At border, grim realities of crisis collide with 2020 campaign politics  —  Homeland Security officials thought they finally were getting a handle on the crisis at the Mexican border, after warning for months that agents and holding cells were beyond “the breaking point.”

Teenager Accused of Rape Deserves Leniency Because He's From a ‘Good Family,’ Judge Says  —  The family court judge also said the victim should have been told that pressing charges would destroy the accused's life.  —  The 16-year-old girl was visibly intoxicated, her speech slurred …

Bernie Sanders 2020 is in big trouble  —  (CNN)Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign is in trouble.  —  While much of the attention in post-debate polling has focused on the drop of former Vice President Joe Biden, Sanders' polling looks far worse.

Park Service diverts $2.5 million in fees for Trump's July Fourth extravaganza  —  The National Park Service is diverting nearly $2.5 million in entrance and recreation fees primarily intended to improve parks across the country to cover costs associated with President Trump's Independence …

Trump Administration Drops Effort to Add Citizenship Question to 2020 Census  —  The Trump administration said Tuesday that it would be printing forms for the 2020 census without a question asking about citizenship, abandoning its quest to add the query after being blocked last week by the Supreme Court.

Trump Facebook ads use models to portray actual supporters  —  NEW YORK (AP) — A series of Facebook video ads for President Donald Trump's re-election campaign shows what appears to be a young woman strolling on a beach in Florida, a Hispanic man on a city street in Texas and a bearded hipster …

Lee Iacocca, father of the Ford Mustang who later rescued Chrysler, dies at 94  —  Lee A. Iacocca, an ambitious immigrant's son and salesman extraordinaire whose blunt and swaggering persona dominated the automobile industry like nobody since Henry Ford, died Tuesday.  He was 94.

A Leftist Mob Attacked Me in Portland  —  I have been targeted by Antifa and its allies for my critical reporting of their violent extremism.  —  Portland, Ore.  —  'No hate!  No fear!" chanted the left-wing crowd as they marched downtown Saturday.  I walked to the front of the line …

The U.S. is ‘headed to fascism,’ says Ocasio-Cortez after tour of detention facilities at southern border  —  EL PASO, Texas — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the conditions at U.S.  —  migrant detention facilities “horrifying” in an interview Monday evening and doubled down on her comparisons …

Russian oligarch's story could spell trouble for Team Mueller  —  Sometimes it is the quiet, elusive ones who come back to haunt you.  And for ex-special prosecutor Robert Mueller, one of those might be a Russian billionaire named Oleg Deripaska.  —  The oligarch who once controlled Russia's …

Mike Pence Cancels a Trip to New Hampshire, and a Mystery Ensues  —  Within the Trump administration, Vice President Mike Pence is known as a port of calm and stability amid the churn of chaos.  So on Tuesday, when he abruptly abandoned a planned trip to New Hampshire after he had already boarded Air Force …

Buttigieg introduces national service plan  —  SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg will unveil a his proposal to dramatically expand national service programs during a town hall here on Wednesday.  —  The plan, which Buttigieg's campaign is calling …

Whatever happened to Breitbart?  The insurgent star of the right is in a long, slow fade  —  In January 2017, Breitbart.com was flying high.  Donald Trump, the candidate it had backed during the 2016 campaign, was sworn in as president.  Its former executive chairman, Stephen K. Bannon …

NRA meltdown has Trump campaign sweating  —  The National Rifle Association aired an avalanche of TV ads and pushed its 5 million-plus members to the polls for Donald Trump in 2016, propelling him in the Rust Belt states that delivered him the presidency.  —  Now, the gun rights group …

How fears of ‘mainlandization’ fuel Hong Kong's mass protests  —  The city turns out to protest when China attempts to exert influence.  —  Each year on July 1, Hong Kongers gather to mark the 1997 handover to Chinese rule — some to protest, others to commemorate.

Stationary Map of July 4th Events Areas  —  George Washington Memorial Parkway includes parks along the Potomac River in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.  Check for closures on July 4.  —  National Capital Parks-East is a collection of small parks and historic places throughout DC.

Mark Kelly raised $4.2 million during his second quarter, exceeding first quarter haul  —  Democrat Mark Kelly, the retired astronaut who is hoping to unseat Republican Sen. Martha McSally in Arizona's 2020 Senate race, raised $4.2 million during April, May and June, exceeding his first-quarter fundraising.

Trump Is Packing the July 4 Fireworks Because He's Afraid of Getting Booed  —  President Trump has yearned to combine his political rallies with militaristic displays that visually conflate support for American troops with his political identity.  After some false starts …

Get ready for a strong EU  —  ROME — Proponents of a strong European Union foreign policy have something to smile about this week.  —  The nomination of Ursula von der Leyen at the helm of the European Commission and Josep Borrell as the EU's foreign policy chief is good news for those wanting to beef up Brussels' role in the world.