The life and death of the Seth Rich conspiracy theory  —  When Seth Rich's Gmail account received an alert this week from Mega.com, attempting to start a new account on a website created by the New Zealand-based Internet businessman and convicted hacker Kim Dotcom, his family knew that something was off.

Everything we know about Salman Abedi, the Manchester suicide bomber  —  The Manchester Arena suicide bomber had made trips to Libya as intelligence agencies combed his connections with al-Qaeda and Islamic State in his parents' homeland.  —  Salman Abedi, 22, who was reportedly known …

Republicans: Montana special election ‘closer than it should be’  —  GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Republican Greg Gianforte's closing motivational speech to voters ahead of Thursday's special House election in Montana is the same thing GOP strategists are whispering in private: “This race is closer than it should be.”

Pope Lends Weight to G-7 Push to Bind Trump to Climate Deal  —  G-7 leaders await Trump decision on emission cuts this weekend  —  Francis has called for urgent action to protect environment  —  Pope Francis joined an international chorus urging Donald Trump to meet U.S. commitments …

Donald Trump 2018 budget could turn off his voters and sink his approval rating  —  His pie-in-the-sky plan breaks campaign promises and is useless as a guide for Congress.  —  The best way to think about the fiscal 2018 budget released by the White House is as a Trump political campaign rally on paper.

Outrage as Milo Yiannopoulos criticises Ariana Grande for being ‘pro-Islam’ after Manchester attack  —  Milo Yiannopoulos, the ultra-conservative British media personality in the US, has prompted outrage on social media after he criticised singer Ariana Grande for being “pro-Islam” …

Wash. Post didn't disclose that writer who penned positive piece about Trump's Saudi trip is paid by Saudi government  —  The Washington Post allowed contributor Ed Rogers to praise Donald Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia without disclosing that he's a lobbyist for the Saudi Royal Court.

In upset, Democrat Pellegrino wins 9th District Assembly seat  —  Democrat Christine Pellegrino, left, won the race against Conservative Tom Gargiulo in a special election Tuesday, May 23, 2017, in the 9th Assembly District.  She will fill the seat that opened when Assemb.

TRUMP CALLED RODRIGO DUTERTE TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON HIS MURDEROUS DRUG WAR: “YOU ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB”  —  Photo Illustration: The Intercept/Getty Images  —  In a phone call from the White House late last month, U.S. President Donald Trump heaped praise on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte …

Melania and Ivanka Trump show the world what feminine power looks like  —  By now you're exhausted by all the head-swiveling news — the terrorist slaughter in Manchester; the president's trip to Everywhere; and investigation upon investigation of the possible collusion with Russia, obstruction of justice and liars by the dozen.

New GOP fear: nine months of failure  —  Republican leaders are coming to the bleak conclusion they will end summer and begin the fall with ZERO significant legislative accomplishments.  Privately, they realize it's political malpractice to blow at least the the first nine of months of all Republican rule …

Trump should be scared, Comey friend says  —  (CNN)A friend of James Comey said Tuesday that if he were President Donald Trump he would be scared of the former FBI director's pending testimony.  —  “I found it interesting and very telling that (Comey) declined any opportunity to tell his story in private …

Woodward: “Smug” media on Trump crusade  —  Bob Woodward told Axios' Mike Allen that the press is covering Trump with a certain smugness, but it's not the media's job to make his presidency an editorial.  “You have to have a presumption of good will,” said Woodward. … - What is power?

FCC Will Not Take Action Over Stephen Colbert's Trump Remarks  —  The FCC will not take any action in response to complaints over a May 1 broadcast of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” in which the host quipped during his opening monologue that “the only thing [Trump's] mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin's c— holster.”

Icahn Guides Trump's Policy and Scores $60 Million  —  Billionaire's CVR Energy saves from plunge in energy credits  —  His crusade to excuse refiners from rules pays off in quarter  —  Government work has paid off handsomely for billionaire Carl Icahn.  —  CVR Energy Inc. …

Pro-Trumpcare Republicans Owned Millions in Health Care Stock … Forty Republican representatives who voted for the American Health Care Act held shares in health care companies valued at $23 million and earned more than $2 million off those investments, a Daily Beast review of the most-recent financial records found.