Pence hires outside counsel to deal with Russia probe inquiries  —  Vice President Mike Pence has hired outside legal counsel to help with both congressional committee inquiries and the special counsel investigation into possible collusion between President Trump's campaign and Russia.

Senate intel panel to steer clear of Trump obstruction question  —  Washington Post: Mueller investigating Trump  —  (CNN)The Senate intelligence committee won't probe whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice over the FBI's investigation into his former associates and their contacts …

The bogus claim that a map of crosshairs by Sarah Palin's PAC incited Rep. Gabby Giffords's shooting  —  “Was this attack evidence of how vicious American politics has become?  Probably.  In 2011, Jared Lee Loughner opened fire in a supermarket parking lot, grievously wounding Representative Gabby Giffords …

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 …

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.

Why a single gunshot to Steve Scalise's hip could be life-threatening  —  For those of us who experience gun violence via movies or television, the single bullet wound to the hip that House Majority Whip Steve Scalise suffered in a ballfield shooting Wednesday would seem less serious than what could have happened to him.

We Got Our Hands On A Draft Of Milo Yiannopoulos's Book.  It's Awful.  —  There's a certain kind of book you really see only at the airport.  You know what it looks like: glossy, with an airbrushed famous person on the cover and a catchy title.  You know what it reads like: frothy …

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.

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.

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.

Karen Handel, neighbors receive envelopes with ‘white powdery substance’ inside  —  ROSWELL, Ga. - Authorities were called to the neighborhood where Karen Handel lives in Roswell after suspicious envelopes were found in mailboxes Thursday afternoon.  —  Police say Roxburg Drive off Old Alabama Road …

Inside Marco Rubio's campaign to shape Trump's Cuba crackdown  —  Facing President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio issued a blunt warning: The administration's plan to crack down on Cuba trade and travel was under threat.  —  Any effort by Trump to make good on his …

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 .

Commerce Department Removes Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity From Equal Employment Policy  —  The department had explicitly included sexual orientation and gender identity in its anti-discrimination policies as far back as 2010.  After this story was published, the department said they will re-issue the policy.

Ex-North Korea detainee Otto Warmbier has ‘severe neurological injury’  — His dad rejects Pyongyang's explanation of his son's coma, criticizes Obama administration's handling of the case  —  (CNN)Recently released North Korea detainee Otto Warmbier has suffered severe neurological damage …

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.

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.”

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.

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 …