West Wing aides fearful of directly attacking Comey  —  The White House and its allies have scrambled to create a robust outside operation to punch at FBI Director James Comey during his high-stakes testimony on Thursday, but West Wing aides — fearful that they could get further sucked …

Initial Comments on James Comey's Written Testimony  —  James Comey's seven-page written statement, released by the Senate Intelligence Committee this afternoon in connection with Comey's impending testimony tomorrow, draws no conclusions, makes no allegations, and indeed, expresses no opinions.

Trump's pick for FBI director was alerted early to detainee abuse  —  President Donald Trump's choice for FBI director was notified months before the public knew about the death of a detainee at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in 2004, and was at the very least on the fringes of discussions …

For second straight day, no vote of confidence for Sessions  —  Like Sean Spicer on Tuesday, Sarah Sanders declined Wednesday to say President Trump has confidence in Jeff Sessions.  It's stunning that for two consecutive days, the top White House press people can't say whether the President has confidence in his Attorney General.

A top Uber executive, who obtained the medical records of a customer who was a rape victim, is fired  —  Sources say Eric Alexander carried around for a year confidential information about a woman who was assaulted during a ride in India in 2014.  —  A top Uber executive obtained medical records …

Lawmakers override Brownback veto of tax increases, rolling back 2012 cuts  —  TOPEKA  —  Lawmakers rolled back Gov. Sam Brownback's signature tax policy over his objections Tuesday night, forcing into law tax increases to fix a budget shortfall and provide more money for schools.

Trump is making America more hostile and mentally ill: New England Journal of Medicine study  —  DON'T MISS STORIES.  FOLLOW RAW STORY!  —  A new review paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that a growing body of empirical evidence shows how presidential elections …

French Magazine Charlie Hebdo Crosses the Line With Gruesome Theresa May Cover  —  #JeSuisAbassourdi  —  Not cool.  —  The June 7 issue of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo arrives on the heels of the Manchester and London Bridge terrorist attacks.

Strong approval of Trump is fading across a number of demographics  —  FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver noticed something interesting in approval-rating polling for President Trump.  While support for Trump has remained consistently high among Republicans and Trump's base of non-college-educated white voters …

Gianforte pays $50,000 to press group to settle assault of Guardian reporter  —  Congressman-elect issues lengthy apology to Ben Jacobs over ‘unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful’ actions … Greg Gianforte, the Montana Republican who assaulted a Guardian journalist on the eve …

Mozambique police warn bald men after ritual attack  —  Bald men in Mozambique could be targets of ritual attacks, police have warned, after the recent killing of five men for their body parts.  —  Two suspects have been arrested in the central district of Milange, where the killings occurred.

Female nursery worker is stabbed by three women in London  —  Karrien Stevens, who runs Little Diamonds Nursery in Hermon Hill, London said a member of staff was punched, kicked and slashed with a ‘Stanley knife’ by three girls while on her way to work this morning.

Trump Can Commit All the High Crimes He Wants.  Republicans Aren't Going to Impeach Him.  —  Since the beginning of Donald Trump's presidency, or even before, Democrats have been waiting for the moment when the Republican Party's indulgence would snap.  In every incremental advance of the Russia story …

Feds drop bombshell: Up to 100 girls may have had their genitals cut in Michigan  —  A federal prosecutor dropped a bombshell in court Wednesday, telling a federal judge that the government estimates that as many as 100 girls may have had their genitals cut at the hands of a local doctor and her cohorts.

Trump nominates new slate of federal judges  —  President Trump announced a new round of 11 judicial nominations Wednesday, including three nominees for high-profile federal appeals courts.  —  One of the nominees, Colorado Supreme Court Justice Allison H. Eid, is being tapped by the president …

I Bake New Neighbors Bread To Welcome Them, And They Never Say Hello to Me Again  —  Let me tell you about my Southern California neighborhood.  I have lived in this one for 22 years.  I don't know anyone, but it's not for lack of trying.  Each time a new neighbor moves in I bake a loaf of bread and take it to them.

White House Staff, Congress Blindsided by FBI Pick Announcement … A number of senior Trump officials learned of the president's pick to lead the FBI the same way everyone else did: on Twitter.  —  President Donald Trump's top communications staff, and much of his senior White House team …