'It's a farce': Dems livid as Hope Hicks dodges questions  —  The president's former longtime confidante met with lawmakers behind closed doors to discuss the president's alleged efforts to thwart Mueller's Russia probe.  —  House Democrats erupted Wednesday at what they said was the White …

Joe Biden's Segregationist Nostalgia Is Even More Ignorant Than It Sounds  —  One of Joe Biden's favorite campaign riffs underscores his belief in the value of civility and bipartisanship.  Inevitably, Biden reminisces about his young Senatorial days when he would pal around (and occasionally cut deals) with segregationists.

Syrian refugee charged with plotting to bomb Pennsylvania church  —  Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 21, recorded a video of himself pledging an oath of allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State group, court documents say.  —  A Syrian refugee who came to the United States three years ago …

Biden Tops Electability Ratings  —  Most Dems interested in first debates, but not excited  —  West Long Branch, NJ - Former Vice President Joe Biden maintains his front-runner status among Democratic voters nationwide, but Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is now virtually tied with Vermont …

Former Trump business partner Felix Sater set to testify Friday before House Intelligence Committee  —  Felix Sater, a Russian-born real estate developer, is set to testify Friday before the House Intelligence Committee about his experience working on a proposed Trump tower project in Moscow during …

Deutsche Bank Faces Criminal Investigation for Potential Money-Laundering Lapses  —  Federal authorities are investigating whether Deutsche Bank complied with laws meant to stop money laundering and other crimes, the latest government examination of potential misconduct at one of the world's largest …

Does anyone deserve to have a billion dollars?  —  THE CONTEXT  —  Most Democrats see economic inequality as a problem, but they don't always agree about how extreme wealth should be treated.  This question sharpened that debate: candidates like Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar …

Facebook moderators break their NDAs to expose desperate working conditions  —  At Facebook's worst-performing content moderation site in North America, one contractor has died, and others say they fear for their lives  —  Content warning: This story contains descriptions of violent acts …

Pelosi blows off AOC ‘concentration camp’ remarks  —  WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brushed off comments made by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez equating border facilities for migrants to “concentration camps” by saying she wasn't “up-to-date” on what the New York freshman said.

Meet the New York couple donating millions to the anti-vax movement  —  A wealthy Manhattan couple has emerged as significant financiers of the anti-vaccine movement, contributing more than $3 million in recent years to groups that stoke fears about immunizations online and at live events …

State Department official didn't disclose ties to the boyfriend of Russian agent Maria Butina  —  The State Department official in charge of U.S. arms control negotiations with Moscow and her husband had a years-long friendship with GOP operative Paul Erickson, the former boyfriend …

Trump Tells His Team to Tone Down the Tough Talk on Iran  —  For months, the Trump administration has been talking in increasingly alarming terms about the Iranian threat.  Now, the president wants his people to cool down the hot rhetoric.  —  President Trump has privately pushed …

Iran Has Ties to Al Qaeda, Trump Officials Tell Skeptical Congress  —  WASHINGTON — Administration officials are briefing Congress on what they say are ties between Iran and Al Qaeda, prompting skeptical reactions and concern on Capitol Hill that the White House could invoke the war authorization passed …

Senate Confirms Judge Who Attacked Roe v. Wade, Called Being Transgender ‘A Delusion’  —  Susan Collins was the only Republican who voted against making Matthew Kacsmaryk a lifetime federal judge.  —  WASHINGTON ― The Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Matthew Kacsmaryk …

Meghan McCain Snaps and Calls Joy Behar a ‘Bitch’ on the Air  —  Things are tense on Splinter's fave gab-fest, The View.  After reports of behind-the-scenes bickering, the drama played out in front of the camera on Wednesday morning, as Meghan McCain finally snapped and called Joy Behar, her frequent nemesis and co-host, a “bitch.”

Trump Hotel Prices Skyrocket Around 4th of July  —  By any measure, the cost to stay at Trump International Hotel around the 4th of July is extraordinary.  The hotel, which almost never sells out, is sold out on the 3rd and 4th of July.  On the 5th, the prices are double the average …

Four to Face Murder Charges in Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17  —  MOSCOW — International prosecutors on Wednesday said that four men, including three with close ties to the Russian military and intelligence, would face murder charges in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine five years ago, killing 298 people.

These gruesome new Khashoggi revelations reinforce the ugly bargain Trump has struck with Saudi Arabia  —  The Trump administration has made a calculated decision not to retaliate very much against Saudi Arabia for the assassination of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Trump had to pay up front for his Orlando rally after stiffing 10 other cities  —  Orlando, where Trump kicked off his 2020 election bid, made sure they were paid in advance before Trump came to town.  —  Trump launched his 2020 bid Tuesday night, but it cost him.

The normalization of Bryan Goldberg  —  Bryan Goldberg wants to save your internet.  Since the creation of his Bustle Digital Group, Goldberg made a name for himself as a digital slumlord—snatching up gutted media properties, bidding low and running them on cheap labor.

Federal judge says census citizenship question merits more consideration in light of new evidence  —  A federal district judge in Maryland on Wednesday ruled that new evidence in the case of a census citizenship question merits more consideration, opening the possibility that the question …

FBI, warned early and often that Manafort file might be fake, used it anyway  —  When the final chapter of the Russia collusion caper is written, it is likely two seminal documents the FBI used to justify investigating Donald Trump's 2016 campaign will turn out to be bunk.

Ex-Hassan aide sentenced to 4 years for doxing senators  —  A former aide to Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) was sentenced to four years in prison Wednesday for hacking Senate computers and releasing personal information online about five Republican senators out of anger spurred by their roles …

Trump administration threatens furloughs, layoffs if Congress doesn't let it kill personnel agency  —  The Trump administration is threatening to furlough — and possibly lay off — 150 employees at the federal personnel agency if Congress blocks its plan to eliminate the department.