White House communications director resigns — more moves expected  —  Mike Dubke, President Trump's communications director, is leaving the White House — the start of a wave of changes as the West Wing struggles to cope with burgeoning scandals and a stalled agenda.

Sources: Russians discussed potentially ‘derogatory’ information about Trump and associates during campaign  —  Sources: Russians talked potentially ‘derogatory’ info  —  (CNN)Russian government officials discussed having potentially “derogatory” information about then-presidential candidate Donald …

Trump retweets report based on anonymous source after blasting anonymous sources  —  President Trump on Tuesday retweeted a Fox News report citing an anonymous source that pushes back on another report that White House aide Jared Kushner tried to establish backchannel communications with Moscow.

Pissed off artist adds statue of urinating dog next to ‘Fearless Girl’  —  Artist Alex Gardega put his own Pissing Pug next to Wall Street's Fearless Girl.  —  Gabriella Bass  —  Gee whiz, artists are so sensitive!  —  City sculptor Alex Gardega — seething over the Fearless Girl statue …

Putin's Defender  —  An American Russia scholar on why he doesn't believe the New York Times, doesn't think the DNC was hacked, and just wants the U.S. and Russia to get along.  —  Stephen F. Cohen has long been one of the leading scholars of Russia and the Soviet Union.

Rep. Devin Nunes says Democrats are using Russia investigation to justify Clinton's loss  —  House Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes speaks at the Tulare County Lincoln Dinner.  —  Embattled House Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes told hundreds of local Republicans …

Russia investigation expands to include Donald Trump's personal attorney  —  One of President Donald Trump's closest confidants, his personal lawyer Michael Cohen, has now become a focus of the expanding Congressional investigation into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 campaign.

GOP rep avoids saying whether every American is entitled to eat  —  Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) on Saturday avoiding directly answering a question on whether all Americans are entitled to eat.  —  During an interview with NPR's “Weekend Edition Saturday,” Smith discussed farm subsidies and cutting food stamps with host Scott Simon.

Debt fight blindsides Congress  —  President Donald Trump's top economic aides are urging Capitol Hill leaders to raise the debt ceiling by the end of July.  And Congress is totally unprepared to do so.  —  Lawmakers in both parties thought they'd have until the fall to act …

Pence to make campaign push amid GOP concerns over Trump  —  Vice President Mike Pence is embarking on a cross-country summer campaign tour amid rising fears that the GOP, reeling from a barrage of Trump-fueled controversies, is headed for a midterm election disaster.

How Stephen Miller Rode White Rage from Duke's Campus to Trump's West Wing  —  At the young age of 31, Stephen Miller has his own office in the West Wing and the President's ear.  He also has held a shocking worldview since he was a teenager.  From his writings on the 2006 Duke lacrosse-team rape scandal …

Texas Republican Called ICE on SB 4 Protesters, Threatened to Shoot Colleague  —  A Texas Republican threatened to “put a bullet in one of his colleague's heads” during a scuffle on the House floor over the state's new anti-'sanctuary cities' law on Monday, the final day of the regular legislative session.

Trump's Giant Loophole  —  One of the major goals of tax reform is to reduce the opportunities for savvy taxpayers to game the system.  But if President Trump and House Republicans have their way, we will have a new contender for the tax code's largest loophole: a new special cap on the tax rate …

‘Wonder Woman’: Film Review  —  YOUTUBE  —  The first standalone feature for the ageless princess of the Amazons places her in the midst of World War I, with Gal Gadot in the title role and Chris Pine as American spy Steve Trevor.  —  As the world's most well-adjusted superhero, Wonder Woman breaks the genre mold.

Windows shattered at Herald-Leader building; suspected bullet damage found  —  Several windows were shattered at the main office of the Lexington Herald-Leader in downtown Lexington, amid suspected signs of small-caliber bullet damage to the building.  —  The Herald-Leader filed a report …

The Fourth Circuit Joins the ‘Resistance’  —  Taking a stand against Trump, the judges are also defying Supreme Court precedent.

Speaker of the House of Trump  —  A few weeks after the 2016 election, Newt Gingrich appeared at the Heritage Foundation to deliver what had been billed as a speech on the “Principles of Trumpism.”  Tellingly, he spent most of his time instead talking about the brilliance of Trump the Man …

Police in Germany ‘foil asylum seeker suicide attack’  —  German police have arrested a teenage asylum seeker suspected of planning a suicide attack in Berlin.  —  The suspect, 17, was arrested in the Uckermark, a district in Brandenburg, the state's Interior Minister, Karl-Heinz Schröter, announced.