A note to readers  —  I have been uncharacteristically silent these past ten months.  I had thought that silence would soon be coming to an end, but I'm afraid I must tell you now that fate has decided on a different course for me.  —  In August of last year, I underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in my abdomen.

The Critic Whose Olive Garden Review Went Viral Remembers How Anthony Bourdain Spoke Up For Her  —  In 2012, then-88-year-old Marilyn Hagerty of Grand Forks, North Dakota, wrote arguably the most viral restaurant review ever written.  It was for Olive Garden.

Trump's call for Russia to join G7 faces swift backlash  —  President Donald Trump's call Friday for Russia to re-enter the G7 four years after the country was kicked out from the group of countries over its annexation of Crimea has resulted in a fierce backlash from foreign policy critics on both sides of the aisle.

Adam Putnam's office stopped concealed weapons background checks for a year because it couldn't log in  —  A state investigation found that the lapse covered a period that included the biggest spike in permit applications in Florida history.  —  For more than a year, the state of Florida failed …

Iran Admits To Facilitating 9/11 Terror Attacks  —  Top Iranian official admits for first time Iran aided al Qaeda terrorists  —  Iranian officials, in a first, have admitted to facilitating the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. by secretly aiding the free travel of al Qaeda operatives …

China hacked a Navy contractor and secured a trove of highly sensitive data on submarine warfare  —  Chinese government hackers have compromised the computers of a Navy contractor, stealing massive amounts of highly sensitive data related to undersea warfare — including secret plans to develop …

An open letter on trade: The facts speak for themselves  —  By 29 E.U. Ambassadors to the U.S. June 8 at 2:07 PM  —  There has been a lot of talk recently about the trade and investment relationship between the European Union and the United States.  Who wins?  Who loses?

Press Groups Criticize the Seizing of a Times Reporter's Records  —  The revelation that federal prosecutors seized years' worth of email and phone records from a New York Times reporter drew criticism on Friday from news organizations and press rights groups, which expressed outrage …

Four Reasons Scott Pruitt's Luck May Be Running Out  —  The scandal-prone EPA director seemed untouchable.  That could be changing.  —  Scott Pruitt has shown an astonishing ability to stay on as director of the Environmental Protection Agency through scandals that would have felled nearly anyone else.

DNC panel adopts rule requiring candidates to run, serve as a Democrat  —  The Democratic National Committee (DNC) adopted a new rule on Friday aimed at keeping outsider candidates like Bernie Sanders  —  from trying to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

Trump says he is likely to support ending federal ban on marijuana … President Trump said he likely will support a congressional effort to end the federal ban on marijuana, a major step that would reshape the pot industry and end the threat of a Justice Department crackdown.

Eatery workers: Boycott Army base that called ICE on pizza delivery guy  —  SEE ALSO  —  If an army marches on its stomach, the forces at Fort Hamilton had better learn to cook.  —  Eateries near the Brooklyn Army base, which handed over an undocumented pizza deliveryman to immigration agents last week …

I'm A US-Born Army Vet.  Why Did Border Patrol Just Try To Arrest Me And My Wife?  —  Editor's note: Before publication, Task & Purpose reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for a comment on the experiences Dennis White recounts below.  A representative of the agency responded …

Trump's not wrong about pardoning himself  —  Michael W. McConnell is the Richard and Frances Mallery professor of law and director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.  He formerly served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.

John Kelly Instructed DHS Official Not To Email Staff To Avoid Public Scrutiny  —  “FOIA is real and everyday here in the cesspool, and even federal court action on personal accounts is real.”  —  When John Kelly was Secretary of Homeland Security, he instructed an official to refrain …

Mueller Adds Obstruction Charge on Manafort and Indicts His Right-Hand Man  —  WASHINGTON — The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, brought new obstruction charges on Friday against President Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and added allegations against a close associate …

Trump has no idea Muhammad Ali doesn't need a pardon  —  Trump continues to make a joke of the pardon process.  —  Confirming that he has largely made a joke of presidential powers, and has stopped listening to professionals in the Department of Justice, Trump on Friday suggested …

Truth Test: Was Stapleton ‘caught lying?’  —  Saying someone is lying is a strong accusation.  Is it fair to use against Walker Stapleton for an ad he's been airing for weeks?  —  KUSA— Republican frontrunner Walker Stapleton has been running a false ad in his campaign for governor for weeks now—and he's still running it.

Trump's latest health care move squeezes Republicans  —  Striking protections for pre-existing conditions renews a fraught repeal fight.  —  Republicans who have tried to repeal Obamacare for nearly a decade believe the Trump administration is reviving a politically risky battle with a court filing …

Facebook Gave Some Companies Access to Additional Data About Users' Friends  —  Special deals gave a small number of companies access to data after shutting off access for other developers  —  Facebook Inc. FB 0.49% struck customized data-sharing deals with a select group of companies …

Judge Denies Trump's Secrecy Claim in Review of Cohen Documents  —  Striking a note for transparency, a federal judge ruled on Friday that President Trump and his longtime personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, cannot proceed in total secrecy as they weigh in on the final stages of a laborious review …

Jury Convicts Former CIA Officer of Espionage  —  ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A federal jury convicted a former Central Intelligence Agency case officer today on espionage charges related to his transmission of classified documents to an agent of the People's Republic of China.