Afghan Contractor Handed Out Russian Cash to Kill Americans, Officials Say  —  A small-time businessman became a key middleman for bounties on coalition troops in Afghanistan, U.S. intelligence reports say.  Friends saw him grow rich, but didn't know how.  —  KABUL, Afghanistan …

Biden Outraises Trump for Second Straight Month, With $141 Million June Haul  —  Hours after President Trump's campaign announced an enormous cash influx of $131 million last month, Joe Biden's team said it had brought in even more.  —  Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr …

The RNC Is Paying a Former Apprentice Hand Accused of Having Trump Dirt  —  Chuck Labella worked on Trump's show for years.  Now, despite having no ostensible political work on his resume, he's helping with the 2020 convention.  —  Last year, the Republican National Convention began cutting checks …

Tell-All Book on Trump Can Move Forward Pending Hearing, Judge Rules  —  The decision reversed a lower court's ruling that had temporarily halted publication of the book by the president's niece, but it didn't address whether she violated a confidentiality agreement.

Trump's aides debate a new virus approach as President claims it will ‘disappear’  —  (CNN)A divide has emerged inside President Donald Trump's inner circle over whether he should turn his attention back to the coronavirus pandemic or continue to focus on reopening the economy, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.

Vanilla Ice throwing Fourth of July concert: 'We didn't have coronavirus' in the '90s  —  The ‘Ice Ice Baby’ singer will perform for thousands in Texas, where coronavirus cases are surging.  —  Alright ... stop.  —  Vanilla Ice is throwing a Fourth of July weekend concert deep in the heart of pandemic hotspot Texas.

More than 40 Bay Area school principals in quarantine after in-person meeting  —  More than 40 school principals in the South Bay are in quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19 during an in-person meeting held by the Santa Clara County Unified School District.

Alabama students throwing ‘COVID parties’ to see who gets infected: Officials  —  Rising infections prompt Gov. Kay Ivy to extend ‘Safer at Home’ orders.  —  Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 have been attending parties in the city and surrounding area …

His troops have suffered a very different fate.  —  Only a few hours had passed since President Trump pardoned 1st Lt. Clint Lorance and the men of 1st Platoon were still trying to make sense of how it was even possible.  —  How could a man they blamed for ruining their lives …

Coronavirus cases rose by nearly 50 percent last month, led by states that reopened first  —  Coronavirus infections in the United States surged nearly 50 percent in June as states relaxed quarantine rules and tried to reopen their economies, data compiled Wednesday showed …

Inquiry Prompted by Trump's Hurricane Dorian Claim Is Being Blocked, Investigator Says  —  The Commerce Department is impeding findings into whether it coerced the top NOAA official to support President Trump's inaccurate claim that Dorian would hit Alabama, the department's inspector general said.

​Popular Pro-Trump ​Digital Strategist Made Racist Comments on a Secret Twitter Account  —  Caleb Hull, ​a digital communications strategist popular with pro-Trump Republicans, made racist ​and inflammatory​ comments, including the use of the n-word …

Official U.S. coronavirus death toll is ‘a substantial undercount’ of actual tally, Yale study finds  — The 781,000 total deaths in the U.S. in the three months through May 30 were nearly 19% higher than what would normally be expected, the study said.  — The number of excess deaths …

In wake of Trump's Tulsa rally, his campaign is still contending with the fallout  —  It was just hours before President Trump was set to take the stage for his rally in Tulsa last month when the news broke: Six staff at the site had just tested positive for the coronavirus.

Zuckerberg Tells Facebook Staff He Expects Advertisers to Return ‘Soon Enough’  —  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees he was reluctant to bow to the threats of a growing ad boycott, saying in private remarks that “my guess is that all these advertisers will be back on the platform soon enough.”

Senate Republicans can't catch a break  —  The high point of 2020 for Senate Republicans — if there is one — may have been Feb. 6.  —  The Senate had acquitted President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial the day before, and he held an hour-long “victory celebration” in the East Room of the White House.

The U.S. Is Lagging Behind Many Rich Countries.  These Charts Show Why.  —  The United States is different.  In nearly every other high-income country, people have both become richer over the last three decades and been able to enjoy substantially longer lifespans.  —  But not in the United States.

D.C. sued over Black Lives Matter painted on city streets  —  Judicial Watch went to court Wednesday demanding access to paint the streets of Washington with its own political message after the city wrote “Black Lives Matter” on one street and allowed protesters to paint “Defund the Police” next to it.

This Isn't Hillary Clinton's Polling  —  Recent polls could hardly be more reassuring for voters who want to be done with Donald Trump.  “Biden Builds Largest Lead This Year,” a CNN headline declared.  “Biden Hits 55%-41% Against Trump in Biggest National Poll Lead Yet,” reported The Daily Beast.

How to Build a Stronger Nation  —  America needs some repairs.  Here's where to start.  —  The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values.  It is separate from the newsroom.

Scoop: Twitter removes photo from Trump tweet after NYT copyright complaint  —  Twitter has removed a picture from a tweet by President Trump on Tuesday after it received a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaint from the New York Times, which owns the rights to the photo.

Harvard grad Claira Janover says she's lost Deloitte job over TikTok ‘stab threat’  —  The Harvard graduate who said in a TikTok video that she would “stab” anyone who told her “All Lives Matter” revealed in a new pair of recordings that she has lost her job over the perceived threats and ensuing furor.

Democratic ad makers think they've discovered Trump's soft spot  —  After more than a year of polling, focus groups and message testing against the president, there's a growing consensus about what damages Trump — and what doesn't.  —  President Donald Trump.

The House: Democratic Murmurings in the Texas Suburbs - and Elsewhere  —  11 rating changes, most in favor of Democrats  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — Joe Biden's currently strong lead in the presidential race is being felt in the suburbs, which if it lasts could imperil Republicans in some of their formerly dark red turf.

Sheldon Whitehouse's Favors  —  The Senator intervened for a company after campaign cash flowed.  —  By The Editorial Board  —  Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse makes a habit of accusing his opponents of corruption.  So let's take a look at an example of the Senator's political mediation …

Amid Virus Surge, Republicans Abruptly Urge Masks Despite Trump's Resistance  —  Masks became a political cause for some in the early months of the pandemic.  A growing set of Republican leaders are suddenly pushing Americans to wear them.  —  CHICAGO — Protesters marched on the State Capitol in Texas …

A Warning For Democrats: Handling the Economy Is Trump's Last Remaining Bright Spot  —  The president's approval numbers are catastrophic.  And he has no ability to change course.  But some voters still trust him on the economy.  Can Biden take away Trump's last advantage?

Campaign bus for Jeff Sessions' primary opponent goes up in flames  —  A campaign bus belonging to Jeff Sessions' opponent for Alabama's Senate seat burst into flames on a highway Wednesday night.  —  The driver of Tommy Tuberville's bus escaped injury after the vehicle caught fire heading northbound …

Rockland County, Probing New Cluster, Uses Subpoenas as People Resist Contact Tracing  —  Multiple people apparently contracted COVID-19 after attending a party given by someone who knew they had symptoms  —  What to Know  — Officials are resorting to subpoenas to compel people …