Exclusive: Special counsel prosecutors question witnesses about chaotic Oval Office meeting after Trump lost the 2020 election  —  Special counsel Jack Smith's team has signaled a continued interest in a chaotic Oval Office meeting that took place in the final days of the Trump administration …

U.S. cluster bombs for Ukraine would exceed legal limit on duds  —  Biden administration appears set to approve controversial munitions as conventional artillery stocks dwindle  —  President Biden is prepared to waive U.S. law prohibiting the production, use or transfer of cluster munitions …

Man who served as interpreter in Afghanistan, escaped after Taliban takeover killed in DC working as Lyft driver  —  Nasrat Ahmad Yar, a 31-year-old father of four, moved from Afghanistan to Pennsylvania after the Taliban takeover, and then to Alexandria in 2022.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is no longer a member of the Freedom Caucus after a vote last month, according to one member of the conservative group's board.  —  News and analysis from Capitol Hill for when you only have a few minutes, from POLITICO.

Prosecutors in Trump classified documents case are facing threats  —  FBI says it is working with partner agencies to assess and respond to threats as classified-documents prosecution moves forward  —  Individual prosecutors involved in the classified documents case against former president Donald Trump …

The Rage and Joy of MAGA America  —  I've shared this fact with readers before: I live in Tennessee outside Nashville, a very deep-red part of America.  According to a New York Times tool that calculates the political composition of a community, only 15 percent of my neighbors are Democrats.

McCarthy declines to endorse Trump — looking to avoid a GOP civil war  —  The peace might be short-lived, but the speaker's members understand why he's not offering a formal endorsement to Donald Trump.  —  Kevin McCarthy is risking Donald Trump's wrath by not officially endorsing …

'That isn't true': Michele Bachmann says slavery was not ‘sinful’ at America's inception  —  Former Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) celebrated America's birthday by declaring that slavery was not a “sinful” part of the nation's founding.  —  In a July 4 appearance on the Christian program Flashpoint …

Ron DeSantis Cooks Up Excuses For Low Poll Numbers: 'They're Targeting Me'  —  Fox News host Will Cain asked the 2024 GOP presidential contender why he's “not yet” connecting with voters.  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, asked to weigh in on why he's “not connecting” with voters during …

Shootings in New York Drop by a Quarter as Surge of Violence Eases  —  Murders and rapes were also down, part of a nationwide trend after a post-pandemic spike.  —  Shootings in New York City dropped by about 25 percent through the first half of this year compared with the same period last year …

Twitter is threatening to sue Meta over Threads  —  The Scoop  —  Twitter is threatening legal action against Meta over its new text-based “Twitter killer” platform, accusing the social media giant of poaching former employees to create a “copycat” application.

‘George Santos of Florida’ accused of sexually harassing legislative staffers: report  —  Fabian Basabe, an embattled Republican state representative known by his constituents as the “George Santos of Florida,” has been accused by two legislative staffers of sexual harassment, reported the Miami Herald on Thursday.

Heat Records Are Broken Around the Globe as Earth Warms, Fast  —  From north to south, temperatures are surging as greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and combine with effects from El Niño.  —  The past three days were quite likely the hottest in Earth's modern history …

Ron DeSantis bragged about sending help to Iowa — 10 hours after being told it wasn't needed  —  DeSantis' June 5 tweet touting Florida's role in the politically important state came after Iowa told his administration its help in the recovery effort of a building collapse was not needed.

Cocaine found in the White House was in a different location than previously reported, sources say  —  The sources maintain that the area is highly trafficked, keeping with Jean-Pierre's characterization in yesterday's briefing.  —  White House shares new details on location where cocaine was found

Man with guns near Obama home entered a Montgomery school for Jan. 6-related film  —  The principal from Piney Branch Elementary School in Takoma Park said in a letter to parents the incident is under investigation  —  Montgomery County Public Schools officials say they are investigating …

The Truth About the GOP and the Deficit: All They Do Is Raise It  —  The Republican Party just can't make up its mind about the $1.5 trillion budget deficit.  —  At the start of 2023, House Republicans refused to raise the debt ceiling unless the deficit came down.

Russian unprofessional behavior over Syria - 6 July 2023  —  AL UDEID AIR BASE, QATAR —  “Russian military aircraft engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behavior Thursday, 9:30 A.M. local time, while interacting with U.S. MQ-9 drones carrying out our D-ISIS mission in Syria.

John Roberts' Last Word Is Not the Final Say  —  As another acrimonious U.S. Supreme Court term ended, Chief Justice John Roberts wanted the last word.  In the penultimate paragraph of the last announced decision — in which a conservative 6-3 majority struck down President Joe Biden's loan forgiveness program — he spoke his mind.

Binance plunges into crisis as senior execs quit over CEO Changpeng Zhao's response to Justice Department investigation  —  Binance has been under strain for months amid an onslaught of regulatory investigations that have severed many of its key banking relationships across the globe.

Russia hasn't stopped maneuvering for a role in internet oversight  —  Russia might be reeling from an “armed mutiny” at home and a botched invasion of Ukraine, but that hasn't stopped it from pushing a plan for centralized United Nations oversight of the internet.

Club for Growth-linked group launches effort to attack Trump  —  The group, Win it Back PAC, filed federal paperwork on Wednesday.  —  An outside group with ties to the conservative Club for Growth has formed in an effort to stop former President Donald Trump from winning the nomination.

Marriage built to last: Jimmy, Rosalynn Carter mark 77th anniversary  —  Numbers don't lie.  Especially when they are so beautiful.On Friday, July 7, or 7/7, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter will reach their 77th wedding anniversary.The Georgia couple, who famously served as president of the United States …

Welcome to the Age of the Cage Match  —  These days, powerful men want to beat one another.  Literally.  —  Call it the melee of the middle-aged men.  —  We already know the main event.  That would be Elon Musk versus Mark Zuckerberg in Las Vegas, or maybe the Colosseum in Rome.

Trump Team's New Tactic on the Ground: Extreme Pettiness  —  In the key early state of New Hampshire, the Trump campaign is leaving an impression—just not a good one. … Inside the ‘tacky’ Trump operation  —  In early nominating states like New Hampshire, Fourth of July parades …

Judge rules Trump can be deposed in lawsuit from ex-FBI agent Peter Strzok  —  A federal judge ruled Thursday that Donald Trump can be deposed in the lawsuit ex-FBI agent Peter Strzok brought against the Justice Department for his wrongful termination after the Russia investigation.

Youngkin officials quietly pull LGBTQ+ youth resources offline  —  Youngkin's administration has at least three times in the past year and a half removed information from the website without consulting its own subject-matter experts  —  The administration of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin …

No ‘tiny voice’: Ketanji Brown Jackson's outspoken first term  —  In her first year on the bench, Ketanji Brown Jackson voiced strong perspectives on race, history and the rights of criminal defendants.  But did she sway votes?  —  When Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as the Supreme …

About half of Americans say the best age for a U.S. president is in their 50s  —  When asked about the ideal age of a president, around half of Americans (49%) say they prefer someone in their 50s, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. … Another 24% say it's best for a president …