'It's a farce': Dems livid as Hope Hicks dodges questions  —  The president's former longtime confidante met with lawmakers behind closed doors to discuss the president's alleged efforts to thwart Mueller's Russia probe.  —  House Democrats erupted Wednesday at what they said was the White …

Biden, Recalling Civility in Senate, Invokes Two Segregationist Senators  —  Joseph R. Biden Jr., defending himself on Tuesday night against suggestions that he is too “old fashioned” for today's Democratic Party, invoked two Southern segregationist senators by name as he fondly recalled the …

Trump had to pay up front for his Orlando rally after stiffing 10 other cities  —  Orlando, where Trump kicked off his 2020 election bid, made sure they were paid in advance before Trump came to town.  —  Trump launched his 2020 bid Tuesday night, but it cost him.

Facebook moderators break their NDAs to expose desperate working conditions  —  At Facebook's worst-performing content moderation site in North America, one contractor has died, and others say they fear for their lives  —  Content warning: This story contains descriptions of violent acts …

Does anyone deserve to have a billion dollars?  —  THE CONTEXT  —  Most Democrats see economic inequality as a problem, but they don't always agree about how extreme wealth should be treated.  This question sharpened that debate: candidates like Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar …

Meet the New York couple donating millions to the anti-vax movement  —  A wealthy Manhattan couple has emerged as significant financiers of the anti-vaccine movement, contributing more than $3 million in recent years to groups that stoke fears about immunizations online and at live events …

Deutsche Bank Faces Criminal Investigation for Potential Money-Laundering Lapses  —  Federal authorities are investigating whether Deutsche Bank complied with laws meant to stop money laundering and other crimes, the latest government examination of potential misconduct at one of the world's largest …

Biden Tops Electability Ratings  —  Most Dems interested in first debates, but not excited  —  West Long Branch, NJ - Former Vice President Joe Biden maintains his front-runner status among Democratic voters nationwide, but Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is now virtually tied with Vermont …

Josh Hawley Introduces Bill to Put Washington In Charge of Internet Speech  —  Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is introducing legislation to clamp down on free expression online, under the pretense of fighting tech-company “bias” against Republicans.  —  Hawley's solution is to amend Section 230 …

Spoiler Alert: They Want a War  —  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (!) is making noises about ties between al Qaeda and Iran.  The intent is clear.  —  Here they come again, the oldies act, just in time for the summer shed shows.  Take it away,  —  New York Times … Spoiler Alert: they want a war.

Fed keeps rates steady but opens door for cut  —  The Federal Reserve on Wednesday held interest rates steady but opened the door to the possibility of a rate cut this year amid fears of a slowing economy, in a statement unlikely to calm President Donald Trump, who this week suggested he might try to demote Fed Chairman Jerome Powell.

Four to Face Murder Charges in Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17  —  MOSCOW — International prosecutors on Wednesday said that four men, including three with close ties to the Russian military and intelligence, would face murder charges in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine five years ago, killing 298 people.

These gruesome new Khashoggi revelations reinforce the ugly bargain Trump has struck with Saudi Arabia  —  The Trump administration has made a calculated decision not to retaliate very much against Saudi Arabia for the assassination of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Meghan McCain Snaps and Calls Joy Behar a ‘Bitch’ on the Air  —  Things are tense on Splinter's fave gab-fest, The View.  After reports of behind-the-scenes bickering, the drama played out in front of the camera on Wednesday morning, as Meghan McCain finally snapped and called Joy Behar, her frequent nemesis and co-host, a “bitch.”

E.P.A. Finalizes Its Plan to Replace Obama-Era Climate Rules  —  WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Wednesday finalized a package of new rules to replace the Clean Power Plan, former President Barack Obama's signature effort to reduce planet-warming emissions from coal plants.

The normalization of Bryan Goldberg  —  Bryan Goldberg wants to save your internet.  Since the creation of his Bustle Digital Group, Goldberg made a name for himself as a digital slumlord—snatching up gutted media properties, bidding low and running them on cheap labor.

Senate Republicans are now weaker on the border than Obama was in 2014  —  There are two questions lawmakers must ask themselves now that they will, supposedly, finally focus on the border: 1) Is their job to represent illegal aliens or to defend Americans first and foremost from the effects …

FBI, warned early and often that Manafort file might be fake, used it anyway  —  When the final chapter of the Russia collusion caper is written, it is likely two seminal documents the FBI used to justify investigating Donald Trump's 2016 campaign will turn out to be bunk.

YouTube under federal investigation over allegations it violates children's privacy  —  The U.S. government is in the late stages of an investigation into YouTube for its handling of children's videos, according to four people familiar with the matter, a probe that threatens the company …

Five NY1 Anchorwomen Sue Cable Channel for Age and Gender Discrimination  —  Five anchorwomen at NY1, one of the country's most prominent local news channels, sued the network on Wednesday over age and gender discrimination, alleging a systematic effort by managers to force them off the air in favor of younger, less experienced hosts.

Fact-check: Trump's Orlando rally featured more than 15 false claims over 76 minutes  —  Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump kicked off his formal reelection campaign Tuesday night with a rally in Orlando.  His 76-minute speech featured more than 15 false statements, many of them ones that he's repeated frequently in the past.