First person: What I learned in the room with Vladimir Putin  —  I had the rare opportunity to watch Vladimir Putin in action during my four-year stint serving as a senior communications aide to former Secretary of State John Kerry.  —  Why it matters: From his timing to his baiting techniques …

Trump Executive Could Face Charges as Soon as This Summer  —  An investigation into Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization's finance chief, appears to be heading into its final stages as prosecutors increase pressure on him.  —  The Manhattan district attorney's office appears to have entered …

Joe Biden's deserved, humiliating loss at the Supreme Court  —  You may not have heard, but a unanimous Supreme Court just dealt a well-deserved and humiliating defeat to the Biden administration.  —  Legal, criminal, and administrative questions were involved, but the central question was …

Wait, This Is Why a Local Fox Reporter Sabotaged Her Career?  —  Ivory Hecker told The Daily Beast on Tuesday that she's been terminated after claiming on-air that the station has “muzzled” her. … Fox 26 Houston general assignment reporter Ivory Hecker said Tuesday that she has been fired …

The Political, Legal, and Moral Minefield That Donald Trump Left for Merrick Garland  —  Some fear that a former judge with a passionate belief in fairness and neutrality cannot effectively counter Trump.  —  Steps away from the Attorney General's office, in the Justice Department headquarters …

Israel strikes in Gaza after arson balloons launched  —  Israel says it has launched air strikes against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, after incendiary balloons were launched from the territory.  —  Explosions were heard in Gaza City in the early hours of Wednesday.

POLITICO Playbook: The folly of bullying Joe Manchin  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  President JOE BIDEN is scheduled to meet Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN for some five hours of talks in Geneva starting at 7:10 a.m. Eastern time.  It's their first meeting in a decade.

Jared Kushner agrees book deal for ‘definitive’ account of Trump presidency  —  The untitled memoir by the president's son-in-law will be published in 2022  —  Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former president Donald Trump and a senior adviser in his administration, has secured a book deal to recount Trump's presidency.

Fox News trying to claim that Tom Hanks was ‘canceled’ is proof of its utter desperation  —  You may have a hard time understanding how Dr. Seuss, Mr. Potato Head and Tom Hanks are connected, but that probably just means you haven't been watching nearly enough Fox News recently

Florida emerges as a cradle of the insurrection as Jan. 6 Capitol riot arrests keep piling up  —  Zac Anderson Dinah Voyles PulverSarasota Herald-Tribune  —  Florida is emerging as a cradle of the insurrection as the fallout from the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol building paints a clearer picture of those involved.

Democrats raise fresh alarms on emerging Senate infrastructure compromise  —  Biden administration officials believe they will have a better sense of whether a bipartisan deal is possible in next seven to 10 days.  —  A number of congressional Democrats erupted in fresh revolt Tuesday …

Stable U.S. Moral Ratings Obscure Big Partisan Shifts  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Continuing a long-term trend, Americans are discouraged about the state of moral values in the U.S., with 84% calling them “only fair” or “poor” and two-thirds believing they are getting worse rather than better.

21 House Republicans vote against awarding Congressional Gold Medal to all police officers who responded on Jan. 6  —  Twenty-one House Republicans on Tuesday voted against awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to all police officers who responded to the Jan. 6 violent attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.

The PM on Hancock: ‘totally fucking hopeless’  —  Some evidence re my and Hancock's testimony to MPs  —  Detailed analysis of all Hancock said to MPs would take days.  I'll focus today on just a few things to support what I told MPs and show that No10/Hancock have repeatedly lied about the failures last year.

California's Last Fire Season Was a Historic Disaster.  This One Might Be Worse.  —  “I personally know probably a dozen people in California, maybe 20, who've had to personally outrun flames.”  —  It's early June, and I am speaking to climate scientist Daniel Swain, who grew up in the state …

Southern Baptists elect Ed Litton as their president, a defeat for the hard right  —  NASHVILLE — The Southern Baptist Convention elected Ed Litton as its president on Tuesday, signaling a defeat for the hard right within the nation's largest Protestant denomination.

Jon Stewart's rant is a reminder: Don't rely on celebrities for covid-19 theories  —  It seems like a long time ago now, but Jon Stewart used to be an immensely important figure sitting at the place where politics and pop culture meet; he turned “The Daily Show” into a hit …

Newsrooms Need To Treat Coordinated Online Attacks On Reporters Like Propaganda - And Act Like They're At War  —  The latest in the near-endless flow of bad faith attacks on the media erupted last week in a coordinated attack on New York Times reporter Mara Gay.

California removes most restrictions; Newsom keeps emergency powers  —  Even though Californians will be able to fill stadiums, concert venues, bars and restaurants, Gov. Gavin Newsom says the COVID-19 pandemic isn't over.  —  Newsom signed orders rescinding mask mandates …

Mayorkas on DACA 9th anniversary: When will Congress give Dreamers the lives they deserve?  —  Dreamers deserve protection, opportunity and freedom from fear.  I helped create DACA in 2012.  Make it permanent before its 10th anniversary next year.  —  Right now in a community somewhere …

Government UFO report is the product of years of military infighting over whether to take sightings seriously  —  NASA chief says the agency is investigating UFOs  —  Washington (CNN)Members of the House Intelligence Committee will receive a classified briefing on Wednesday morning …

Seeding by Ceding  —  Sitting down to write this post, I felt stuck.  I want to de-emphasize privileged voices and cede focus to others, yet I know some media stories will focus on wealth.  The headline I would wish for this post is “286 Teams Empowering Voices the World Needs to Hear.”

At G7, Biden is slow, confused and seemingly dazed  —  Confusing Libya with Syria no less than three times, the president's slip-ups have national security implications  —  ANALYSIS/OPINION:  —  “I'm going to get in trouble with mom and dad if I don't do this the right way ... ” …

The Leadership Struggle In One of California's Most Powerful Unions Just Keeps Getting Weirder  —  Accusations of cheating, chicanery and violent retaliation dog the SEIU Local 1000 election.  The consequences for labor are very real.  —  Even by the chaotic standards of the past year …

Senate Unanimously Approves A Bill To Make Juneteenth A Public Holiday  —  The Senate unanimously approved a bill Tuesday that would make Juneteenth, the date commemorating the end of chattel slavery in the United States, a legal public holiday.  —  The holiday is celebrated on June 19 …

Alabama lawmaker wants to ban critical race theory, so I asked him what it is  —  This is an opinion column.  —  There's been a lot of talk about critical race theory lately, and I've felt at a loss.  I've heard so many conflicting things about critical race theory, I've gotten more and more confused.

F.B.I. Is Pursuing ‘Hundreds’ in Capitol Riot Inquiry, Wray Tells Congress  —  In two separate hearings, the F.B.I. director and Pentagon officials answered questions about the failure to adequately prepare for and respond to the Jan. 6 attack.  —  WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. is pursuing potentially hundreds …