Trump is now repaying Putin for helping him win the presidency  —  THE MORNING PLUM:  —  The events of the past few days — culminating in President Trump's meeting today with Russian President Vladimir Putin — have rendered this interpretation inescapable: Trump is currently in the process …

Bombshell Bourdain interview is published one month after his suicide: Celebrity chef unloads on 'rapey, gropey and disgusting Bill Clinton and hopes Weinstein is ‘beaten to death in jail’  — Anthony Bourdain gave a lengthy, wide ranging interview to journalist Maria Bustillos for her recently launched magazine Popula

Plutonium went missing in San Antonio, but the government says nothing  —  Losses of civilian nuclear material are usually disclosed but when the government loses nuclear bomb ingredients it stays mum  —  Two security experts from the Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory drove to San Antonio …

What Robert Mueller Knows—and 9 Areas He'll Pursue Next  —  The special counsel has collected a mountain of evidence in the Trump-Russia investigation, but so far only a tiny amount of it has been revealed in official indictments.  Here are nine areas where we should expect answers as the inquiry unfolds.

Germany: We can no longer fully rely on U.S. White House  —  BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's foreign minister said on Monday Europe could not rely on Donald Trump and needed to close ranks after the U.S. president called the European Union a “foe” with regard to trade.

Vanishing Point  —  As the GOP increasingly comes to resemble a personality cult, is there any red line—video tapes?  DNA evidence? a war with Germany—President Trump could cross and lose party support?  “Very doubtful,” say a dozen GOP members of Congress stuck hard behind the MAGA eight ball.

FCC sends Sinclair mega-deal to likely doom  —  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Monday he has “serious concerns” about Sinclair Broadcast Group's acquisition of Tribune Media, saying he would send the transaction through a lengthy administrative process often viewed as a deal-killer.

The Midwest eases its Trump swoon and flirts again with Democratic candidates  —  NEW ALBANY, Ohio — Troy Balderson, the Republican candidate for Congress, wanted to make one thing clear: He would not support President Trump on everything.  —  He would “not ever support separating families” to control immigration.

Russia Hawk Axed From National Security Council Right Before Trump-Putin Summit … Shortly before Donald Trump detonated a NATO summit, shanked the beleaguered British prime minister and prepped for a face-to-face love session with Vladimir Putin, his White House quietly divested itself …

I'm running for Senate as a Republican.  My Democrat parents are so furious they're backing my opponent  —  My decision to be a Democrat was never a decision.  It was just expected of me.  It was understood.  Born into a family of Democrats, my grandfather would often spend weekends talking …

Ocasio-Cortez Floats a “Sub-Caucus” of Progressives Willing to Vote Together as a Bloc  —  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is exploring forming a “sub-caucus” of progressives in the House that would be willing to vote as a bloc to leverage their power, she said in a recent podcast interview.

The Finance 202: Trump's trade offensive is producing brutal local headlines  —  THE TICKER … President Trump's trade war is serving up a public relations migraine for the administration in local press across the country.  —  Coverage from the front lines of where the tariffs …

Shock over ruling that ‘brides of Christ’ need not be virgins  —  Consecrated virgins say they are disappointed by Vatican's new guidance  —  Christian women who have pledged lifelong virginity as “brides of Christ” have expressed shock at a Vatican document that suggests literal virginity is not a prerequisite for their consecration.

Arrest made in racially charged vandalism on Ogden Ave.  —  TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Toledo police arrested Patricia Edelen for spray painting racial slurs on her neighbor's home Friday night.  —  “She had multiple warrants.  She ran from the officers inside her residence.

He Preyed on Men Who Wanted to Be Priests.  Then He Became a Cardinal.  —  As a young man studying to be a priest in the 1980s, Robert Ciolek was flattered when his brilliant, charismatic bishop in Metuchen, N.J., Theodore E. McCarrick, told him he was a shining star, cut out to study in Rome and rise high in the church.

Tracing Guccifer 2.0's Many Tentacles in the 2016 Election  —  The message from WikiLeaks in July 2016 to a group of Russian intelligence officers who prosecutors say were posing as a Romanian hacker named Guccifer 2.0 urged swift action before the opening of the Democratic National Convention that month.

Elon Musk makes unfounded accusation against Thai cave rescuer  —  Caver calls Elon Musk's submarine a ‘PR stunt’  —  Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, the CEO of several high-profile American companies, broadcast to his 22 million social media followers on Sunday an unfounded …

A Better Way to Run Schools  —  The New Orleans turnaround shows the power of giving more freedom to teachers and principals — and then holding them accountable for their performance.  —  NEW ORLEANS  —  Twelve years later, Nigel Palmer still remembers the embarrassment of his first days …

Judge Orders Los Angeles Times to Delete Part of Published Article  —  LOS ANGELES — A federal judge ordered The Los Angeles Times to remove information from a published article on Saturday, a step that legal experts said was extremely unusual and conflicted with the First Amendment.