President pressured staff to grant security clearance to Ivanka Trump  —  Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump pressured his then-chief of staff John Kelly and White House counsel Don McGahn to grant his daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump a security clearance against their recommendations …

In the Middle of His Official Business, Trump Took the Time to Send Checks to Michael Cohen  —  WASHINGTON — On a busy day at the White House, President Trump hosted senators to talk about tax cuts, accused a Democratic congresswoman of distorting his condolence call to a soldier's widow …

Our Highest Office, My Deepest Obligation  —  I'm not running for president, but I am launching a new campaign: Beyond Carbon.  —  I've never made any secret of my belief that Donald Trump is a threat to our country.  At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, I said: “New Yorkers know a con when we see one.”

The dishonest smearing of Ilhan Omar  —  In what is surely the most shameful decision of her current term as speaker, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has decided that the time has come for the House to rebuke Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for things she didn't actually say, and ideas she didn't actually express.

North Korea rebuilding long-range rocket site, photos show  —  Photos taken just 2 days after the Trump-Kim Hanoi summit show rebuilding at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, North Korea's operational space launch facility.  —  WASHINGTON — North Korea is pursuing the “rapid rebuilding” …

‘Grab that record’: How Trump's high school transcript was hidden  —  In 2011, days after Donald Trump challenged President Barack Obama to “show his records” to prove that he hadn't been a “terrible student,” the headmaster at New York Military Academy got an order from his boss: Find Trump's academic records and help bury them.

Trump Organization's Insurance Policies Under Scrutiny in New York  —  New York State regulators have issued an expansive subpoena to the Trump Organization's longtime insurance broker, the first step in an investigation of insurance policies and claims involving President Trump's family business …

Fox News Quietly Ditched Trump-Loving Sheriff David Clarke  —  The infamous firebrand hasn't appeared on Fox in more than a year and he no longer works for the pro-Trump super PAC that hired him to do media.  —  For years, Sheriff David A. Clarke was a fixture on Fox News …

Payments to corporation owned by Ocasio-Cortez aide come under scrutiny  —  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)'s chief of staff helped establish two political action committees that paid a corporation he ran more than $1 million in 2016 and 2017, federal campaign finance records show.

Senate Confirms 37-Year-Old To Lifetime Seat On U.S. Circuit Court  —  Every Democrat opposed Trump nominee Allison Jones Rushing, who is going to be a federal judge for a long, long time.  —  WASHINGTON The Senate voted Tuesday to confirm Allison Jones Rushing, 37, to the U.S. Court …

Border at ‘Breaking Point’ as More than 76,000 Migrants Cross in a Month  —  For the fourth time in five months, the number of migrant families crossing the southwest border has broken records, border enforcement authorities said Tuesday, warning that government facilities are full and agents are overwhelmed.

The federal deficit ballooned at start of new fiscal year, up 77 percent from a year before  —  The federal budget deficit ballooned rapidly in the first four months of the fiscal year amid falling tax revenue and higher spending, the Treasury Department said Tuesday, posing a new challenge …

Democrats' demand for Trump's tax returns expected in about 2 weeks  —  House Democrats plan to formally demand President Donald Trump's tax returns in about two weeks, a key lawmaker said Tuesday.  —  They intend to seek his personal tax returns covering a decade, but will not at this time request …

Colbert Beats Fallon for First Time in Key Ratings Demographic  —  Stephen Colbert can finally claim complete bragging rights.  —  For the first time, Mr. Colbert's “Late Show” on CBS has drawn a bigger Nielsen rating point among young adult viewers than any other late-night talk show.

Belgian carnival float condemned for featuring anti-Semitic puppets of Jews  —  Jewish groups protest open displays of anti-Semitism at parade in town of Aalst, west of Brussels  —  Participants in a street celebration in the Belgian city of Aalst on Sunday paraded giant puppets of Orthodox Jews …

Internal Report Shows WWF Was Warned Years Ago Of “Frightening” Abuses  —  The wildlife charity said it would investigate evidence of violence against indigenous people uncovered by BuzzFeed News.  But documents obtained by BuzzFeed News reveal WWF had already commissioned an investigation that warned of human rights abuses in 2015.

Rand Paul: Sure, Vaccines Are OK, But We Shouldn't Trade ‘Liberty’ for ‘False Sense of Security’  —  His own Republican colleague, Sen. Bill Cassidy, was openly appalled by what he said.  —  During a Senate Health Committee hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) criticized the idea …

Adam Schiff Hires a Former Prosecutor to Lead the Trump Investigation  —  Representative Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, has hired a veteran prosecutor with experience fighting Russian organized crime to lead his investigation of the Trump Administration.

Coinbase Cuts Ties With Hacking Team Following Spyware Backlash  — CEO Armstrong says they'll “transition out of Coinbase”  — Hacking Team allegedly sold spyware to oppressive regimes  —  Coinbase Inc., one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, is letting go of staff …

12 detained babies have been released from ICE custody in Dilley, Texas  —  ICE officers have released 12 of the infants that were being held at a rural Texas detention center, where immigrant advocates claim they dealt with dirty water, limited baby food and a lack of medical care.

‘The silence is deafening’: Major brands avoid Trump even as he promotes them from the White House  —  In a scene likely worth millions of dollars in free advertising, President Trump displayed a spread of burgers from some of the country's biggest fast-food chains inside the State Dining Room …

Michael Cohen alleges pardon was dangled.  Others say his lawyer broached the idea.  —  Michael Cohen had always made problems go away for President Trump.  But after the FBI raided Cohen's home in April, the fixer himself became the issue.  —  Cohen, who had been in a joint defense agreement with Trump …

South Carolina is becoming home to a quiet Qatari military aircraft project  —  The nation of Qatar, a tiny Gulf state known for its vast energy riches, tiny indigenous population, slave labor economy, and, of course, its troublesome connections to international terrorist organizations …

Here's what Amazon has to do to get $23 million from Arlington County  —  Amazon will receive staggered payouts for occupying an increasing amount of office space near National Airport, and get at least two days' notice when someone requests information it provides to Arlington County …

Two of Roger Stone's websites deleted as Robert Mueller flags judge to possible gag-order violation by Trump friend  — One of those deletions apparently occurred after CNBC reported on Sunday that Stone might have violated the terms of his judicial gag order by posting an image …

New York's Mayor Doesn't Run New York's Subways.  Should He?  —  [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]  —  It is a peculiarity of New York City history: The mayor does not control the subway that is so essential to the city's success.

ICE arrests more than 20 released in New York after detainers ignored  —  “The sanctuary city politics of this city continue to put the safety of New York residents at risk,” said Thomas R. Decker, field office director for ERO NY.  “We need our elected officials to stop the rhetoric.