DOJ tells Mueller to limit testimony to his report  —  Justice Department officials have communicated to Robert Mueller that the department expects him to limit his congressional testimony this week to the public findings of his 448-page report, according to one current and one former U.S. official familiar with the preparations.

The Case of Al Franken  —  A close look at the accusations against the former senator.  —  Last month, in Minneapolis, I climbed the stairs of a row house to find Al Franken, Minnesota's disgraced former senator, wandering around in jeans and stocking feet.  It was a sunny day, but the shades were mostly drawn.

Behind Pence's Air Force Two cancellation: A drug dealer  —  Vice President Mike Pence was one short plane ride away from shaking hands with an alleged interstate drug dealer.  —  Pence abruptly canceled his trip to Manchester, N.H., earlier this month but never said why he was pulled from Air Force Two at the last minute.

The Cop Who Said AOC “Needs A Round” Just Got Fired  —  The Louisiana cop who called AOC a “vile idiot” who “needs a round” has reportedly been fired, along with a fellow cop who “liked” the post.  —  Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson on Monday afternoon fired officer Charlie Rispoli and another officer …

Trump announces deal with Democratic and GOP leaders on budget and debt ceiling  —  White House officials and congressional leaders reached a deal Monday evening to lift the nation's debt limit and boost federal spending by about $320 billion over caps set to take effect under a 2011 budget law.

Two Unofficial US Operatives Reporting To Trump's Lawyer Privately Lobbied A Foreign Government In A Bid To Help The President Win In 2020  —  Two unofficial envoys reporting directly to Donald Trump's personal lawyer have waged a remarkable back-channel campaign to discredit the president's rivals …

Poll: Americans Not Sold On Trump — Or Democrats  —  Democratic presidential candidates are proposing lots of progressive policies in this election.  And while those policies may resonate with the party base, some of those ideas are not popular with a general election electorate, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.

‘Racially charged’: Reuters is struggling with descriptions of Trump's racist tweets  —  A mystery hangs over a story that Reuters published on July 16 regarding President Trump's racist tweets regarding four Democratic congresswomen of color: … Emphasis added to ask several questions: From where do those quotation marks come?

Trump administration to expand its power to deport undocumented immigrants  —  The Trump administration on Tuesday will significantly expand its power to quickly deport undocumented immigrants who have illegally entered the United States within the past two years, using a fast-track deportation process that bypasses immigration judges.

The Coming Economic Crash — And How to Stop It  —  I warned about an economic crash years before the 2008 crisis, but the people in power wouldn't listen.  Now I'm seeing serious warning signs in the economy again — and I'm calling on regulators and Congress to act before another crisis …

Army Lets Slip That It's Conducting Secret Operation Around D.C.  — Black Hawk copters working on ‘emerging classified’ mission  — Service asks Congress for an extra $1.55 million for project  —  The Pentagon has revealed a few details about a secret Army mission …

Who Was Jeffrey Epstein Calling?  A close study of his circle — social, professional, transactional — reveals a damning portrait of elite New York.  —  By The Editors Reporting by Brock Colyar, Kelsey Hurwitz, Charlotte Klein, Ezekiel Kweku, Amy Larocca, Yinka Martins, Adam K. Raymond …

'It's a disaster over there': Commerce reaches new heights of dysfunction  —  Constant infighting among top officials.  Sudden departures of senior staffers without explanation.  A leader who is disengaged and prone to falling asleep in meetings.  —  The Commerce Department has reached …

How Mueller deputy Andrew Weissmann's offer to an oligarch could boomerang on DOJ  —  The ink was still drying on special counsel Robert Mueller's appointment papers when his chief deputy, the famously aggressive and occasionally controversial prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, made a bold but secret overture in early June 2017.

Trump met with Nunes to talk intel chief replacements  —  President Donald Trump recently spoke to top House Intelligence Republican Devin Nunes about replacements for the country's intelligence chief — the latest sign that Dan Coats' tenure may be short-lived.

Officials call it a common-sense zoning change.  These homeowners say it's a ‘betrayal.’  —  The group of 20 or so homeowners, many of them retirees, marched into Montgomery County Council headquarters in Rockville wielding handmade signs and binders stuffed with research.

Betsy DeVos and family see profits soar after Trump tax reform bill, deregulation efforts  —  KEY POINTS  — Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her family have seen their investments skyrocket since President Donald Trump started enacting business policies that have helped corporate leaders.

Former Nevada Sen. John Ensign divorces wife  —  Former Sen. John Ensign and his wife, Darlene, left, pictured with former Ensign aide Doug Hampton and his wife, Cynthia.  (Inside Edition)  —  Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., answers a question about his extra-marital affair during a town hall meeting …

ICE tries to bring man in Hermitage in custody, neighbors form human chain to let them get home  —  HERMITAGE, Tenn. (WTVF) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent tried to bring a man in Hermitage into custody, but neighbors formed a human chain to allow the man and his son to get home.

Trump Wants Immigrants to ‘Go Back.’ Native Americans Don't.  —  The president and his followers lack authority to tell anyone to leave this country because they are not indigenous to this land.  —  Ms. Haaland is a Democratic representative from New Mexico.

Endnotes  — While immigrants have always been an essential part of America—86.4 million people in the country today are foreign born or are the children of immigrants—it is equally important to recognize the sacrifices and contributions made by enslaved people and Native peoples to the nation's founding.

Wendy Davis announces bid for Congress, will challenge U.S. Rep. Chip Roy  —  The former state senator is running for office for the first time since her unsuccessful campaign for Texas governor.  —  WASHINGTON - Former Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis is running for Congress.