California separatists to declare independence on July 4: ‘Stand up against American occupation’
While other Americans celebrate the holiday with picnics and parades, California secessionists are taking Independence Day literally.
Washington
Erdogan presses U.S. over F-35 jet sale
Fresh from a successful re-election campaign, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is flexing its newfound clout in the fight on Capitol Hill over acquiring cutting-edge U.S. military hardware.
Feds widen investigation into Facebook’s sharing of data with Cambridge Analytica: Report
The federal investigation looking into how Facebook shared user information with data firm Cambridge Analytica has widened to include three agencies, according to a new report.
‘Insanity’: Rising Clean Rivers fee forces some D.C. churches to shut down
Nearly a decade after the District’s water authority levied a “Clean Rivers” surcharge to help clean up local waterways, faith community leaders say that ever-rising rates have forced them to cut back on services, lay off staff and — in at least 30 cases — move out or shut down completely.
Trump interviews four candidates as Supreme Court fight heats up
President Trump interviewed four candidates Monday in his search for the next Supreme Court nominee, with two federal appeals court judges emerging as leading contenders for the nomination that could change the complexion of the high court for decades to come.
Judge rules DHS must consider detained asylum-seekers’ parole on case-by-case basis
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. ruled Monday that the federal government must consider on a case-by-case basis whether asylum-seekers who have been detained represent a flight risk or credible danger to the public.
Experts see risks in US plan to dismantle NKorea’s nukes
As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo prepares to travel this week to North Korea, experts cautioned that the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the North’s nuclear weapons and missiles in a year is both unrealistic and risky.
Evangelical leaders downplay potential Roe v. Wade reversal
For evangelical Christian leaders like Jerry Falwell Jr., this is their political holy grail.
US to strictly enforce secondary sanctions on Iran, Trump says
The White House will strictly enforce the upcoming secondary sanctions on companies that do business with Iran, President Trump reaffirmed on Sunday.
Poll: 59% fear violence from Trump haters, 31% predict civil war
The division in the United States that has escalated into the organized harassment of presidential aides has six in 10 worried about the violence from anti-Trump advocates and nearly a third fearing it will end in civil war.
‘Looking forward to it’: Trump says he can succeed where others failed with Putin summit
The odds for success are slim and the political risk will be huge for President Trump when he sits down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland next month, but the dealmaker in chief is relishing his turn to go toe-to-toe with the former KBG colonel.
U.S. has plan to dismantle North Korea nuclear program within a year: Bolton
White House national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday he believed the bulk of North Korea’s weapons programs could be dismantled within a year, as the United States and North Korea resumed working-level talks.
Syrian army makes advances in southwest offensive
The Syrian army battled rebels in an important town in southwest Syria on Thursday, a media unit run by its ally Hezbollah and a war monitor said, as intensifying air strikes killed dozens of people in the area.
IDF chief in Washington to meet senior US defense officials
IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot landed in the United States for a work visit in the American capital on Thursday night, the army said.
At least 5 killed in ‘targeted attack’ on Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis
A man with a shotgun and a beef against his local newspaper stalked into the offices of the Annapolis Capital Gazette on Thursday and opened fire on the newsroom, killing five people and wounding two others, police said.
‘Even a blind person’ can see Mueller using Manafort to ‘target’ Trump: judge
A federal judge says ‘even a blind person’ can see that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is prosecuting Paul Manafort as a way to acquire evidence against his ‘true target,’ President Trump.
Long-term justice: Younger Supreme Court candidates on Trump’s list favored
Youth is a factor as President Trump searches for his pivotal nominee to replace Justice Anthony M. Kennedy on the Supreme Court, a task that the president said Thursday is already in high gear.
Sessions’ reversals on four Obama positions validated by Supreme Court
The Justice Department under Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed positions of the Obama administration in four cases decided by the Supreme Court this year — and won all four of them.
Rod Rosenstein clashes with House Republicans amid documents dispute
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein fended off feisty House Republicans at a Thursday committee hearing, amid the passage of a resolution that puts on the record a demand for a handful of Justice Department documents.
Trump will demand of Putin a total Iranian exit from Syria — report
US President Donald Trump intends to demand from his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a full Iranian pullout from Syria territory, making the subject a priority in talks between the two leaders planned for next month, the Arabic-language Al-Hayat newspaper reported Thursday.