Trump at a precarious moment in his presidency: Privately brooding and publicly roaring  —  In private, President Trump spent much of the past week brooding, like he often does.  He has been anxious about the Russia investigation's widening fallout, with his former campaign chairman now standing trial.

Trump rips LeBron James' smarts hours before rally in Ohio  —  BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — Ahead of campaigning in Ohio on Saturday, President Donald Trump unleashed a withering attack on the state's favorite son, savaging LeBron James in a late-night tweet that derided the intelligence …

Venezuela President Maduro ‘survives drone attack’  —  Venezuelan officials say explosive drones went off as President Nicolás Maduro was giving a live televised speech in Caracas, but he is unharmed.  —  Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said this was an attempt on Mr Maduro's life, and seven soldiers were injured.

Judge's ruling invalidates FEC regulation allowing anonymous donations to ‘dark money’ groups  —  A U.S. District Court judge on Friday issued a ruling invalidating a Federal Election Commission regulation that has allowed donors to so-called dark-money groups to remain anonymous …

STATEMENT ON STORE MERCHANDISE  —  The Newseum has removed the “You Are Very Fake News” t-shirts from the gift shop and online.  We made a mistake and we apologize.  A free press is an essential part of our democracy and journalists are not the enemy of the people.

Parkland Shooter Asked for Help, but Was Denied Before Shooting … A new report found Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz asked school officials for help months before he allegedly gunned down 14 fellow classmates and three adults—but the school district “did not follow through.”

Russia tasks Hollywood actor Seagal with improving U.S. ties  —  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it had made U.S. actor Steven Seagal its special representative for Russian-U.S. humanitarian ties, a role it said was meant to deepen cultural, art and youth ties between the two countries.

Transit Union Refuses to Bring White Nationalists to ‘Unite the Right’ Rally  —  The Washington Post The Washington Post/Getty Images  —  Washington D.C.'s metro rail system is considering providing separate trains for white nationalists attending the so-called “Unite the Right” rally next weekend, according to the Washington Post.

The Age That Women Have Babies: How a Gap Divides America  —  Becoming a mother used to be seen as a unifying milestone for women in the United States.  But a new analysis of four decades of births shows that the age that women become mothers varies significantly by geography and education.

Continental Drift  —  As Europe wanes, the distance between it and America grows  —  According to Pew International polls, Trump is now intensely disliked in Europe.  His endless spats over European trade, the costs of NATO, and differing approaches to Vladimir Putin's Russia acerbated already tense U.S.-European relations.

‘Never In My Wildest Dreams’: GOP Candidates Find Key to Winning Trump's Strong Praise  —  At high-stakes rallies, Republican hopefuls shower president with compliments, hoping he returns the favor  —  BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J.—President Trump, unaccustomed to campaigning for others …

Trump's worst political nightmare?  Democrats with subpoena power  —  A Democratic takeover of either chamber of Congress stands to set off investigations into President Trump and his personal finances, members of his family, and senior administration officials, an onslaught that raises the stakes for the midterm elections.

Army Delta Force sergeant major dies during free-fall parachute training  —  A highly decorated special operations soldier has died from wounds received during military free-fall training, U.S. Army Special Operations Command confirmed Friday.  —  Sgt. Maj. Christopher Nelms died July 1 …

Beyond the N.R.A.: Maria Butina's Peculiar Bid for Russian Influence  —  WASHINGTON — Twelve days after a young Russian gun-rights activist gained access to some of America's most prominent conservatives, at an elegant dinner near the Capitol, a Republican operative was eager to keep the momentum going.

Anarchy Breaks Out in Portland, With the Mayor's Blessing  —  A vicious mob targeted the ICE office and even a food cart.  The police followed orders to do nothing.  —  Portland, Ore.  —  Along the trolley tracks behind the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office …

A book about impeachment that Donald Trump likes so much, he tweeted about it  —  Quinta Jurecic is the deputy managing editor of Lawfare.  —  Quinta Jurecic is the managing editor of Lawfare.  —  In the past year, three books have made the case that President Trump has committed offenses …

Trump Fans Are Suckers and QAnon Is Perfect for Them … Conspiracies are hard.  They're even harder when you're stupid.  —  They are, however, deeply compelling.  Some people need a single, grand unifying theory of why the world refuses to line up with their expectations.

UCLA makes students pay classmates to promote ‘social justice’  — UCLA is paying 18 students $13/hour to combat “social injustices” and “privilege and oppression” on campus, shelling out up to $42,000 per year for the program.  — The “Diversity Peer Leaders” program is funded through …

Europe faces hottest day ever as temperatures soar to 48C  —  Europe is set to reach its hottest day ever as dangerous temperatures up to 48C are expected to hit Spain and Portugal this weekend.  —  The hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe was on 10 July 1977 when Athens in Greece reached 48C.