'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 …

Here's What They Said.  —  We tracked down the 2020 Democrats and asked them the same set of questions.  Here's one:  —  CLOSED CAPTIONS  —  THE QUESTIONS  —  In an ideal world, would anyone own handguns?  —  Would your focus be improving the Affordable Care Act or replacing it with single payer?

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 …

U.N. investigator calls for probing Saudi officials in Khashoggi killing  —  A special U.N. investigator on Wednesday called for further investigation of high-level Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

Sarah Sanders is ‘extremely serious’ about a run for Arkansas governor  —  Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the outgoing White House press secretary, is seriously considering running for governor of Arkansas, according to three people who have spoken to her in recent days.

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.

Trump administration threatens furloughs, layoffs if Congress doesn't let it kill personnel agency  —  The Trump administration is threatening to furlough — and possibly lay off — 150 employees at the federal personnel agency if Congress blocks its plan to eliminate the department.

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.

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.

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.

Tucker Carlson Is Privately Advising Trump on Iran  —  As tensions with Iran escalate and his advisers clamor for a hawkish approach, the president has been taking foreign-policy advice from a Fox News host.  —  In the upper echelons of the Trump administration, hawkish voices on Iran predominate …

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 …

GOP frets about Trump's poll numbers  —  As Trump kicks off reelection, his party worries he's an anchor.  —  President Trump formally kicked off his re-election campaign Tuesday in front of thousands of fans at a boisterous rally in the heart of battleground Florida, even as top strategists …

Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Israel, gives AOC an education on concentration camps (It does not go well for her)  —  Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Israel, responded to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling border detention facilities on the border …