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.

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 …

Police Investigate ‘Network’ of Salman Abedi, Manchester Bomber  —  MANCHESTER, England — He recently dropped out of college.  He had gone to Syria, a stronghold of the Islamic State.  He also went to Libya to see his parents, who had moved back there after two decades in Britain.

The Pentagon Can't Believe Trump Told Another President About Nuclear Subs Near North Korea  —  “We never talk about subs!” three defense officials told BuzzFeed News after a transcript of a call between President Trump and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was published.

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.”

Trump Failing to Track Foreign Cash at His Hotels  —  Just before taking office, President Donald Trump promised to donate all profits earned from foreign governments back to the U.S. Treasury.  —  But MSNBC has learned the Trump Organization is not tracking all possible payments it receives …

Exclusive: U.S. Senate's McConnell sees tough path for passing healthcare bill  —  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday said he has yet to hit upon a formula for repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a new healthcare program, but he expressed some optimism on another top priority, overhauling the tax code.

in Politics  —  The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump's job performance.  Fifty-two percent (52%) disapprove.  —  The latest figures for Trump include 31% who Strongly Approve of the way Trump is performing and 42% who Strongly Disapprove.

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.

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.

Donald Trump's Base Is Shrinking  —  A widely held tenet of the current conventional wisdom is that while President Trump might not be popular overall, he has a high floor on his support.  Trump's sizable and enthusiastic base — perhaps 35 to 40 percent of the country — won't abandon him any time soon …

Baltimore attorney arrested for allegedly offering rape victim $3K to not testify, saying Trump will deport her  —  A Baltimore defense attorney was arrested in the downtown courthouse Tuesday and charged with obstruction of justice and witness intimidation for allegedly telling a rape victim …

Trump administration hits reset in FBI director search  —  (CNN)The team tasked by the White House with finding a new director for the FBI is resetting its search, a senior administration official told CNN.  —  President Donald Trump said last week that he was “very close” …

Poll: Majority says mainstream media publishes fake news  —  Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the mainstream press is full of fake news, a sentiment that is held by a majority of voters across the ideological spectrum.  —  According to data from the latest Harvard-Harris poll …

Trump SoHo Plans Layoffs  —  In its heyday, Trump SoHo was a destination.  Celebrity-filled limos regularly pulled up, and delighted tourists snapped selfies in front of the glassy tower.  Rooms at the five-star hotel cost over $700 a night, and the Koi restaurant on the ground floor rocked.

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?

Someone killed a congressional inquiry into America's sky-high transit construction costs  —  The life and death of great American GAO reports.  —  Mass transit construction costs in the United States appear to be far higher than what European countries pay for comparable projects.

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 …

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” …

Roger Ailes Ruined Monica Lewinsky?  —  It was big news when Roger Ailes died.  Everyone in his industry acknowledged that a serious, even transcendent force in American media and politics had passed away.  Without Fox News over these last 20 years, the shape of American politics would be far different.

Republicans in Congress struggle with this question: Do you trust Trump's judgment?  —  It's a simple question, but for Republicans in Congress, it's not an easy one.  —  Do you trust President Trump's judgment on major decisions?  —  “I'm not answering questions like that,” said Sen. Jeff Flake …