Putin Hints at U.S. Election Meddling by ‘Patriotically Minded’ Russians  —  MOSCOW — Shifting from his previous blanket denials, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said on Thursday that “patriotically minded” private Russian hackers could have been involved in cyberattacks last year …

Nigel Farage is ‘person of interest’ in FBI investigation into Trump and Russia  —  Exclusive: FBI interested in former Ukip leader's ties with people connected to US president and WikiLeaks' Julian Assange … Nigel Farage is a “person of interest” in the US counter-intelligence investigation …

White House Sources: Reince Priebus's Departure is Imminent  —  I think many conservatives have failed to appreciate having a committed Christian in the White House Chief of Staff's Office.  Reince Priebus was unappreciated as Chairman of the RNC by many on the right and often blamed for things not in his control.

Ex-DNC aide hits back hard at Clinton, says her campaign ignored data on Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin  —  Hillary Clinton has found plenty of non-Hillary Clinton things to blame for her 2016 loss, including Russia, James B. Comey, debate moderators and misogyny.

First on CNN: Senators asked Comey to investigate AG Jeff Sessions for possible perjury  — CNN previously reported congressional investigators are seeking information on whether there were any encounters between now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Russia's ambassador at a Trump campaign event

Everything Conservatives Said About the Paris Climate Agreement Is Already Wrong  —  The Trump administration's reportedly forthcoming decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement will not end the global effort to limit the effects of climate change.  In the immediate time frame …

Comey Expected to Testify Before Senate, if He Isn't Blocked  —  Senators expect the former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, to testify next week about his conversations with President Trump, congressional officials said on Wednesday, setting up a test of the White House's willingness …

Comey will testify before Senate committee next Thursday  —  Former FBI Director James Comey will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, June 8, regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election, committee leaders announced on Thursday.

‘We were used, abused and exploited’  —  As he built support for his signature political issue, Donald Trump formed a powerful partnership with a non-profit group dedicated to families of those killed by undocumented immigrants, but now some of those families are alleging they were exploited …

Mick Mulvaney: OK if tax reform increases deficit  —  Deficit-neutrality is not a must in tax reform, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told the Washington Examiner Wednesday afternoon, suggesting a shift — or at least a refinement — of the White House's stance.

Samantha Power Unmasked  —  Why would a diplomat need to know the names of Trump officials?

In her bubble, Kathy Griffin thought nothing was out of bounds in mocking Trump  —  MORE FROM: … Imagine living in a bubble so impermeable it didn't occur to you that retailing a photograph of a decapitated president's head would be a horrendous career move — a bubble in which you don't know anyone …

S&P and Nasdaq notch record highs after data deluge  —  U.S. equities traded higher on Thursday, the first trading day in June, as investors parsed through key economic data.  —  The Nasdaq composite gained 0.3 percent and hit a record intraday high earlier in the session.

Russia escalates spy games after years of U.S. neglect  —  In the throes of the 2016 campaign, the FBI found itself with an escalating problem: Russian diplomats, whose travel was supposed to be tracked by the State Department, were going missing.  —  The diplomats, widely assumed …

Commentary: The left is winning  —  Here's an argument that seems unavoidable yet endlessly debatable: In American politics, progressives are winning, and have been for some time.  When it comes to economic policy in particular, every day it seems the Overton Window skews a few more millimeters leftward …

Donald Trump's budget slashes government junk food pipeline to the poor  —  Food stamps foolishly fuel diabetes and obesity  —  Perhaps the most controversial element of the Trump administration's budget is the proposal to reduce food stamp spending by 25% or $193 billion over the next decade.

The Maps That Kill Competition  —  Corey Lowenstein/The News & Observer, File via AP  —  Republican State Senators Dan Soucek, left, and Brent Jackson, right, review North Carolina's congressional district map.  —  Democrats eyeing the 2018 midterm elections have a lot to feel optimistic about …

Trump's special antagonism toward Germany is stupid and dangerous.  —  The fallout from President Trump's disastrous trip to Europe continues to poison the trans-Atlantic climate.  His comments about Germany have been particularly toxic—and, beyond that, stupid, reflecting no understanding …

How Twitter Is Being Gamed to Feed Misinformation  —  After last year's election, Facebook came in for a drubbing for its role in propagating misinformation — or “fake news,” as we called it back then, before the term became a catchall designation for any news you don't like.

Less Tweeting, Lawyers Beg.  ‘Covfefe,’ the President Says.  —  WASHINGTON — There was a time in the not-too-distant past when President Trump refrained from flamethrowing messages on Twitter.  —  That time is over.  —  Never mind that his aides have asked him to stop.