Barr: Review of Origins of FBI's Trump-Russia Probe Could Lead to Rule Changes  —  ‘Government power was used to spy on American citizens,’ Barr says  —  SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador—Attorney General William Barr said his review of the origins of the Russia investigation is focused …

War Games: Trump, Bolton, and the Alleged March to Fight Iran  —  The President has blown up the old way of American foreign-policymaking, which makes the risk of a miscalculation higher than ever.  —  The question shouted at President Trump on Thursday as he waited outside the White House …

Congressional Action to Protect Choice  —  Right-wing Republican lawmakers in Alabama just enacted the most extreme abortion ban in over 40 years.  The new law bans abortion at every stage of pregnancy, doesn't include exceptions for rape and incest, and could result in doctors who perform …

Judge orders public release of what Michael Flynn said in call to Russian ambassador  —  A federal judge on Thursday ordered that prosecutors make public a transcript of a phone call that former national security adviser Michael Flynn tried hard to hide with a lie: his conversation with a Russian ambassador in late 2016.

Taibbi's ‘Liberal Embrace of War’ Screed Cites Zero Liberals Embracing War  —  Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi has taken the brave and lonely stance that William Barr was wise and correct in his presentation of the Mueller report and decision not to charge the president with obstruction.

Me Too Backlash Is Getting Worse  —  A new study found that 60% of male managers said they're uncomfortable working closely with women.  —  A stunning 60% of male managers said they're uncomfortable mentoring, working one-on-one, and socializing with women at work, according …

This Is The Story Tony Robbins Doesn't Want You To Read  —  Tony Robbins claims he has helped millions of fans overcome some of life's darkest difficulties.  But leaked records reveal he has used his fame to berate victims of rape and violence, while female former staffers and followers …

House passes bill to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity  —  The House passed legislation Friday to amend the decades-old Civil Rights Act to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  —  Despite a sea change in the past decade …

Appeals court rules Trump end of DACA was unlawful  —  A split federal appeals court on Friday ruled that President Trump's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was unlawful because “it was not adequately explained.”  —  The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals …

Trump judicial nominees decline to endorse Brown v. Board under Senate questioning  —  For months, a Democratic senator has been asking Trump judicial nominees what appears to be a straightforward question: Was Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark decision that ended legalized school segregation, properly decided?

‘Big 4’ leaders to begin talks with White House on budget deal  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy have agreed to begin negotiations on a two-year deal to lift stiff budget caps …

Donald Trump trip to Ireland in doubt amid venue disagreement  —  White House indicates US president may visit Scotland after questions raised over Doonbeg use  —  Disagreement over the location of a possible meeting between US president Donald Trump and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has thrown …

Republican National Committee chairwoman says she is personally opposed to Alabama abortion law  —  Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Friday that she personally opposes provisions in the new Alabama law that outlaws virtually all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest …

Fact-Checkers Give Stacey Abrams a Pass on Victory Claim  —  Ever since she narrowly lost the Georgia governor's race six months ago, Stacey Abrams has been claiming that she “won” the election.  Most recently, on April 28 she told The New York Times Magazine, “I cannot say that everybody …

Why the Guardian is changing the language it uses about the environment  —  From now, house style guide recommends terms such as ‘climate crisis’ and ‘global heating’  —  The Guardian has updated its style guide to introduce terms that more accurately describe the environmental crises facing the world.

Matt Bevin tells Tucker Carlson that abortion bans will benefit African Americans  —  Speaking on Fox News' ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ Thursday about recent abortion laws passed in some southern states, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin said the new restrictions on abortion will benefit African Americans.

Perfect Storm, Part II  —  One of the particular characteristics of the Trump presidency is the way Trump consistently creates drama - some by design, some not - that makes it hard to see the broader outline of events.  Nowhere is this more clear than in considering the 2020 election.

Emily Ratajkowski poses naked to decry ‘25 old white men’ who voted to ban abortion in Alabama... as Kylie Jenner and Rihanna share outrage  — The law blocks abortions in the event of rape and incest, and features an exception only in cases where the pregnant person's health is at risk

Countervailing powers: an old, important idea that helps explain the 2020 Democratic primary  —  A neglected theory that helps explain today's problems.  —  In his 1952 book American Capitalism: The Concept of Countervailing Power, the great 20th-century economist John Kenneth Galbraith wrote:

Area Man Regrets Helping Turn Joe Biden Into a Meme  —  A former ‘Onion’ editor wishes his publication had gone harder at Diamond Joe.  —  If you've ever thought of Joe Biden as a clueless but lovable clod, a well-meaning klutz who is predictable, friendly, and ultimately electable, I am in small part responsible for that image.

Bernie Sanders will call for ban on for-profit charter schools  —  (CNN)In a major education policy speech set to be delivered Saturday, Sen. Bernie Sanders will call for a ban on all for-profit charter schools, a position that puts him directly at odds with the Trump administration and becoming …

Buttigieg wields his military credentials: 'It's not like I killed Bin Laden,' but it was dangerous  —  CNN reviews Buttigieg's military record in Afghanistan  —  Chicago (CNN)Pete Buttigieg wields his military service as both a sword and a shield in his race for the White House.

Grievance Proxies  —  The College Board plans to introduce a new “adversity score” as a backdoor to racial quotas in college admissions.  —  The Social Order  —  For decades, the College Board defended the SAT, which it writes and administers, against charges that the test gives an unfair advantage to middle-class white students.