America's Lethal Politics  —  America's elected representatives enjoying America's pastime on a ball field just across the Potomac from the Capitol: A particularly American form of terror changed that idyll early Wednesday morning into what Senator Rand Paul, who was there, called “basically a killing field.”

Mueller's revenge: “Can't fire him now”  —  Most White House officials feared Robert Mueller would go after President Trump for obstruction of justice.  —  The signs were everywhere: James Comey's testimony that Trump urged him to drop the FBI probe of Michael Flynn; Trump's forceful denial …

Secrecy Surrounding Senate Health Bill Raises Alarms in Both Parties  —  WASHINGTON — As they draft legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Senate Republican leaders are aiming to transform large sections of the American health care system without a single hearing on their bill and without a formal, open drafting session.

Lobbyist for Russian interests says he attended dinners hosted by Sessions  —  Richard Burt contradicts Jeff Sessions' testimony that he didn't believe he had contacts with lobbyists working for Russian interests during Trump's campaign … An American lobbyist for Russian interests …

Trump: Scalise in ‘some trouble’ after shooting  —  President Trump said Thursday that House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) is “in some trouble” following the shooting Wednesday at a GOP congressional baseball practice in Virginia.  —  “It's been much more difficult than people even thought at the time …

Trump Orders Government to Stop Work on Y2K Bug, 17 Years Later  —  The White House is eliminating paperwork for federal agencies  —  Federal workers still report on preparedness for year 2000  —  Seventeen years after the Year 2000 bug came and went, the federal government will finally stop preparing for it.

The surprising number of American adults who think chocolate milk comes from brown cows  —  Seven percent of all American adults believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows, according to a nationally representative online survey commissioned by the Innovation Center of U.S. Dairy.

Leaked audio reveals Malcolm Turnbull roasting Donald Trump over ‘fake polls’ and Russia  —  Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull isn't known for being a comedian but he tried some daring Donald Trump material on a room full of journalists in Canberra last night.

Dennis Rodman gifts Trump's ‘Art of the Deal’ to North Korean minister  —  CNN on the ground: Waiting for Dennis Rodman  —  (CNN)Dennis Rodman may not have been sent to North Korea by US President Donald Trump, but that's not stopping the former basketball star from promoting his former reality TV co-star.

Seventeen-Point Drop in US Satisfaction Among Republicans  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republicans' satisfaction with the way things are going in the U.S. took a hit since last month.  Forty-one percent of Republicans say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S., down 17 percentage points since May.

GOP congressman: Trump may lack language ‘discipline’ to avoid appearance of investigation interference  —  (CNN)Republican Rep. David Schweikert said in a radio interview Thursday that President Donald Trump might lack the language discipline to avoid giving the appearance of interfering in an investigation .

Maine woman attacked by raccoon drowns rabid animal in puddle  —  HOPE, Maine — While jogging on a familiar, overgrown, wooded trail near her home on a recent warm afternoon, Rachel Borch thought to herself.  “What a beautiful day.”  —  Little did she know she was about to be attacked …

Camille Paglia: On Trump, Democrats, Transgenderism, and Islamist Terror  —  In a wide-ranging interview Paglia talks about Donald Trump's successes, how Chuck Schumer emboldened the “resistance,” why the left can't condemn Islamist terrorism, and “the cold biological truth that sex changes are impossible.”

GOP Momentum Builds to Change Rules for Longer-Lasting Tax Cuts  —  Senate Finance chief supports extending budget window  —  Treasury secretary said open to exploring longer timeline too  —  The push to change congressional budget rules and enact tax cuts for longer than 10 years …

Graduating senior refused to read speech written by administrators, so they withheld his diploma  —  Marvin Wright, president of his high school senior class, spent two weeks working on his graduation speech, staying up till 5 on the morning of the event to finish.

PenFed blimp, deflated, bursts into flames and crashes near U.S. Open at Erin Hills  —  ERIN - A PenFed blimp deflated, burst into flames and crashed late Thursday morning near the U.S. Open at Erin Hills.  —  The blimp went down about 11:15 a.m. near Highway 83 and Highway 167.

ESPN's Kellerman: NFL Is ‘Injecting Politics’ by Playing the National Anthem at Games  —  Thursday, on ESPN “First Take” co-host Max Kellerman shared his reaction to Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett comparing free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick to boxing legend Muhammad Ali.