Republican senators shrug off Mattis' criticism of Trump: 'It's his opinion'  —  (CNN)Republican senators are dismissing the scathing criticism leveled against President Donald Trump by his former defense secretary, James Mattis, the latest sign that Republicans by and large are showing unwavering support …

Witness Who Was in Floyd's Car Says His Friend Did Not Resist Arrest  —  Maurice Lester Hall, who fled Minneapolis after witnessing George Floyd's death, was arrested Monday in Houston and interviewed by a Minnesota investigator.  —  WASHINGTON — A longtime friend of George Floyd's …

White man accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery allegedly used racial slur after shooting, investigator says  —  The white Georgia man accused of killing an unarmed black man, Ahmaud Arbery, used a racial slur after the fatal shooting, according to another suspect's account to an investigator.

U.S. Park Police said they didn't fire tear gas Monday, but tear gas cannisters were found at the scene  —  WUSA9's Nathan Baca experienced first hand what was used when U.S. Park Police cleared Lafayette Square amid protests over George Floyd's death.  —  WASHINGTON — Update: 6/4/2020:

A Moment of National Shame and Peril—and Hope  —  We may be witnessing the beginning of the end of American democracy, but there is still a way to stop the descent.  —  The slide of the United States into illiberalism may well have begun on June 1, 2020.  Remember the date.

William Barr's Vast, Nameless Army Is Being Brought To Bear On D.C. Protesters  —  Federal law enforcement officers are operating on American streets without identification, which experts say breeds a culture of impunity.  —  WASHINGTON ― Just a few hundred feet north of the White House …

Meghan McCain Responded After Her Neighbor Called Her Out For Making False Claims About The Black Lives Matter Protests In New York  —  Yesterday, Meghan McCain tweeted about the protests happening in New York City following the killing of George Floyd by four police officers in Minneapolis.

Grassley to hold up pair of nominations until Trump explains IG firings  —  Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said on Thursday that he will block the confirmation of two of President Trump's nominees until the White House provides “adequate explanations” for why the inspectors general …

Trump Favorability Slips Among White Catholic and Non-College Americans During National Unrest  —  New data from PRRI shows that 41% of Americans hold favorable views of President Donald Trump, while a 55% majority hold unfavorable views of him.  These numbers are similar to Trump's favorability in April …

China, Iran targeting presidential campaigns with hacking attempts, Google announces  —  Chinese and Iranian hackers have targeted the gmail accounts of staffers working on the presidential campaigns of Joe Biden and President Trump, respectively, Google announced Thursday.

How things could go very wrong in America  —  It Can't Happen Here was the title of a 1930s novel about America.  Fascism never came to America — nor is it likely to.  But martial law, or something close to the militarisation of America's cities, is plausible.

The Lockdowns Are Now a Scandal  —  A boy in my neighborhood committed suicide a few weeks ago.  It's possible that the teen's preexisting problems were exacerbated by the seclusion, tediousness, and helplessness of a national lockdown.  Maybe not.  I didn't really know him.

RNC expands convention search across the Sun Belt  —  The Republican National Committee is planning site visits over the next 10 days to more than a half-dozen cities — across the South and into Texas and Arizona — as it scrambles for a new convention host, people familiar with the internal discussions tell Axios.

Philadelphia Inquirer Staffers Launch Protest After Paper's ‘Buildings Matter, Too’ Headline  —  More than 30 employees of color have called out sick to send management a message about racism.  —  Some journalists at The Philadelphia Inquirer are refusing to work on Thursday and posting …

Americans' views shift on racial discrimination - CBS News poll  —  As thousands protest, their message is getting across.  Comparing views at this moment to decades of CBS News polling, today we see more people — both white and black — saying racial discrimination affects both treatment by police and chances of getting ahead.

The Veepstakes: Handicapping Biden's Choices  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — Joe Biden should not be in a rush to name his vice presidential pick.  Circumstances may change his list of contenders — and probably already have.  — A predictable name leads our list, but a not-so predictable name is second.

George Will Says Republicans Will Forget Trump ‘Fairly Fast’ When He Loses Election: 'Trump?  I Don't Recognize The Name'  —  George Will said that Republicans will forget Donald Trump “fairly fast” when the President, according to Will, loses the 2020 election to Joe Biden.

Trump campaign, RNC to resume in-person campaigning next week for first time since pandemic hit  —  Officials say teams will “adhere to local guidelines,” including wearing masks.  —  President Donald Trump's re-election effort is set to resume in-person campaigning next week for the first time since …

Nation ‘not prepared’ for next pandemic  —  WASHINGTON — The nation's top public health official warned that the United States is not prepared for a flu pandemic, which could be deadlier than the coronavirus — and could strike at the same time, potentially as soon as this fall.

White House Security Blocks Washington's Episcopalian Bishop from Holding a Vigil at Her Church  —  For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis and more, subscribe to Mother Jones' newsletters.  —  On Monday, President Donald Trump tear-gassed an assembly of peaceful demonstrators …