Federal employees to get Friday off as Biden signs legislation making Juneteenth a national holiday  —  President Biden, having returned to the White House from his first trip abroad as president, plans Thursday to sign into law a bill creating a federal holiday to commemorate Juneteenth, the day marking the end of slavery in Texas.

Putin Hails Biden After Russian Senator Questions U.S. Leader's Fitness  — Legislator asked about Russian reports on Biden health  — Putin warmly praises Biden while getting a dig in at Psaki  —  Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed the door on state-media speculation …

In secret recording, Florida Republican threatens to send Russian-Ukrainian ‘hit squad’ after rival  —  MIAMI — A little-known GOP candidate in one of Florida's most competitive congressional seats was secretly recorded threatening to send “a Russian and Ukrainian hit squad” to a fellow Republican opponent to make her “disappear.”

GOP Rep. Paul Gosar's family calls Jan. 6 comments “despicable”  —  Tim and David Gosar, the brothers of Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), appeared on CNN Thursday to apologize “on behalf of the actual sane members of our family” for the GOP lawmaker's incendiary claims about Capitol Police and the Jan. 6 riot.

Officers, sergeants resign en masse from Portland's Rapid Response Team crowd control unit  —  Officers who serve on the Portland Police Bureau's specialized crowd control unit, known as the Rapid Response Team, voted to resign from the team during a meeting Wednesday night then alerted the chief's office …

Elise Stefanik's post on democracy group board sparked a staff uproar  —  New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election and voted against certification of Joe Biden's win, currently serves as a board member for a revered U.S. organization dedicated to the promotion of democracy.

A Pill to Treat Covid-19?  The U.S. Is Betting on It.  —  A new $3.2 billion program will support the development of antiviral pills, which could start arriving by the end of this year.  —  The U.S. government spent more than $18 billion last year funding drugmakers to make a Covid vaccine …

GOP crushes Manchin's hopes for elections compromise  —  Joe Manchin wants to remake Democrats' sweeping elections reform bill.  Republicans plan to take it down before he can try.  —  Senate Republicans spent months praising Joe Manchin for his insistence on cross-party compromise.

House repeals 2002 Iraq War authorization  —  The House voted to repeal the 2002 authorization for the use of military force in Iraq on Thursday, a rare and historic effort by lawmakers to rein in presidential war powers.  —  Thursday's vote brings the U.S. one step closer to ending …

Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti deserves ‘very substantial’ prison time, prosecutors say  —  Prosecutors urged a judge Wednesday to impose a “very substantial” prison sentence on Michael Avenatti for trying to extort millions of dollars from Nike.  —  Prosecutors noted in a Manhattan …

On the Campaign Trail With Andrew Giuliani The Son of Rudy is working out his father issues on the road to Albany.  —  Andrew Giuliani was holding a silver spoon.  He just was.  There's no getting around it.  Sitting in a booth at Mansion Diner on 86th and York — about a thousand feet …

The Washington Post's Karen Attiah named opinion columnist … Announcement from Deputy Editorial Page Editor Ruth Marcus, Op-Ed Editor Mike Larabee and Manager of Editorial Talent and Logistics Nana Efua Mumford:  —  We are excited to announce that Karen Attiah will be a Post columnist.

Fox's anti-"critical race theory" parents are also GOP activists  —  One '"everyday American" '"parent" is a GOP consultant who worked for the RNC in 2020  —  Nearly a dozen of the Fox News guests the network has presented as concerned parents or educators who oppose the teaching of so-called …

A Final Column on What it Means to Be a Columnist  —  This is the last of Frank Bruni's regular Opinion columns, but his popular weekly newsletter will live on.  To keep up with his political analysis, cultural commentary and personal reflections, sign up here.  —  I owe Ted Cruz an apology.

Biden approaches economic point of no return  —  In our crowded media ecosystem, the biggest story of the week is one the White House is hoping you won't notice.  Inflation grew by 5 percent last month, the sharpest increase in 13 years.  American families have noticed, with prices of gas …

Netanyahu Ordered Illegal Shredding of Docs at His Office Before Bennett Took Over, Sources Say  —  The material was kept in safes in the so-called ‘aquarium,’ where prime ministers and their most senior aides sit.  It's unclear which, or how many, documents were destroyed at Netanyahu's orders

Pennsylvania's Conspiracy Kiss-Up Contest  —  To win Donald Trump's endorsement, candidates for the state's two major 2022 races embrace his big election lie.  —  Former President Donald Trump is watching Pennsylvania.  —  Like every other campaign observer, Trump knows …

Mitch McConnell Did The Nation A Great Favor By Keeping Merrick Garland Off The Supreme Court  —  If there were a scintilla of doubt that McConnell did the nation a great favor, that doubt should have been put to rest during Garland's June 15, 2021, speech on “Violent Extremism and Domestic Terrorism.”

How to Hold Trump Accountable  —  A torrent of new revelations is filling in the picture of how Donald Trump used, and abused, his authority as president.  But the disclosures may serve only to underscore how little remains known about all the ways in which Trump barreled through traditional limits …