Crowds Evacuated as Storms Menace Washington Ahead of Trump Speech  —  Thousands of people stood in security lines for hours in severe heat to reach the National Mall, only to be ordered to leave as events were set to start.  Some refused.  —  Federal officials ordered thousands of people …

How Trump is turning NATO into a cash machine  —  President Donald Trump has recast a generations-old transatlantic alliance built on shared democratic values into a framework he's more comfortable dealing with — a business.  —  He's persuaded NATO members to turbocharge their own defense spending …

Masked men with Confederate flags seen chanting, marching, riding Metro in DC … Masked men, some carrying Confederate flags, were seen marching in Washington, D.C., on the Fourth of July.  —  “Reclaim America, reclaim America,” the crowd was heard chanting in a video captured near Union Station …

A Zombie Congress Is Threatening the GOP Agenda  —  Wave of defeated and discouraged House members creates new headaches for GOP leaders  —  WASHINGTON—A growing number of GOP lawmakers have little incentive to come to work or toe the party line, putting critical legislation in danger as Republicans lurch toward the midterms.

Trump touts America's “golden age”, attacks communism in delayed July 4th speech  —  Add CBS News on Google  —  President Trump paid homage to veterans, attacked communism and touted America's “golden age” in his July 4th speech commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Trump Administration Rolls Back Dozens of Gun Regulations  —  Critics say the administration is weakening public safety.  Proponents say regulations would be where they were before President Joseph R. Biden took office.  —  The Trump administration is scrapping more than three dozen firearms regulations …

Exclusive: Trump says Netanyahu “knows who the boss is” ahead of possible WH visit  —  President Trump told Axios Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked him for a meeting at the White House, and that it could take place as early as next week after Trump returns from the NATO summit.

The twisted history Trump's White House is using to redefine religious freedom  —  Is religious freedom on the retreat in America?  A Trump commission certainly believes that to be true. … When the Founding Fathers began their work to unify the colonies, America's religious landscape looked nothing …

At the Tall Ships Parade, a Historic Bell Rings Out  —  Despite extreme heat in much of the nation, the day was marked with the customary American exuberance.  Storm threats forced an evacuation of thousands on the National Mall in Washington, where the president plans to speak before a huge fireworks show.

Supreme Court's dramatic moves will reshape elections — and give the GOP a midterm boost  —  The timing and speed of the justices' moves are all but unprecedented in recent years, legal experts said.  Republicans are expected to reap the most rewards.  —  Summary

Leningrad Region Port, Oil Terminal Hit in Major Ukrainian Drone Attack  —  Russia's second city of St. Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad region came under a large Ukrainian drone attack overnight on Saturday, with a local port and oil infrastructure struck, Russian and Ukrainian authorities said.

A Narrowing Vision of America  —  The Supreme Court's recent rulings and the “Great American State Fair” reflect twin Trumpian visions of who belongs in America.  —  When the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage 11 years ago last month, the reaction was sheer jubilation.

Trump tries again to delay $5m sexual abuse payout to E Jean Carroll  —  Lawyers file request days after US supreme court declined to hear an appeal, with payout topping $5.8m with interest  —  Lawyers for Donald Trump have requested more time to pay a $5m civil judgment …

America's 250th celebrations marked by severe weather, political division  —  Officials ordered thousands of people to evacuate the National Mall after a severe weather warning that delayed President Donald Trump's speech.  —  Summary  —  Dawn had just cracked on America's 250th birthday …

At Trump's Direction, Federal Agencies Are Abandoning Discrimination Cases … Kenni Miller joined a class-action lawsuit by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but the case was later dropped by the Trump administration.Kristian Thacker for The New York Times