Our politics are divided.  They have been for a long time.  And while I know that division makes it difficult to listen to Americans with whom we disagree, that's what we need to do today.  —  I recognize that repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act has become a core tenet of the Republican Party.

Trump is struggling to stay calm on Russia, one morning call at a time  —  President Trump has a new morning ritual.  Around 6:30 a.m. on many days — before all the network news shows have come on the air — he gets on the phone with a member of his outside legal team to chew over all things Russia.

Johnny Depp jokes about killing Trump in Glastonbury appearance  —  ‘When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?’ star asks crowd at a drive-in cinema at the festival … Johnny Depp joked about assassinating Donald Trump during an appearance at Glastonbury.

Trump says Comey-Mueller friendship ‘bothersome’  —  President Trump, in an interview to be broadcast Friday morning on “Fox and Friends,” said it is “very bothersome” that the man investigating possible ties between his presidential campaign and Russia is good friends with fired FBI director James Comey.

EXCLUSIVE - James Comey visits The New York Times as President Trump admits he did NOT record their conversations and questions what else ousted FBI director leaked to the press  — The former FBI director was spotted at The New York Times' Times Square office on Thursday He was accompanied …

All That Stands Between Democrats And A Massive Freakout Is This Man  —  The pressure is on Ralph Northam to score a win in his race for Virginia governor.  Barack Obama is going to come off the sidelines to help.  —  Having lost a series of tantalizingly close congressional elections …

Republican Coal King Sues HBO Over John Oliver's Show … A Republican coal baron is suing John Oliver, HBO, Time Warner, and the writers for Oliver's show over the most recent episode of Last Week Tonight.  —  The suit, filed on June 21 in the circuit court of Marshall County, West Virginia …

McConnell's Calculation May Be That He Still Wins by Losing  —  WASHINGTON — When it comes to managing Republicans' best interests, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, rarely loses.  So it is possible that Mr. McConnell views the potential failure of a hastily written health care bill as an eventual boon.

Trump Told Democrats He Wants To Do Something About Deported Veterans.  His Staff Was Less Open.  —  Sources say Democrats raised the issue of deported veterans in a private dinner last week.  The president expressed support for doing something but his staff quickly told him it was complicated.

‘How else can a Kenyan creampuff get ahead?’ is just one of the disturbing tweets sent by this Trump Energy Department agency head  —  Before William C. Bradford was appointed by the Trump administration to run the Energy Department's Office of Indian Energy, he tweeted a slew of disparaging remarks …

Getting an Edge in the Long Afghan Struggle  —  Trump's early approach holds promise if backed with a sustained, and sustainable, commitment.

A Message to Trump Voters on the Occasion of This Healthcare Bill  —  You pulled the lever.  This is what you were voting for.  —  Hello, suckers.  —  Yeah, you.  All of you.  All of you people who've been buying what the radicalized Republican party has been selling you since Reagan rode out of Trickledown Gulch back in 1980.

Spanish Fort High AP reading list pulled after concerns from residents  —  Posted online, this copy of Spanish Fort High teacher Gene Ponder's summer reading list includes a majority conservative and right-leaning authors, a point that concerned local residents and led to several complaints …

Bloomberg says America should ‘get behind’ Trump because ‘the public has spoken’  —  Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said America should “get behind” President Trump because “the public has spoken, whether you like the results or not,” during an appearance on ABC's “The View.”

Boys at Exeter academy wear skirts in uniform protest  —  Some 30 boys have worn skirts to school in protest at being told they were not allowed to wear shorts.  —  The pupils from ISCA Academy in Exeter asked permission to modify their uniform because of the hot weather.

Sanders lawyered up in federal probe of Burlington College  —  BURLINGTON — Jane Sanders has hired attorneys to represent her in a Justice Department probe of a land deal she orchestrated while president of the now-defunct Burlington College.  —  A former college employee who coordinated …

Following Trump voter fraud allegations, claim that 5.7 million noncitizens voted is wrong  —  President Donald Trump's unfounded allegations that millions voted illegally in 2016 is back in the news, with his supporters pointing to a new analysis that claims millions of undocumented immigrants voted in 2008.

Pelosi Strikes Back: 'I Think I'm Worth the Trouble'  —  WASHINGTON — Pushing back on criticism from fellow party members after the Democratic loss in a Georgia special election this week, Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she's “worth the trouble” as Democrats' leader in the House.

NBC's Megyn Kelly Problem (Column)  —  The network's vaunted new hire has whiffed her first opportunities to shine.  Did NBC make a $17.5m mistake?  —  It's still months before Megyn Kelly's new NBC daytime show is set to premiere, but it already feels like the former Fox News anchor has overstayed her welcome.