Justice official resigning amid uproar over Dems' subpoenas  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department's top national security official is resigning from his position after revelations that the department secretly seized record s from Democrats and members of the media.

China's ‘Bat Woman,’ at the Center of a Pandemic Storm, Speaks Out  —  Shi Zhengli, a top virologist, said in a rare interview that speculation about her lab in Wuhan was baseless.  But China's habitual secrecy makes her claims hard to validate.  —  To a growing chorus of American politicians …

House GOP prays Trump can kick his habit of 2020 grievances  —  Donald Trump just can't seem to quit 2020.  That means Republicans can't either.  —  The former president is returning to the national spotlight with plans to play a central role in the GOP's push to reclaim power …

McConnell signals GOP would block Biden Supreme Court pick in '24  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) signaled Monday that Republicans, if they win back control of the chamber, wouldn't advance a Supreme Court nominee if a vacancy occurred in 2024, the year of the next presidential election.

Putin dismisses criticism of hacking and internal crackdowns ahead of Biden summit … MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin denied ordering a hit on political rival Alexei Navalny, but in an exclusive interview with NBC News he did not guarantee that the jailed Kremlin critic …

Exclusive: US assessing reported leak at Chinese nuclear power facility  —  (CNN)The US government has spent the past week assessing a report of a leak at a Chinese nuclear power plant, after a French company that part owns and helps operate it warned of an “imminent radiological threat,” …

GOP Senator Says Democracy, Majority Rule Aren't What Our Country Stands For Rand Paul gets a little too honest about his beliefs.  —  One of the edifying side effects of the Trump era has been that, by making democracy the explicit subject of political debate, it has revealed the stark fact …

Novavax's coronavirus vaccine is 90 percent effective, study finds  —  The vaccine is one of six the U.S. bet on but is likely to have its biggest impact globally  —  Novavax, a Maryland biotechnology company that endured delays in developing a coronavirus vaccine, revealed results Monday showing …

Why The New Yorker's Stars Didn't Join Its Union  —  The 96-year-old magazine, known for its revered writers and sophisticated audience, is being consumed by a labor dispute.  —  Writers for The New Yorker have been known to refer to the editor, David Remnick, as “Dad,” …

The Health Benefits of Coffee  —  Drinking coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of all kinds of ailments, including Parkinson's disease, melanoma, prostate cancer, even suicide.  —  Americans sure love their coffee.  Even last spring when the pandemic shut down New York …

Coronavirus infections dropping where people are vaccinated, rising where they are not, Post analysis finds  —  States with higher vaccination rates now have markedly fewer coronavirus cases, as infections are dropping in places where most residents have been immunized and are rising …

Ralph Northam Reflects on His Journey Back From the Edge  —  When a racist picture was discovered on his yearbook page, the governor of Virginia refused to resign.  Now he's leaving office with a widely praised progressive record on racial justice.  —  RICHMOND, Va. — Just two years ago …

Supreme Court puts off decision on reviewing Harvard race-conscious admissions system  —  The Supreme Court on Monday put off a decision on reviewing whether Harvard's consideration of race to build a diverse student body discriminates against Asian Americans, the latest attempt to convince …

Are Democrats doomed in the midterms?  Not if they can do this first.  —  The midterm elections will take place in approximately 500 days.  Which is exactly why some Democratic strategists believe it's urgent to begin executing their midterm strategy right now — nearly a year and a half in advance.

These 25 rainbow flag-waving corporations donated more than $10 million to anti-gay politicians in the last two years  —  This month, corporations are plastering their social media avatars with rainbows, sponsoring Pride parades, and declaring their unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ community.

News Flash: Trump Was Right  —  On Saturday, June 12, former President Donald Trump released a statement that, in tone, will have his opponents rolling their eyes.  —  “I told you so,” they will say, because Donald Trump told them so and managed to get in a bit of signature Trump braggadocio along the way.

Exclusive: Saudi assassins picked up illicit drugs in Cairo to kill Khashoggi  —  Early on the morning of Oct. 2, 2018, a Gulfstream jet carrying a team of Saudi assassins on its way to Istanbul made a quick stopover in Cairo.  The purpose: to pick up a lethal dose of “illegal” …

Attorney general will discuss Trump administration media probe with leaders of CNN, WaPo, NYT  —  New York (CNN Business)Leaders from CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post will meet with US Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday to discuss the Trump administration's controversial …

‘Full of s—’: Candidates warned not to fake Trump endorsement  —  Lynda Blanchard donated nearly $1 million to pro-Donald Trump political committees, served as his ambassador to Slovenia and launched her Alabama Senate campaign with a video spotlighting her Trump bumper sticker-adorned pickup truck.

POLITICO Playbook: Manchin and Sinema still might get their way  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  President JOE BIDEN is at NATO headquarters in Brussels today explaining his decision to pull out of Afghanistan to allies who felt blindsided.  The House is back in session and will soon be debating …

Westminster Dog Show 2021: Wasabi the Pekingese Wins Best in Show  —  Wasabi's victory capped an unusual Westminster, held at a riverside estate in Westchester County instead of its usual home at Madison Square Garden because of the coronavirus pandemic.  —  TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — Wasabi …

Justices rule against low-level crack cocaine offenders  —  The Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that low-level crack cocaine offenders convicted more than a decade ago can't take advantage of a 2018 federal law to seek reduced prison time  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday …

Temp checks, digital menus and ‘touchless’ mustard: The maddening persistence of ‘hygiene theater’  —  At an ice cream shop in Rockville, Md., gloved servers scoop the frozen treat into cups, but a sign taped to the front window says “No cones: Covid.”  At McDonald's outlets along I-95 in Virginia …