Jeffrey Epstein Was a ‘Terrific Guy,’ Donald Trump Once Said.  Now He's ‘Not a Fan.’  —  WASHINGTON — It was supposed to be an exclusive party at Mar-a-Lago, Donald J. Trump's members-only club in Palm Beach, Fla. But other than the two dozen or so women flown in to provide the entertainment …

Migrant kids in overcrowded Arizona border station allege sex assault, retaliation from U.S. agents  —  Migrant children held in Yuma, Arizona, report sex assault and retaliation for protests in addition to unsanitary conditions and overcrowding.  —  WASHINGTON — The poor treatment …

Sir Kim Darroch resigns as UK ambassador to US  —  Sir Kim Darroch has resigned as UK ambassador to the US, amid a row over leaked emails critical of President Trump's administration.  —  The ambassador was branded “a very stupid guy” by Mr Trump, after emails emerged calling the Trump administration “clumsy and inept”.

An Explosive Secret Recording Reveals How Russia Tried To Funnel Millions To The “European Trump”  —  A close aide to Italy's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini held covert talks to pump Russian oil money to his far-right party.  BuzzFeed News has the tape.

‘Mother Is Not Going to Like This’: The 48 Hours That Almost Brought Down Trump  —  One by one, they had trickled out of the conference room on the 25th floor of Trump Tower.  It was Friday, October 7, 2016, two days before the second presidential debate, and the Republican nominee's brain trust …

McGrath raises a record $2.5 million on first day of Senate campaign  —  WASHINGTON — Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Amy McGrath raised more than $2.5 million in the first 24 hours of her campaign against Mitch McConnell — over $1 million of it coming in just the first five and a half hours …

Justice Dept. Tells Mueller Deputies Not to Testify, Scrambling an Agreement  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is seeking to discourage Robert S. Mueller III's deputies from testifying before Congress, potentially jeopardizing an agreement for two of the former prosecutors …

Robert Foster, GOP governor candidate, denies woman reporter access because of her gender  —  In recent weeks, in an attempt to better inform readers about candidates in the upcoming Republican gubernatorial primary, Mississippi Today has asked to shadow each contender seeking the GOP nomination.

In the aftermath of Khashoggi's murder, Saudi influence machine whirs on in Washington  —  After the killing in October of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, a handful of lobbying firms and think tanks made a move rare in Washington: They publicly severed ties with Saudi Arabia …

Rip Torn, Artie the Producer on ‘The Larry Sanders Show,’ Dies at 88  —  The respected Emmy winner and Oscar and Tony nominee always aimed for authenticity but had a reputation as a trouble-maker.  —  Rip Torn, the tenacious, temperamental Texan whose much-admired career was highlighted …

Federal Judge Blocks Justice Department's Effort to Withdraw Lawyers on Census Citizenship Case  —  WASHINGTON — A federal judge in New York on Tuesday rejected the Justice Department's request to switch its legal team midway through a case challenging the Trump administration's effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

Embattled Biden ditches Rose Garden strategy  —  Joe Biden intended to stay above the fray.  He wasn't going to punch down at opponents, or embark on any apology tours for past votes or statements.  Creating a sense of inevitability was the goal.  —  That strategy is now out the window.

Sen. Collins rejected Republican senator's offer to ditch Kavanaugh after Ford testimony, new book claims  —  Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, refused to take part in a Senate Judiciary Committee Republican's proposal for the White House to abandon Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's nomination …

Impeachment isn't optional.  If facts point in that direction, Congress must act.  —  The Constitution's framers didn't want the process to be a political calculation.  —  Cass R. Sunstein is the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School.

Trump attacks ‘Radical Left’ for boycotting, a tactic he has repeatedly advocated  —  President Trump on Tuesday night came to the defense of Home Depot, calling those who choose not to shop at the home improvement retailer because of financial ties between its billionaire co-founder …

Ivory Coast passes legislation encouraged by Ivanka Trump  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Ivanka Trump is applauding the recent passage of legislation in Ivory Coast related to changes she pushed during her April trip to Africa.  —  The country is in the process of updating its family code …

Strip club to host golf tournament at Trump resort in South Florida  —  President Trump's golf resort in Doral, Fla., is scheduled to host a golf tournament Saturday put on by a Miami-area strip club, which will allow golfers to pay for a dancer to serve as their “caddy girl” while they play at the president's club.

The 25 Democrats running for president, debate lineups, and everything else you should know about 2020  —  The biggest questions about the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, answered.  —  Graphics: Javier Zarracina/Vox, Photos: Getty Images, Creative Commons  —  The 2020 presidential campaign is well underway.

Democratic donor Ed Buck accused of human trafficking and revenge porn after man dies in his home  —  Prominent political activist Ed Buck is facing new legal troubles as the mother of a man who died in his home has filed an amended civil suit accusing Buck of human trafficking and engaging in revenge porn, CBS Los Angeles reports.

GOP at war over fundraising  —  Tensions over the future of the GOP's grassroots fundraising are reaching a breaking point, with the national party turning to strong-arm tactics to get Republicans behind its new, Donald Trump-endorsed platform for small donors.

‘American Carnage’ Shows How War Between Republicans Led to Their Peace With Trump  —  Over the weekend we learned that President Trump — who has taken credit for an economic turnaround that began under Barack Obama and a hot streak by the Boston Red Sox — insists that he predicted …

Trump softened stance on Hong Kong protests to revive trade talks  —  Donald Trump told Chinese president Xi Jinping last month that the US would tone down criticism of Beijing's approach to Hong Kong following massive protests in the territory in order to revive trade talks with China.

Tired, Irrelevant Democratic Candidates Point To Trump Reelection  —  It is easier to notice the drift of American political public opinion after being away from it in England for six weeks.  It is obvious that President Trump is steadily gaining ground.  The human wave of kooks …

Billionaire insists he has legal parking spot on West Village street, infuriating neighbors who say he created a fake space for himself  —  A billionaire hedge fund honcho carved out a personal driveway in a West Village sidewalk — and didn't pay a dime for the brazen annexation of public space.

BIJAN RAFIEKIAN, et al...EDVA Case Update it's a LOT  —  Apparently Flynn lied bigly  —  By way of background you might find these previous write ups informative and it will help you understand how we got here and what's going on in … For the record there's been a crushing amount of Docket Activity, specifically July 8th.

Mueller day is one week away  —  New York (CNN Business)A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter.  You can sign up for free right here.  —  Cable news channels are starting to run promos for live coverage of Robert Mueller's long-awaited testimony on Capitol Hill.

Support for legal abortion matches its 24-year high: Poll  —  Sixty percent of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, the most in ABC News/Washington Post polls since 1995.  More also say their state should make it easier, rather than harder, for women to have access to abortion …