‘They started this too late’: Trump officials and allies anxious about July 4 fest  —  The White House and Republican National Committee have spent the past week scrambling to distribute VIP tickets to President Donald Trump's Fourth of July speech at the Lincoln Memorial.

Justice Department Reverses Course on Citizenship Question on Census, Citing Trump's Orders  —  WASHINGTON — A day after pledging that the 2020 census would not ask respondents about their citizenship, the Justice Department reversed course on Wednesday and said it was hunting for a way to restore …

Politics Is Changing; Why Aren't the Pundits Who Cover It?  The Donny Deutsch problem in media.  —  In past weeks, the curtain has officially been raised on the vast and diverse field of candidates for the Democratic nomination, many of them politicians who would not have been seen …

“Don Jr. and Jared Really Dislike Each Other”: In the Trump Campaign, It's Son Versus Son-in-Law  —  Suspicion has turned to paranoia as Kushner pushes for 2020 hegemony.  “Don doesn't want to give Jared any excuses to delegitimize him,” says a person close to Don Jr.

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 …

Nauert Reported Earning Fox Salary While at State Department  —  Heather Nauert, a former State Department spokesperson and President Trump's original pick to replace Nikki Haley as the United States Representative to the United Nations, reported in her termination financial disclosure report …

Meghan McCain, Feeling Like an ‘Exhausted, Defeated... Caged Animal,’ May Exit ‘The View’  —  Sources close to McCain tell The Daily Beast she feels like ‘a caged animal’ on the ABC talk show.  'It's getting to the point where it's not worth the emotional toll every week.'

It's a Question No One Says They Want to Ask.  But the Women Running for President Keep Hearing It.  —  GREENVILLE, S.C. — Some people whisper it, some apologize for it, and some are very careful to mention their neighbors — their neighbors would be the ones to ask.

MSNBC Guest Compares Betsy Ross Flag to Swastika, Burning Cross  —  ‘Those symbols are symbols of hate’  —  MSNBC guest Michael Eric Dyson compared the Betsy Ross American flag to the Nazi swastika and a burning Ku Klux Klan cross during an appearance Wednesday.

Trump's Fourth of July Parade to Include Flyover by Russian Air Force  —  WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Calling it “incredibly exciting news,” President Donald Trump revealed on Wednesday that his long-planned Fourth of July parade in Washington will include a flyover by Russian Su-24 fighter planes.

Court Orders Release of Sealed Docs About Jeffrey Epstein's Alleged Sex Ring  —  In a blow to the billionaire pedophile and his alleged madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, a federal court ordered the release of sealed court records in a case brought by an alleged victim.

What a Pediatrician Saw Inside a Border Patrol Warehouse  —  MCALLEN, Texas—Inside the Border Patrol warehouse on Ursula Avenue, Dolly Lucio Sevier saw a baby who'd been fed from the same unwashed bottle for days; children showing signs of malnutrition and dehydration; and several kids who …

Democratic Presidential Candidates Need to Stop Taking Unpopular Stances  —  The Democratic presidential primary has worked to the party's disadvantage by maneuvering its candidates into unpopular positions.  This is not quite a crisis, but it is a serious danger that, if not redressed, could blow up in the party's face.

Trump administration ending in-person interpreters at immigrants' first hearings  —  WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing to replace in-court interpreters at initial immigration court hearings with videos informing asylum seekers and other immigrants facing deportation of their rights, The Chronicle has learned.

Border agency knew about secret Facebook group for years  —  Customs and Border Protection officials have been aware for up to three years that a secret Facebook group for current and former Border Patrol agents was posting offensive messages — far longer than previously reported.

New Iowa Poll: Warren Leads, Harris And Biden Close Behind, Sanders Falls To 4th  — Home- 2019- July- 3- New Iowa Poll: Warren Leads, Harris And Biden Close Behind, Sanders Falls To 4th  —  We have a shakeup in Iowa.  —  Elizabeth Warren leads the pack in the Iowa Caucus …

Manslaughter Charge Dropped Against Alabama Woman Who Was Shot While Pregnant  —  Prosecutors in Alabama said on Wednesday that they were dropping a manslaughter charge against Marshae Jones over the death of the fetus she was carrying when she was shot in the belly.

What the Democrats' Turn Leftward Means for the Party's Chances in 2020  —  Last week, twenty Democratic candidates for President debated in the course of two nights in Miami.  Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren appeared to bolster their campaigns, with Harris, in particular …

Alex Morgan mocked the English team by pretending to drink tea in her goal celebration  —  Now, there are many things you can tease my fellow countrymen for, from our silly accents and love of cricket to our badly maintained teeth.  —  But laughing at our fondness for tea crosses an unspoken line.

These Bizarre Kamala Harris And Mark Zuckerberg Conspiracy Sites Are Run By A Montessori School Director  —  A network of websites and a popular YouTube channel spreading false conspiracies about Sen. Kamala Harris, Mark Zuckerberg, and other public figures is owned by a couple who operate …

Black family fires contractor who shows up to job with Confederate flag on truck: ‘I cannot pay you’  —  A black family fired an independent contractor they had hired for a job after he drove to their home with a giant  —  Confederate flag affixed to his truck.

Trump says U.S. should start manipulating the dollar  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused China and Europe of playing a “big currency manipulation game.”  He said the United States should match that effort, a move that directly contradicts official U.S. policy …

Trump Approval Remains in Low 40s  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump's job approval rating, which has been fluctuating between 40% and 43% since early May, was 41% in the second half of June, and includes 29% who strongly approve.  Fifty-four percent of Americans disapprove …

Trump Needs His Base to Burn With Anger  —  But has he raised the political temperature too high for his own good?  —  Mr. Edsall contributes a weekly column from Washington, D.C. on politics, demographics and inequality.  —  For Democrats seeking to pry loose moderates and conservatives in 2020 …