In the 1990s, Joe Biden said William Barr was “one of the best” attorneys general  —  In 1995, Sen. Joe Biden offered high praise for William Barr, the once and future attorney general who has been roundly criticized by Democrats for his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on the 2016 election.

Justin Amash leaves the conservative Freedom Caucus  —  (CNN)Rep. Justin Amash on Monday stepped down from the conservative House Freedom Caucus less than a month after becoming the first Republican member of Congress to say President Donald Trump has committed impeachable offenses.

Trump Needs a Target to Stay Interested in His Campaign.  For Now, It's Biden.  —  WASHINGTON — Late at night, using his old personal cellphone number, President Trump has been calling former advisers who have not heard from him in years, eager to discuss his standing in the polls …

Biden: Trump is an “existential threat” to the U.S.  —  Joe Biden plans to call out President Trump as an “existential threat” to the United States, according to prepared remarks shared with CBS News.  The bashing by the front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination …

North Korean Leader's Slain Half Brother Was Said to Have Been a CIA Informant  —  Kim Jong Nam, killed in 2017 attack in Malaysia, met with agency operatives, a person knowledgeable about the matter says  —  WASHINGTON—Kim Jong Nam, the slain half brother of North Korea's leader …

GOP's Matt Gaetz attempts to corner John Dean — but his failed interrogation results in nothing but laughter  —  Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) used his time in the House Judiciary hearing Monday to go on a bizarre rant that ultimately got him laughed at by the hearing room.

As He Blocks Election Security Bills, McConnell Takes Checks from Voting Machine Lobbyists  —  The bills McConnell is blocking would subject the voting machine vendors to new cybersecurity regulations and could reduce their overall sales to states.  —  EDITED BY

NBC announces five moderators for first Democratic debate  —  The presidential primary face off, hosted by NBC News, MSNBC and Telemundo, will take place in Miami on June 26-27.  —  NBC announced on Tuesday the five moderators for the first Democratic presidential primary debate, set for later this month.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg reached out to Speaker Pelosi.  She hasn't called him back.  —  Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg reached out to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in recent weeks to discuss how his company handles viral misinformation, but she has not called …

Pence says move to bar rainbow flags outside U.S. embassies was ‘the right decision’  —  Vice President Pence on Monday defended the Trump administration's barring of rainbow flags from being flown on flagpoles outside U.S. embassies during LGBTQ Pride Month, calling it “the right decision.”

Judge says Missouri's lone abortion clinic must remain open for now  —  Missouri's only abortion clinic will remain open for now after a judge on Monday blocked state officials from closing it because of an ongoing licensing dispute.  —  The state judge's ruling kept Missouri from becoming …

Leaked documents reveal Russian effort to exert influence in Africa  —  Exclusive: Kremlin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin leading push to turn continent into strategic hub, documents show  —  Russia is seeking to bolster its presence in at least 13 countries across Africa by building relations with existing rulers …

Trump's Impeachment Trial Just Started, Even Though It's Not “Official” (News Analysis)  —  Scott presents a news analysis of House Democrats efforts to hold President Trump accountable for attempting to influence the Mueller probe.  Today's agreement by the Department of Justice …

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signs ‘chemical castration’ bill into law  —  Gov. Kay Ivey this afternoon signed into law a bill to require sex offenders whose victims are younger than 13 to undergo “chemical castration treatment” as a condition of parole.  —  The treatment consists of taking …

‘A rare position’: Va. Gov. Ralph Northam could wind up with great power, months after almost resigning  —  RICHMOND — Gov. Ralph Northam (D) is wielding renewed power as Virginia's chief executive four months after nearly resigning over a racism scandal that his own party said left him unable to lead.

Google Just Got Roped Into U.S. Government's Case Against Roger Stone  —  Google is about to become embroiled in one of the most high-profile criminal cases in recent American history.  The Department of Justice has demanded the tech giant hand over data to help it piece together its investigation …

Former Trump chief of staff Reince Priebus joins the Navy  —  Reince Priebus, President Trump's former chief of staff, has officially joined the Navy.  —  At a commissioning ceremony Monday morning, Vice President Pence swore in Priebus as an ensign, an entry-level officer.

Trump's war on the media may endanger free press, leading the US down an uncertain path  —  Acosta: I wanted to send a message defending the press  —  Adapted from “The Enemy of the People: A Dangerous Time to Tell the Truth in America” set for release Tuesday

The end of political cartoons at The New York Times  —  All my professional life, I have been driven by the conviction that the unique freedom of political cartooning entails a great sense of responsibility.  —  In 20-plus years of delivering a twice-weekly cartoon for the International Herald Tribune …

Ken Cuccinelli Wanted to End Birthright Citizenship & Militarize Border—Now He's Trump's Immigration Chief  —  The former Virginia attorney general officially started on Monday at DHS.  —  Former Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli's long-rumored role as a top coordinator of the Department …

Are Google and YouTube Evil?  No, But Don't Let That Get in the Way of Your Feelings.  —  Despite scant evidence, everyone wants to believe that social media has a unique ability to control our thoughts and actions.  —  By now, you probably know that YouTube is pure evil.  Or maybe just dumber than a box of rocks.

Her Evangelical Megachurch Was Her World.  Then Her Daughter Said She Was Molested by a Minister.  —  Evangelical churches have long distanced themselves from the sexual abuse crisis that has consumed the Catholic Church.  But a reckoning has arrived.  —  HURST, Tex. — Christi Bragg listened in disbelief.

America's Growing Support for Transgender Rights  —  HOW AMERICANS VIEW TRANSGENDER ISSUES  —  How Americans View Transgender Issues  —  Increasing Support for Transgender Rights  —  More than six in ten (62%) Americans say they have become more supportive toward transgender rights compared to their views five years ago.