Live updates: Trump to headline Mount Rushmore’s celebrations; heat forces changes to National Mall event plans

People across the country are preparing to celebrate America’s 250th birthday this weekend — a process that has been made more challenging as event organizers scramble to deal with the extreme heat. President Trump is headed to South Dakota late on Friday, where he’s expected to make remarks at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial and…

Author claims Melania Trump is trying a 'preposterous' new way to silence him

An author who has written four books about President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday that first lady Melania Trump has concocted a "preposterous" new way to try and silence him. Michael Wolff, co-host of the "Inside Trump's Head" podcast with Joanna Coles of The Daily Beast, said during a new episode that Melania Trump's legal team has moved to sanction the lawyers representing Wolff for bringing a frivolous lawsuit against her. A federal judge threw out Wolff's anti-SLAPP lawsuit against Melania Trump in May, which he filed after she threatened to bring a $1 billion lawsuit against Wolff for his claims about the Trump family's ties to disgraced financier and convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. “Essentially, they are moving to sanction my lawyers for doing nothing more than bringing the lawsuit against Melania Trump,” Wolff said on the podcast. “So this is preposterous on its face.”Wolff also claimed that he found out about the move from Boris Epshteyn, a lawyer close to the Trumps, whom Donald Trump has described as someone who will "say anything" to make him happy. He claimed that hearing about the move from Epshteyn revealed that the strategy behind the lawsuit “was being coordinated at the highest levels of Trump law.”

How extreme heat is changing DC’s July 4th weekend event plans

Much of the eastern half of the U.S. is dealing with extreme heat this week, including the nation’s capital. The high temperature Thursday in Washington, D.C., was forecast to be 102, according to the National Weather Service. The heat comes as D.C. prepares to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday over the Fourth of July weekend.…

Germany Just Announced a Major Change for Its Entire Workforce

Wall Street Journal: Trump family ‘cashing in on the presidency in big and sketchy ways’

The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board published a Wednesday op-ed slamming President Trump and his family for “cashing in on the presidency” after his financial disclosures showed the president brought in $2 billion last year alone.  Trump’s crypto venture, effectively managed by the Trump Organization, reaped in more than $526.8 million in proceeds from tokens…

A simple way to cure America’s self-inflicted infrastructure paralysis

Today, building the infrastructure necessary to maintain America’s prosperity often requires navigating a maze of permits, lawsuits, and regulatory delays. The power to block has systematically triumphed over the freedom to build. Yet our infrastructure paralysis is self-inflicted. Whether it is a natural gas pipeline, a transmission line, or mines for the building blocks of […]

Judge blocks Trump’s USPS mail-in ballot changes

A federal judge struck down a proposed rule from the Postal Service that would have forced states to turn over their mail-in and absentee voter rolls to the agency. Senior Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, a nominee of former President Bill Clinton, ordered the USPS to be enjoined from implementing its proposed rule in line with President Donald […]

Three ways to fix the US supreme court, with Elie Mystal - Stateside with Kai and Carter

This term, the US supreme court handed down decisions on issues ranging from voting rights to immigration and birthright citizenship, reshaping life for millions of people. Kai Wright speaks with Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for the Nation, about how the court got all its power in the first place, and why Mystal thinks court reforms to reign in that power aren’t just constitutional – they’re necessary. Continue reading...