The Scolding that Hunter Biden Should Have Pled Guilty Ignores the Complexity of What Happened  —  In the wake of yesterday's verdict against Hunter Biden, there are a lot of armchair quarterbacks and hacks mulling why Hunter Biden didn't simply plead guilty.

Liberals Shouldn't Give Up On ‘Law and Order’  —  Rep. Nancy Mace, Republican of South Carolina, is one of Congress's oddest ducks.  She's someone who once positioned herself as a centrist before a remarkably abrupt anti-establishment flip that involved knifing former ally Kevin McCarthy.

New Audio: Alito Bashes ProPublica for Reporting on Supreme Court Ethics  —  In a new, secret recording, the Supreme Court justice suggests partisan funding is to blame for coverage of justices' undisclosed luxury gifts  —  IN A NEW recording, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito lashes …

Trump-Backed Army Vet Wins Nevada Senate Primary After Wild Allegations  —  ‘FEARLESS PATRIOT’  —  The former president was accused by another Republican Senate hopeful of giving Sam Brown a last-minute endorsement in exchange for money.  —  An Army veteran who got a last-minute Donald …

Trump Shifts Nearly $5 Million Of Campaign Money Into His Private Business  —  When Trump left the White House, his aircraft fleet was in rough shape.  Now it's hauling in millions of dollars in revenue, thanks to a bit of self-dealing.  —  Donald Trump, who is worth an estimated $6.4 billion …

North Dakota voters back setting age limit for Congress members … - The N.D. voters' approval reflects recent opinion polls indicating that a majority of people in the U.S. want term limits for elected officials. … - University of North Dakota political science professor Mark Jendrysik told AP previously …

Steve Bannon asks appeals court to allow him to remain out of prison while he fights contempt of Congress conviction  —  Bannon filed an emergency motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit asking the court to overrule a lower court's ruling that ordered him to report to prison on July 1.

Book about book bans banned by Florida school board  —  Ban This Book by Alan Gratz banned in Indian River county after opposition from parents linked to Moms for Liberty  —  A book about book bans has been banned in a Florida school district.  —  Ban This Book, a children's book written by Alan Gratz …

Why Is Biden Going to Europe Twice in a Week?  —  The White House won't say, but the politics seem clear: Three down days in Europe “might not look right.”  —  Air Force One is plenty comfortable if you are its most privileged frequent flier, with a comfortable bedroom and a spacious office.

Biden administration tightens screws on Russia with new sanctions effort  —  .  —  Video  —  The Treasury Department announced sweeping new enforcement measures on Wednesday to tighten the screws on Russia, including expanding the use of sanctions to inflict pain on outside entities …

Reader Tips Propelled Our Supreme Court Reporting.  Now Your Info Could Power Our 2024 Election Coverage.  —  An email from a reader helped a team of ProPublica reporters uncover secret tuition payments Harlan Crow made for a family member of Clarence Thomas.  Now we're looking for tips on the election, and you can help.

Abused by the badge  —  A Washington Post investigation found hundreds of law enforcement officers in the United States have sexually exploited kids.  Many avoid prison time.  —  They served in police departments big and small.  They were new recruits and seasoned veterans, patrol officers and chiefs of police.

Inflation eased in May with prices rising less than expected  —  Inflation cooled slightly in May with consumer prices rising 3.3% on an annual basis, less than economists had forecast, according to data issued by the Department of Labor on Wednesday.  The cooler pace of price hikes comes ahead …

The most important crime statistics of the 2024 campaign  —  One of the central arguments advanced by Donald Trump and other Republican candidates in the 2024 election is that violent crime in the United States is out of control.  In a speech earlier this year at the Conservative Political Action Conference …

Trump, seeking to show unity, to meet with GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill  —  It will also be Trump's first public visit to Capitol Hill since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and his first since his felony convictions.  —  Former president Donald Trump plans to return to Washington on Thursday …

Statement from President Joe Biden on the May Consumer Price Index  —  Prices are still too high, but today's report shows welcome progress on lowering inflation, which was zero on a monthly basis in May and is down nearly two-thirds from its peak.  Core inflation is at its lowest level since April 2021 …

US announces new sanctions on Russia over military invasion of Ukraine - live  —  US treasury secretary said new sanctions target Russia's ‘remaining avenues for international materials and equipment’  —  US announces new sanctions on Russia over military invasion of Ukraine

The Hunter fallout  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  —  HUNTER BIDEN's guilty verdict today was long anticipated inside JOE BIDEN's political orbit.  But aides to the president were also wary of talking about it with him.

New poll goes deep on Kamala Harris' liabilities and strengths as a potential president  —  Harris does perform better than Joe Biden among African Americans, according to the POLITICO/Morning Consult poll.  She also saw some of her highest numbers on key issues like abortion.