Catch-45  —  The twisted logic of Trump defenders would make a fine Joseph Heller novel.  —  There are many things you could call the professional Trump apologist: loyal, creative, unrelenting.  Logically consistent?  Not so much.  —  “Congress is too partisan to investigate the president!”

Key figure that Mueller report linked to Russia was a State Department intel source  —  In a key finding of the Mueller report, Ukrainian businessman Konstantin Kilimnik, who worked for Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, is tied to Russian intelligence.  —  But hundreds of pages …

House Dems Preparing Investigation of Rudy Giuliani for Ukraine Shenanigans  —  The president's lawyer says he welcomes the scrutiny and plans to turn it to his advantage.  —  Top congressional Democrats are actively discussing opening a probe into Rudy Giuliani for his overseas political …

Russia is making its own ‘correct’ version of Chernobyl that will blame AMERICA and the CIA for the nuclear disaster following the unexpected success of the new HBO show  —  Furious at the breakout success of the HBO series Chernobyl, Russia is planning to make its own series portraying …

Are Voter Opinions on Trump as Stable as They Seem?  —  The great irony of the Trump presidency, one that is built on chaos and drama, is how stable it is.  By that, I mean the stability of opinions of this president.  Despite all of the twists and turns and tweets over the last three years …

Joe Biden reverses course on Hyde abortion amendment  —  ATLANTA (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is reversing course and declaring that he no longer supports a long-standing congressional ban on using federal health care money to pay for abortions.

Jobs creation slows dramatically with payrolls up just 75,000 in May, much worse than expected  —  KEY POINTS  — March's job count was revised lower from 189,000 to 153,000 and the April number was lowered to 224,000 from 263,000, for a total reduction of 75,000.

Poll: Majority Want To Keep Abortion Legal, But They Also Want Restrictions  —  Three-quarters of Americans say they want to keep in place the landmark Supreme Court ruling, Roe v. Wade, that made abortion legal in the United States, but a strong majority would like to see restrictions on abortion rights …

The Racial Reckoning Comes  —  Trump has changed our national narrative.  —  When I was a boy I was taught a certain story about America.  This was the land of opportunity.  Immigrants came to this land and found an open field and a fair chance to pursue their dreams.

Trump Allows High-Tech U.S. Bomb Parts to Be Built in Saudi Arabia  —  WASHINGTON — When the Trump administration declared an emergency last month and fast-tracked the sale of more American arms to Saudi Arabia, it did more than anger members of Congress who opposed the sale on humanitarian grounds.

Donald Trump Uses D-Day Ceremony Interview To Rant About Nancy Pelosi  —  Trump called the House Speaker “vindictive” and “nasty” in a sit-down with Fox News' Laura Ingraham.  —  With the graves of U.S. troops who sacrificed their lives in World War II behind him, President Donald Trump gave …

Michael Bloomberg Promises $500 Million to Help End Coal  —  WASHINGTON — Michael R. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, will donate $500 million to a new campaign to close every coal-fired power plant in the United States and halt the growth of natural gas, his foundation said Thursday.

Koch network floats backing Democrats in revamp of influence operation  —  The Koch network is shaking up how it tries to influence Washington heading into 2020, starting with plans to spend money to reelect lawmakers from either party who back its issues and are facing primary challenges.

Tucker Carlson's Praise for Elizabeth Warren Should Scare Democrats  —  Tucker Carlson wants you to know that Elizabeth Warren is a “race hustling, gun-grabbing, abortion extremist” — and, also, a better friend to the American worker than anyone in the Republican Party.

‘I Can No Longer Continue to Live Here’  —  TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — In a small town tucked in the hills outside Tegucigalpa, there is a stuffed gray bunny rabbit that knows a little girl's secrets.  “I tell him all my things,” she says.  “About how I'm doing, and when I feel sad.”

Gay couple beaten up for refusing to kiss for men's entertainment  —  This horrifying picture shows a flight attendant and her girlfriend covered in blood after a gang of men attacked them when they refused to kiss for them.  —  The apparently homophobic attack happened on a London bus …

US and Russian warships nearly collide in the Pacific  —  (CNN)The United States and Russian navies are at odds over an apparent near collision in the Pacific Friday with each side blaming the other.  —  The US and Russian warships came somewhere between 50 feet and 165 feet of each other …

YouTube is deleting videos on Nazi history as part of its hate speech crackdown  —  The site's torrid week shows what a challenge moderation has become for big tech firms.  —  The news: YouTube announced new rules around hate speech on Wednesday that prohibit videos promoting Nazi ideology …

Automakers Tell Trump His Pollution Rules Could Mean ‘Untenable’ Instability and Lower Profits  —  WASHINGTON — The world's largest automakers warned President Trump on Thursday that one of his most sweeping deregulatory efforts — his plan to weaken tailpipe pollution standards …

For Trump, it's all personal; ideology takes second place … He referred to Meghan Markle as “nasty,” called London's mayor a “stone cold loser” and, between official events, found time to lash out at Bette Midler, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the media.

Google rewards reputable reporting more than left-wing politics  —  Our statistical study revealed no evidence of ideological bias in the search engine's news tab  —  “Google & others are suppressing voices of Conservatives”, tweeted Donald Trump in 2018.  “They are controlling what we can & cannot see.”

Russian disinformation on YouTube draws ads, lacks warning labels: researchers  —  SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fourteen Russia-backed YouTube channels spreading disinformation have been generating billions of views and millions of dollars in advertising revenue, according to researchers …

Republicans Have Become the Except-When-Trump-Does-It Party  —  Before heading off for a break at his Trump-branded golf course in Ireland, President Trump this week attacked the mayor of London as a “stone cold loser,” called an American-born British princess “nasty” and then denied he said it …

‘It broke me as a physician to do this to her’: How Missouri harasses women seeking abortions  —  BY THE KANSAS CITY STAR EDITORIAL BOARD  —  St. Louis ob-gyn Amy Addante tweeted this week about the real-world effect of the requirements being imposed on patients and doctors at the last clinic performing abortions in Missouri.

Trump's Twists on Confronting Iran Confound Allies in Europe  —  PARIS — President Trump and his aides have sent a dizzying, seemingly conflicting set of messages to Iran in recent weeks, ordering more troops to the Middle East and a carrier to the Arabian Sea as military threats …

DC Dyke March Bans Jewish Pride Flag  —  A gay pride parade in Washington, D.C. has been criticized by Jewish and LGBTQ groups for banning Jewish and Israeli symbols from its Friday event.  —  The D.C. Dyke March is designed to include people of diverse races, religions and gender identities …

Trump Brings Rare Dose of Stability to a Continent in Flux  —  Though he launched a few barbs at domestic targets, the U.S. president was diplomatic with his European counterparts  —  COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France—At a time of political upheaval across the European Union …