Thomas Piketty: “Germany has never repaid.”  —  In a forceful interview with German newspaper Die Zeit, the star economist Thomas Piketty calls for a major conference on debt.  Germany, in particular, should not withhold help from Greece.  —  This interview has been translated from the original German.

Confessions of a Clinton reporter: The media's 5 unspoken rules for covering Hillary  —  The reporter's job is to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable” — a credo that, humorously, was originally written as a smear of the self-righteous nature of journalists.

Donald Trump Deletes Tweet About Jeb Bush's Wife: You Like ‘Mexican Illegals’ Because of Your Wife  —  Real estate mogul quoted another user's tweet about Bush and his wife on July 4th; deleted a day later  —  Donald Trump appears to have deleted a tweet he quoted that made questionable comments about Jeb Bush and his wife.

White House defends immigration policies after killing of San Francisco woman  —  The White House on Monday defended its immigration policies and blasted Republicans following the killing of a San Francisco woman — allegedly by an illegal immigrant.  —  When asked if the case was a failure …

South Carolina Senate votes to remove Confederate flag  —  The South Carolina Senate has voted overwhelmingly to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds.  —  Senate members voted 37-3 on Monday to remove the flag, according to the Post and Courier.

Team Clinton ‘worried’ about Bernie Sanders campaign  —  Hillary Clinton's campaign is “worried” about Bernie Sanders, whom a top Clinton aide described as a “serious force” in the 2016 battle.  —  “We are worried about him, sure.  He will be a serious force for the campaign …

Video shows punch that led to QB De'Andre Johnson's arrest  —  FSU quarterback De'Andre Johnson at the Tallahassee bar Yiannis, State Attorney's Office  —  The State Attorney's Office released surveillance video today of Florida State University quarterback De'Andre Johnson punching a woman at a bar last month.

APNewsBreak: Cosby said he got drugs to give women for sex  —  5 photos  —  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bill Cosby admitted in 2005 that he got quaaludes with the intent of giving them to young women he wanted to have sex with, and that he gave the sedative to at least one woman and “other people …

Jerry Weintraub Dead — ‘Oceans’ Mega Producer Dies at 77  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  Jerry Weintraub ... the producer behind the “Ocean's 11” remakes, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley died today at the age of 77 ... TMZ has learned.  —  We're told Weintraub's been in failing health recently …

Minister No More!  —  The referendum of 5th July will stay in history as a unique moment when a small European nation rose up against debt-bondage.  —  Like all struggles for democratic rights, so too this historic rejection of the Eurogroup's 25th June ultimatum comes with a large price tag attached.

Scott Walker's wife, toughened by life, is ready for fires of a campaign  —  WAUWATOSA, Wis. — Tonette Tarantino's year of sorrow came when she was only 30.  First she lost the grandmother who helped raise her, like a second mother.  Weeks later her brother, her only sibling, died of bone cancer.

Wisconsin's Shame: ‘He Could Have Been Shot.  Over Politics’  —  It was still dark outside when “Jonah” (not his real name) heard the pounding on his front door.  As luck would have it, he was awake — or mostly awake.  He'd gotten up at 4:00 a.m. on October 3, 2013, to see his parents off to the airport.

Alien Life On Philae Comet, Scientists Say  —  An image transmitted by the Rosetta space craft  —  Evidence of alien life is “unequivocal” on the comet carrying the Philae probe through space, two leading astronomers have said.  —  The experts say the most likely explanation for certain features …

Judge not: GOP blocks dozens of Obama court picks  —  The standoff could diminish the stamp that Obama leaves on the judiciary.  —  The GOP-controlled Senate is on track this year to confirm the fewest judges since 1969, a dramatic escalation of the long-running partisan feud over the ideological makeup of federal courts.

Welcome To Culture War 4.0: The Coming Overreach  —  For those Americans who hoped the culture wars would finally end, the month of June reminded us they're just getting started.  —  Within hours of the Supreme Court's resolution of the battle over same-sex marriage—the triumph of a generation …