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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 …
Discussion:
National Review, CNN, Bloomberg, Weekly Standard and RedState
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Trump, Treasonous Traitor — The president fails to protect the country from an ongoing attack. — Put aside whatever suspicions you may have about whether Donald Trump will be directly implicated in the Russian investigation. — Trump is right now, before our eyes and those of the world …
Discussion:
Jacobin, The Week, Taylor Marsh, FiveThirtyEight, BloombergQuint, Bustle and Home Page Rotator


‘Fox & Friends’ host: 'I don't understand' Trump tweet blaming US for bad Russia relations — “Fox & Friends” host Brian Kilmeade on Monday questioned why President Trump — would send a tweet blaming the U.S. for poor relations with Russia before his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Discussion:
Mediaite


Trump fist-bumped Turkish leader Erdogan, said he “does things the right way” — In the days before his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki Monday, President Donald Trump upset relations with America's allies during a visit to the United Kingdom and a contentious meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels.
Discussion:
ABC News, The Guardian, CBS Los Angeles, The Atlantic, Joe.My.God., Political Wire and The Week


Trump Blames U.S. for Poor Relations With Moscow — Hours before one-on-one meeting with Vladimir Putin, U.S. president tweets about many years of ‘U.S. foolishness and stupidity’ — *President Trump Starts Private Meeting With Vladimir Putin Saying He Expects An “extraordinary relationship”
Discussion:
ABC News, New York Times, ThinkProgress, Townhall, RedState, The Week and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion


I've been in meetings with Putin. Here's what Trump can expect. — Michael McFaul is director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a Hoover fellow at Stanford University and a contributing columnist to The Post. He is the author of “From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia.”


An unforgettable Trump scene in unforgettable Trump story — Two years of Donald Trump, of Russia, of federal investigations, of fake news, of Fox all come together today in a made-for-the-big-screen and destined-for-the-history-books scene. — The big picture: At today's Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Shareblue Media



Fox's Hannity, Carlson to get first interviews with Trump after Putin summit
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo

Ahead of Putin summit, Trump faults U.S. ‘stupidity’ for poor relations with Russia

Trump Avoids Rebuking Putin on Election Interference: Live Updates
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Washington Post, New Republic, NBC News, National Review, Philly.com, Bustle, Joe.My.God., Just Security and Mashable

Trump attacks Mueller at joint news conference with Putin, advances conspiracy theories
Discussion:
MSNBC, ThinkProgress, Washington Post, The Daily Caller and The Intercept

Trump wins sympathy from Russian media ahead of summit
Discussion:
CNN

Scoop: The time Putin actually enraged Trump
Discussion:
Politico, Breitbart, Hullabaloo, Salon, JustOneMinute, Latest - Truthout, The Daily Caller, IJR, AOL, One America News Network, CNN and ThinkProgress


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
Discussion:
The Daily Caller
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Bourdain Confidential — Anthony Bourdain had started smoking again, was the first thing I noticed as he sat down with me last February. He was a bit hung over from a recent working trip to south Louisiana for Cajun Mardi Gras; “Harder partying than I'm used to, I gotta say,” he said, laughing.
Discussion:
IndieWire, Deadline, TheBlaze, Conservative News Today, Daily Wire, Washington Free Beacon, Althouse and LifeZette


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 …
Discussion:
Motherboard, Balloon Juice and Raw Story


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.
Discussion:
Politico, The Week and Talking Points Memo


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.
Discussion:
JONATHAN TURLEY


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.
Discussion:
Mother Jones
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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.
Discussion:
Raw Story


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 …
Discussion:
Washington Post


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 …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Conservative News Today, Raw Story and Splinter


Yes, Normal Republican Elites Are a Threat to Democracy — Brett Kavanaugh would make a perfectly normal Supreme Court justice. The appellate judge boasts all of the conventional credentials for that post (as his former professors at Yale Law will eagerly inform you).


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.
Discussion:
One America News Network, more at Mediagazer »


This Is the Moment of Truth for Republicans — The GOP can either defend the United States or serve the damaged and defective man who is now its president. — There are exactly two possible explanations for the shameful performance the world witnessed on Monday, from a serving American president.


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.
Discussion:
Conservative News Today, The Daily Caller and Sputnik International


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.
Discussion:
New Republic, The Daily Caller and twitchy.com


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 …


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 …
Discussion:
Fortune, CNN, NPR, The Daily Caller and twitchy.com


Democrats Are Dumping Moderates — But promoting socialism, sky-high taxes, and open borders is probably not going to help them trounce the GOP in November. — The activist base of the Democratic party is lurching left fast enough that everyone should pay attention.


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.
Discussion:
The American Conservative


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.
Discussion:
Popehat, Observer, Splinter and Reason, more at Mediagazer »