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.

John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh Are Now the Supreme Court's Swing Votes  —  Chief justice moves to counter the perception the court is partisan  —  WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court completed its annual term last week with resounding conservative victories, ending a half-century of affirmative action …

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.

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 …

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 …

EVAN GERSHKOVICH 100 DAYS DETAINED  —  The Wall Street Journal's Evan Gershkovich was detained in Russia on March 29 while on a reporting trip and accused of espionage, making him the first American journalist detained in Russia on such charges since the Cold War.

‘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 …

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.

Payrolls rose by 209,000 in June, less than expected, as jobs growth wobbles  —  WATCH NOW  —  Employment growth eased in June, taking some steam out of what had been a stunningly strong labor market.  —  Nonfarm payrolls increased 209,000 in June and the unemployment rate was 3.6%, the Labor Department reported Friday.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 …