unbind' proposals. ...Already, delegates aren't bound to vote for the vice presidential nominee, but they usually just bless the presidential candidate's pick. Given the concerns of conservatives upset by Trump's stance on trade, abortion rights, gay rights, etc., why not force him to run with a more conservative running mate?...

They could "FORCE A ROLL CALL OF THE STATES. Likelihood: Anti-Trump delegates will try, but likely fail, if Trump is on a glide path to the nomination." Note: This wouldn't actually stop a Trump nomination. It would just mean an "hours-long process designed to put on the record exactly how each of the 2,472 delegates voted in each of the 50 states, the District and five territories." 

They could "STAY OFF THE CONVENTION FLOOR. Likelihood: Unknown." (But "Don't bet on it.") "...If enough delegates temporarily head for the exits, it might rob Trump of the 1,237 delegates he needs to win on the first round of balloting. The group wants delegates to return to the floor once their state reaches the round of balloting that formally unbinds them to do whatever they want. ..."

Cleveland, before the storm. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File)

—Cleveland braced for impact. "The Cleveland jails are being emptied and its courts are staying open until 1 a.m. in case of mass arrests. Riot gear, handcuffs, body cameras — police equipment that cost tens of millions of dollars — are ready, and more than 70 law enforcement and government agencies are on alert.

"The Republican National Convention opens in Cleveland with a giant welcoming party Sunday in a national political climate so divisive that violence is expected and unprecedented police presence is in place.

"'You have a lot of angry people in the United States in 2016, and it seems a lot of it is focused on the political process,' said Ronald Adrine, the presiding Cleveland Municipal Court judge.

"Adrine said the Republican convention is the focus of a lot of anger, because 'you start with a very controversial presumptive nominee who generates a lot of ill feelings and a lot of support, and those tectonic plates are coming together and going to be moving under Cleveland.'..."

—The current Ginsburg-Trump feud status is Defcon 2. (It gets the upgrade because there are no lawsuits involved. Yet.) Today was the day Donald Trump said this:

He also questioned her mental capacity, called her incompetent, demanded an apology and added later that, if elected, he would "swamp Justice Ginsburg with real judges and real legal opinions!" (No, we don't know.)

And in today's paper, the New York Times editorial board said this:

There is no legal requirement that Supreme Court justices refrain from commenting on a presidential campaign. But Justice Ginsburg's comments show why their tradition has been to keep silent.

In this election cycle in particular, the potential of a new president to affect the balance of the court has taken on great importance, with the vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. As Justice Ginsburg pointed out, other justices are nearing an age when retirement would not be surprising. That makes it vital that the court remain outside the presidential process. And just imagine if this were 2000 and the resolution of the election depended on a Supreme Court decision. Could anyone now argue with a straight face that Justice Ginsburg's only guide would be the law?

Here's why Ruth Bader Ginsburg won't get in trouble for her Trump comments

Sure, justices have gotten political before. No, they have not gotten political quite like this. "It's hard if not impossible to find a direct analog to what Ginsburg has said in recent days," wrote Aaron Blake. "Supreme Court experts I've spoken to were unaware of any justices getting so directly and vocally involved — or involved at all, really — in a presidential campaign."

—And intrepid reporter David Fahrenthold found something that may represent a confirmed Trump charitable donation, probably.

"The Post has now contacted more than 200 charities, seeking evidence that Trump has donated millions of dollars out of his own pocket to charity — as Trump and his staff have said. The Post has found only 13 groups that reported receiving any personal gifts from Trump, at any time. (Trump has not released his tax returns, which would likely make his donations clear.)

"And so far, this chair — Seat E-9 at the Villagers Theatre in Somerset, N.J. — is the most substantial thing The Post has found, named after Trump because of a gift he gave.

A photo taken in May by Washington Post reader John Blum, in the Villagers Theatre in Somerset, N.J.

"Officials at the theater said the donation came more than 20 years ago. That estimate seems to be confirmed by the reference to 'Trump Castle,' an Atlantic City casino that hasn't had that name since 1997. (Trump renamed it, then sold it in 2011. It is now the Golden Nugget)." Old fundraising records could not be located, so a member of the theater's board say they are not sure how much money had been donated, or if Donald Trump had ever visited in person. 

But a programming note, in case you're in the Somerset, N.J. area: "As of Wednesday afternoon, Donald Trump's seat is still available for Friday night's production of 'Bring It On, The Musical'" (also known as 'That Other Musical Lin-Manuel Miranda Did. No, Not 'In The Heights' — the Other One. With the cheerleaders.') "Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for students and seniors."

YOUR DAILY TRAIL PIT STOP: As the main event approaches, we turn again to Mike Polk Jr.'s classic tribute to the town: "Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video"

HASTILY MADE CLEVELAND TOURISM VIDEO