Judge blocks U.S. officials from tech contacts in First Amendment case  —  The Trump-appointed judge's move could upend years of efforts to enhance coordination between the government and social media companies.  —  A federal judge on Tuesday blocked key Biden administration agencies …

Secret Service investigating suspicious substance found in White House  —  A preliminary field test indicated the substance was cocaine.  Authorities sent the sample to a lab for further testing.  —  The U.S. Secret Service is investigating a suspicious substance that prompted a brief evacuation …

A viral left-wing Twitter account may have been fake all along  —  The Erica Marsh account shows how ‘rage baiting’ remains a powerful way to win attention and score political points  —  In eight months, Erica Marsh has become one of the most consistently viral left-wing voices on Twitter …

Gunman opens fire at random on Philadelphia streets, killing 5 before he is arrested, police say  —  A heavily armed gunman in a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia on Monday night, seemingly at a random, killing five people and wounding two boys before surrendering, police said.

Republicans Are Divided on Impeaching Biden as Panel Begins New Inquiry  —  A vote to send the Homeland Security Committee impeachment articles against President Biden for his border policies has underscored rifts in the G.O.P. about whether to try to remove him, and for what.  —  Reporting from Washington

The Republican Not Heading to a July 4 Parade?  Trump.  —  But for early-state G.O.P. voters hoping for more attention on Independence Day, the pickings will be plentiful: Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis and others will be on the trail.  —  Ms. Ulloa reported from Merrimack, N.H.

Seeing the erosion of our freedoms makes it hard to celebrate this Fourth of July  —  The Supreme Court, conservative governors and gerrymandered state legislatures are racing to shrink our fundamental rights and freedoms.  —  By Jill Lawrence, author of “The Art of the Political Deal …

U.S. Looks to Restrict China's Access to Cloud Computing to Protect Advanced Technology  —  Biden administration proposal, aimed at closing loophole in chip-export controls, could escalate tit-for-tat fight with Beijing  —  WASHINGTON—The Biden administration is preparing …

World registers hottest day ever recorded on July 3  —  Monday, July 3, was the hottest day ever recorded globally, according to data from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction.  —  The average global temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.62 Fahrenheit) …

Why Biden Goes Silent at Some Key Moments  —  On the mutiny in Russia, Trump's indictment and at moments during debt-limit talks, the voluble president has been very quiet  —  WASHINGTON—President Biden has taken the same approach to a number of recent high-stakes moments—silence.

Ukraine live briefing: Kremlin, U.S. have talked prisoner swap for Gershkovich  —  Russian and U.S. officials have discussed a potential prisoner swap that could include detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, though they “don't want them to be discussed in public.”

Revealed: UK plans to drop flagship £11.6bn climate pledge  —  Exclusive: Disclosure provokes fury as Rishi Sunak accused of betraying populations vulnerable to global heating  —  The government is drawing up plans to drop the UK's flagship £11.6bn climate and nature funding pledge …

DeSantis is squeezing the sunshine out of Florida's public records law, critics say  —  Ron DeSantis is the only Florida governor known to use “executive privilege” to keep records hidden, experts say, and recently signed a law barring release of his travel records.

School Plays Are the Latest Cultural Battleground  —  At a time when lawmakers and parents are seeking to restrict what can and cannot be taught in classrooms, many teachers are seeing efforts to limit what can be staged in their auditoriums.  —  Stevie Ray Dallimore, an actor and teacher …

Illinois Republican Darren Bailey challenges Rep. Mike Bost  —  The high-profile GOP primary contest pits two Trump-supporting conservatives against each other.  —  CHICAGO — Darren Bailey, the former Illinois Republican state senator who lost a bid last year for governor …

Has Wagner's mutiny weakened Russia in the Middle East?  —  Yevgeny Prigozhin's attempted insurrection against the Russian Ministry of Defence (MOD) last month created massive confusion.  The rebellion raised many questions about what might come next for the war in Ukraine and the future of Russian President Vladimir Putin's rule.

How Wingnuts Made Violent Extremism the New Normal  —  From Ruby Ridge to January 6 and beyond, the radical right has unrelentingly attacked democratic norms for almost half a century.  —  I have been a witness to this march for over forty years.  As a young newspaper reporter and editor working …

Statement from President Joe Biden on Gun Violence Across America  —  Over the last few days, our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America — from Philadelphia to Fort Worth, Baltimore to Lansing, Wichita to Chicago.