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 …

Jeffrey Epstein Confidante Ghislaine Maxwell Arrested, Sources Say  —  Maxwell was accused in a civil suit of allegedly helping Epstein traffic underage girls; he died by suicide awaiting trial last year  —  Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite and heiress who became a confidante …

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 …

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 …

Record jobs gain of 4.8 million in June smashes expectations; unemployment rate falls to 11.1%  — Nonfarm payrolls rose by 4.8 million in June, much better than the expected increase of 2.9 million.  — The unemployment rate fell to a crisis low of 11.1%, also better than the 12.4% estimate.

In the Covid-19 Economy, You Can Have a Kid or a Job.  You Can't Have Both.  —  Our struggle is not an emotional concern.  We are not burned out.  We are being crushed by an economy that has bafflingly declared working parents inessential.  —  Last week, I received an email from my children's principal …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

U.S. Daily Coronavirus-Case Count Crosses 50,000  —  California announces new restrictions affecting 70% of population; India extends food-aid program through November  —  New coronavirus cases in the U.S. passed 50,000 for the first time to reach a single-day record, as some states …

Donald Trump Is All Done Caring  —  His only reason for getting re-elected is so that he can keep having rallies.  —  The presidency is no fun.  Thomas Jefferson called it “a painful and thankless office” and said it brought him “nothing but unceasing drudgery and daily loss of friends.”

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.

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.

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.

Democratic ad makers think they've discovered Trump's soft spot  —  Donald Trump wasn't halfway through his speech in Tulsa, Okla., and Democratic ad makers in Washington and New York were already cutting footage for an air raid on the slumping president.  —  They didn't focus …

Believe the Polls This Time  —  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.

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.”

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 …

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 …

The Coronavirus Spread In A Dallas Megachurch's Choir And Orchestra.  Then It Hosted Mike Pence.  —  A group of First Baptist Dallas choir and orchestra members contracted COVID-19 in the lead-up to Vice President Mike Pence's visit on Sunday.  An infectious disease expert called it “appalling.”

The Anti-Trump Movement Will Outlast Trump  —  The Trump years have scrambled old ideological lines.  So perhaps it is not so surprising that in recent days George F. Will, the elegant dean of conservative columnists, and Matt Taibbi, a raucous liberal iconoclast, found themselves gnawing on different parts of the same bone.

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.

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.

San Quentin Prisoners Go On Hunger Strike Amid Massive COVID-19 Outbreak  —  About 20 people in the prison's Badger section have been on hunger strike for the past few days, three people incarcerated there say.  —  As the novel coronavirus spreads rapidly through California's San Quentin State Prison …

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 …

Facebook Can't Be Reformed  —  We need to reimagine the social network or find a way to survive its dominance.  —  Opinion Writer at Large  —  “We know we have more work to do.”  —  That was the line from numerous Facebook representatives last week in reaction to the #StopHateForProfit advertising boycott campaign.