Trump lawyers call Comey ‘Machiavellian’ in note to Mueller  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for President Donald Trump unleashed a blistering attack on former FBI Director James Comey in a confidential memo last year to the special counsel, casting him as “Machiavellian,” dishonest and …

Secretary of State Pompeo leaves North Korea with promise of more talks but no tangible breakthrough  —  TOKYO — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo came away from a two-day visit to North Korea on Saturday without meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un or securing a breakthrough in efforts …

‘Super Polluting’ Trucks Receive Loophole on Pruitt's Last Day  —  WASHINGTON — In the final hours of Scott Pruitt's tenure as administrator, the Environmental Protection Agency moved on Friday to effectively grant a loophole that will allow a major increase in the manufacturing …

Jim Jordan Is Defiant as Allegations Mount, and Supporters Point to ‘Deep State’  —  WASHINGTON — Representative Jim Jordan is facing the kind of slowly percolating scandal that would bring down other politicians in other times, as new accusers step forward by the day to say the wrestling …

‘I was shocked it was so easy’: meet the professor who says facial recognition can tell if you're gay  —  Psychologist Michal Kosinski says artificial intelligence can detect your sexuality and politics just by looking at your face.  What if he's right?  —  Vladimir Putin was not in attendance, but his loyal lieutenants were.

Democratic Socialism Is Dem Doom  —  A political novice who calls herself a “democratic socialist” wins an unexpected Democratic Party primary victory, and now political taxonomists are racing to explain just what the term means.  Here's my definition: political hemlock for the Democratic Party.

Philippine president says he'll resign if anybody can prove God exists  —  MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine president, who recently sparked outrage for calling God stupid, has courted new controversy in his largely Roman Catholic country by saying he will resign if anybody can prove that God exists.

Eight Republicans pick the worst possible place to celebrate July 4  —  “What does July 4th mean to me?  Freedom,” Sen. Ron Johnson chirruped on Twitter on Independence Day.  —  For the Wisconsin Republican, it meant, specifically, the freedom to spend July 4 in Moscow with seven …

They Came Here to Serve.  But for Many Immigrants, the Army Isn't Interested.  —  Recruit Zhang, an immigrant from China, joined the United States military on the promise that enlisting would lead to American citizenship.  He swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and was handed an Army T-shirt.

‘A little steel in the spine’: Rod Rosenstein, facing mounting criticism from Congress, is starting to fight back  —  As lawmakers took breaks during a tense congressional hearing last week to vote on a resolution meant to shame him, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein casually worked the room …

Alan Dershowitz Is Enjoying This  —  In an interview with The Times, Mr. Dershowitz talks about McCarthyism (Martha's Vineyard-style) and why nuance doesn't exist in politics anymore.  —  CHILMARK, Mass. — This is what McCarthyism evidently looks like on Martha's Vineyard.

Manafort bank fraud trial does have Trump campaign connection, Mueller's team says  —  (CNN)Prosecutors for special counsel Robert Mueller intend to present evidence at the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort that a banking executive allegedly helped Manafort obtain loans …

Democrats: Do Not Surrender the Judiciary  —  The editorial board represents the opinions of the board, its editor and the publisher.  It is separate from the newsroom and the Op-Ed section.  —  With Republicans controlling the Senate and the judicial filibuster dead …

2018 may have the largest gender gap on record  —  (CNN)First things first: The theme song of the week is Mannix by Lalo Schifrin from the television show Mannix.  —  Poll of the week: A new Quinnipiac University poll finds that among women Democrats are leading on the generic congressional ballot by a 58% to 33%, a 25-point margin.

Trump's list of judges isn't a nightmare all-star team of Neil Gorsuches.  Here's what Dems can hope for  —  President Trump isn't expected to unveil his pick for the Supreme Court until Monday, but already the leading contenders are drawing fire — from within the conservative fold.

Ahead of NATO and Putin summits, Trump's unorthodox diplomacy rattles allies  —  President Trump will land in Europe next week amid fears that he will blow up a key summit focused on Europe's defense and then offer concessions to NATO's main adversary in Russian President Vladi­mir Putin.

Two Years Ago, Revolution Messaging Helped Bernie Raise Millions.  Now They're In Crisis.  —  The progressive digital firm grew quickly after 2016, but not in line with its own values, current and former staffers say.  —  In 2016, Revolution Messaging was breaking fundraising records for Bernie Sanders.