Public's Mood Turns Grim; Trump Trails Biden on Most Personal Traits, Major Issues  —  Just 17% say they are ‘proud’ when thinking about state of the U.S.  —  How we did this  —  With less than five months until the 2020 elections, Americans are deeply unhappy with the state of the nation.

Suspicions of Russian Bounties Were Bolstered by Data on Financial Transfers  —  Analysts have used other evidence to conclude that the transfers were likely part of an effort to offer payments to Taliban-linked militants to kill American and coalition troops in Afghanistan.

Republican leaders now say everyone should wear a mask — even as Trump refuses and has mocked some who do  —  The last Republican vice president, Richard B. Cheney, and his Wyoming congresswoman daughter, Liz, say wearing masks is manly.  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) …

A Dire Warning From COVID-19 Test Providers  —  Editor's Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers.  Find the collection here.  —  The United States is once again at risk of outstripping its COVID-19 testing capacity, an ominous development …

The Fall of Jeff Sessions, and What Came After  —  The former attorney general is fighting for his political life in Alabama's Senate race, in the shadow of a president who still despises him.  —  To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

Facebook to remove anti-government ‘Boogaloo’ groups  —  Facebook announced Tuesday that it is removing groups dedicated to the Boogaloo extremist movement one month after federal officials alleged the anti-government network's adherents used the platform to plan the murder of a federal agent.

Senate strips provision from intelligence bill requiring campaigns to report foreign election help  —  WaPo: Russian bounties to Taliban fighters believed to result in deaths of US troops  —  (CNN)The Senate will incorporate the annual intelligence policy legislation into the National Defense …

Scoop: Kushner changes top Trump campaign staff  —  Michael Glassner, the man who organizes President Trump's rallies, has been “reassigned,” and Trump's 2016 Arizona chair Jeff DeWit will join the campaign as chief operating officer to oversee the final stretch to election day, three sources familiar with the situation tell Axios.

Hampton Inn worker fired for calling cops on Black guests; Police open ‘internal investigation’  —  A Hampton Inn employee has been fired after calling the police on a Black family using the hotel's swimming pool in Williamston, North Carolina.  —  “Hampton by Hilton has zero tolerance for racism or discrimination of any kind.

Florida is “not going back” on reopening, governor says  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters on Tuesday that the state will not reinstate restrictions or close businesses to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus.  —  Why it matters: More than 50% of coronavirus infections …

Trump team's brewing debate: How to message a raging health emergency  —  One group of White House aides wants more attention on the surging virus.  The other wants to leave it to local officials.  Now they're trying to find a middle ground.  —  President Donald Trump.  Erin Schaff-Pool/Getty Images

Carl Reiner Dead at 98, Mel Brooks Pays Tribute to His Best Friend  —  CARL REINER DEAD AT 98 ... Mel Brooks Also Pays Tribute To His Best Friend  —  REMEMBERING CARL REINER  —  2:23 PM PT — Mel Brooks also just paid tribute to Reiner, calling him a giant whose contributions to the entertainment industry is unmatched.

Coronavirus' spread in GOP territory, explained in 6 charts  —  Coronavirus first spread in the United States as a mostly coastal and big-city scourge, sparing many rural areas, small towns and even small cities.  Translated into U.S. political geography: The virus hit Democratic areas first.

Mary Trump's Tell-All Book Temporarily Blocked in Court  —  Mary Trump's upcoming, explosive tell-all about the president has hit a temporary setback as a judge grants Robert Trump a Temporary Restraining Order to halt publication.  —  A judge on Tuesday granted Robert Trump …

Mississippi governor signs bill changing state's flag, abandoning Confederate symbol  —  Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) signed a bill Tuesday abandoning the state's flag and stripping the Confederate battle flag symbol from it, capping a remarkable turnaround on a banner that had flown over the state for more than a century.

Adam Savage of ‘Mythbusters’ allegedly raped sister as a kid: lawsuit  —  Former “Mythbusters” co-host Adam Savage allegedly sexually abused his younger sister for years while calling himself the “raping blob” during the late 1970s, the woman says in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Seattle mayor slams protesters for showing no ‘regard for’ her ‘safety’ as demonstrators circle her home  —  A group of protesters marched to the home of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan on Sunday afternoon, upset that she pledged to dismantle the police-free “Capitol Hill Organized Protest” zone, known as CHOP.

McConnell warns Democrats not to change filibuster rule  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned Democrats on Tuesday not to mess with the filibuster rule if they win control of the chamber in November.  —  He said eliminating the legislative filibuster by reducing …

AOC Touts Support from Anti-Semitic Groups for Israel Letter  —  A congressional letter organized by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and a delegation of progressive Democrats in Congress was endorsed by organizations that call for Israel's destruction, promote boycotts of the Jewish state …

One graphic explains why Americans are facing an EU travel ban  —  (CNN)US tourists will be excluded from visiting the European Union after the bloc finalized its list of 15 safe countries for travel to member states on Tuesday.  —  The EU has formally agreed a set of recommendations …

Trump Campaign Has Spent $325,000 on Facebook Ads Featuring Brad Parscale's Page  —  Mr. Parscale, the president's campaign manager, is one of only three people whose Facebook and Instagram pages have been used by the campaign to display ads.  The others are Donald Trump and Mike Pence.

Mueller Memos Part 8: More Revelations About What Witnesses Told Investigators About Trump And Russia  —  BuzzFeed News sued the FBI and the Department of Justice for access to the secret records used by special counsel Robert Mueller.  Today, we are publishing the eighth installment …

Amy McGrath Defeats Charles Booker and Will Face McConnell in Kentucky  —  Ms. McGrath, who raised over $40 million, won the Democratic primary by narrowly holding off a candidate who had harnessed energy from the protests over racial injustice.  —  WASHINGTON — Amy McGrath …

These GOP Lawmakers Tried to Make It Harder to Vote-By-Mail.  Then 80% of Them Mailed Ballots in April.  —  Analysis by liberal group on voting habits of Wisconsin politicians reveals majority vote absentee.  —  More than 80 percent of Wisconsin's Republican legislators voted absentee in April …

Senate extends small business coronavirus relief program  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats drove a temporary extension of a popular subsidy program for small businesses through the GOP-controlled Senate late Tuesday, an unexpected development that came as spikes in coronavirus cases in many states …

Ex-Husband of ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ Star and Lucchese Crime Family Soldier Indicted for Assault and Other Crimes  —  NEWARK, N.J. - The ex-husband of one of the stars of the Bravo television show “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” and an organized crime soldier were arrested today …

California bill would shield health officer addresses as death threats rise  —  OAKLAND — California would shield public health officers' home addresses under new legislation that emerged Tuesday after the long-unknown officials faced death threats this year for imposing coronavirus requirements.

Trump's Twitter feed reads like a local crime blotter as he stokes a culture war  —  The Debrief: An occasional series offering a reporter's insights  —  President Trump returned from his Virginia golf course Saturday afternoon and turned his Twitter feed into a crime blotter.

‘They basically swallowed hard’: Trumpy Census Bureau hires revive fears of political meddling  —  The White House and Commerce Department forced the Census Bureau to take two new political appointees last week whose unexpected arrival has deepened fears at the agency that the 2020 census will be politicized …

Science and “Science”  —  Politicians love to say that they are “following the science.”  To hear them talk, you would think they spend hours poring over data and they go where the numbers drive them.  If only.  —  The COVID epidemic has brought out politicians' faux reliance on “science” in spades.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says U.S. coronavirus outbreak is ‘going to be very disturbing,’ could top 100,000 new cases a day  — The U.S. is “not in total control” of the coronavirus pandemic and daily new cases could surpass 100,000 new infections per day if the outbreak continues on its current trend …

Donald Trump is the king of cancel culture  —  No other politician has spent more time trying to cancel those who offend him.  —  “President Trump stands against ... cancel culture, which seeks to erase our history,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany declaimed on Monday.

GOP-endorsed congressional candidate used n-word in racist anti-Black rant on Facebook  —  Mike Cargile also shared numerous bigoted memes on social media … Writer and GOP-backed House candidate Mike Cargile has frequently posted bigoted content on Facebook, including writing a racist rant …

Congress Launches Bipartisan Bill to Give Refugee Status to Certain Hong Kong Residents  —  New bill is aimed at Hong Kongers at risk of persecution under Chinese territory's new national-security law  —  WASHINGTON—Lawmakers of both parties launched a bill to give refugee status …

St. Louis lawyers who confronted protesters with guns under investigation  —  The St. Louis lawyers who pulled weapons on protesters marching past their home are being investigated for possible criminal charges, the city's lead prosecutor has revealed.  —  Mark and Patricia McCloskey …