Trump Admits to Russia ‘Helping Me to Get Elected’  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday acknowledged for the first time that Russia helped “me to get elected,” and then quickly retracted the idea.  —  “No, Russia did not help me get elected,” Mr. Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for Colorado Springs.

Deceased G.O.P. Strategist's Hard Drives Reveal New Details on the Census Citizenship Question  —  WASHINGTON — Thomas B. Hofeller achieved near-mythic status in the Republican Party as the Michelangelo of gerrymandering, the architect of partisan political maps that cemented the party's dominance across the country.

White House Wanted USS John McCain ‘Out of Sight’ During Trump Japan Visit  —  The White House wanted the Navy to move a warship named for the late Sen. John McCain, a war hero who became a frequent target of President Trump's ire, ahead of the president's visit to Japan last week.

Conservatives Stunned by Mueller Suggesting Trump Is Not Innocent  —  Robert Mueller's brief, eight-minute remarks on Wednesday about his investigation left the non-conservatives who closely follow his work fairly nonplussed.  Mueller was simply reiterating things he had already written in his report.

Mueller Delivered a Message.  Washington Couldn't Agree on What It Was.  —  WASHINGTON — At long last, the sphinx of Washington spoke on Wednesday, and here is what President Trump heard: “Case closed.”  Here is what the president's adversaries heard: “Time to impeach.”

Border agents apprehend more than 1,000 migrants in record roundup  —  Most are from the Northern Triangle countries of Central America — El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras — and included 63 children traveling alone.  —  WASHINGTON — More than 1,000 migrants were apprehended …

Federal subpoena demands records on Andrew Gillum and his campaign for governor  —  A recent federal probe sought information related to the Florida Democrat and people in his orbit, signaling a shift in the Tallahassee FBI investigation  —  Andrew Gillum is a focal point …

Blasted Are The Meek  —  On First Things and Sohrab Ahmari.  —  “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land,” Jesus explained in his Sermon on the Mount; “[b]lessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  —  If only Sohrab Ahmari and First Things had been on the scene …

Federal prosecutors demand Cindy Yang records from Mar-a-Lago, Trump campaign  —  Federal prosecutors in Washington D.C. this week sent subpoenas to Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's private club in Palm Beach, and Trump Victory, a political fundraising committee, demanding they turn …

The Democratic Party Is Waging a War Against its Very Own Base  —  At a critical juncture before the 2020 elections, the leadership of the Democratic party is, perplexingly, abandoning key constituencies of its base, including young people, women, and people of color, as well as the policies that fire them up.

Longtime Mississippi Republican Sen. Thad Cochran dead at 81  —  Former Mississippi Republican Sen. Thad Cochran, who served in Congress for more than 45 years and chaired the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, died Thursday.  He was 81.  —  Cochran resigned from the Senate in April 2018, citing health reasons.

New Hampshire abolishes death penalty after lawmakers override governor  —  Lawmakers in New Hampshire voted Thursday to abolish the death penalty, overriding a veto from the state's Republican governor and making it the 21st state to abandon capital punishment.

Buttigieg brother-in-law accuses 2020 candidate of lying about his family for political gain  —  CLIO, Michigan — Pete Buttigieg's brother-in-law is accusing the gay Democratic presidential hopeful of hijacking his family's history for political advantage by crafting a bogus backstory of poverty, homelessness, and homophobia.

Trump on Israel's new elections: “They don't need this”  —  President Trump said today he felt bad for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose failure to form a coalition on Wednesday has forced Israel to call new elections.  —  Context: Two days before Israel's deadline for forming …

NYU Cancels Former New Yorker Fact-Checker Talia Lavin's Journalism Class  —  New York University has canceled an undergraduate journalism class that former New Yorker fact-checker Talia Lavin was scheduled to teach this fall after only two students signed up.

Presidential outrage over a false tweet?  Trump's race-baiting did far more harm to the Central Park Five.  —  There are inconsequential social media screw-ups.  —  And there are malicious lies.  —  President Trump seems to have them confused.  —  The other day, an errant tweet …

No CNN, Net 90 is not a reasonable payment term  —  According to Twitter user Marcus DiPaola, CNN sent a letter to freelancers this week stating that as of June 17 of this year, it would extend payment terms to “Net 90” (payment 90 days after invoice).  The letter also said that Turner …

Sisolak vetoes bill that would pledge Nevada's support to winner of national popular vote, reject Electoral College  —  Gov. Steve Sisolak has issued his first veto out of the 2019 legislative session, rejecting a proposal that would have pledged Nevada's six electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote for the presidency.

US energy department rebrands fossil fuels as ‘molecules of freedom’  —  Press release from department said increasing export capacity is ‘critical to spreading freedom gas throughout the world’  —  America is the land of freedom, as any politician will be happy to tell you.

Americans have turned against Trump on trade  —  Farmer who voted for Trump: I'm not going to be quiet  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump's trade wars may be something he believes in, but it doesn't seem to be a political winner.  Unlike many issues on which Trump has seesawed on over the years …