The Ukraine Denial:President Trump ordered his acting chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to hold back $400 million in military aid to Ukraine a week before his July 25thtelephone call to the Ukrainian President, The Washington Postreports.   The timing draws a closer …

Minutes with the President: President Trump in his interview with “60 Minutes” suggested that the future for Secy. of Defense James Mattis may be in doubt. “I think he’s sort of a Democrat, if you want to know the truth,” Trump …

The Chinese Hoax: Scientists reported yesterday that Earth reached its highest temperature ever recorded, setting a record for the third year in a row. Periodic spikes in temperature can happen, scientists say, but a trend becomes alarming. The NY Times …

Ocean’s 16: Tidal flooding in coastal areas is the result of oceans rising at an increasing rate caused by the burning of fossil fuels, according to two scientific reports released yesterday. The reports say oceans are rising at the fastest …

Political Climate: World leaders celebrated yesterday after the release of an agreement that commits nearly every country on earth to lowering carbon emissions. One of the primary goals is — sometime between 2050 and 2100 — to limit the amount …

Political Climate: President Obama is in Paris today trying to negotiate an international climate change agreement that would enlist almost every country on earth to curtail greenhouse gas emissions. It would be one of the legacies of his presidency. But …

Budget Deal: Republican congressional leaders and President Obama have reached a tentative two-year budget agreement that would increase spending, trim some major social programs, and raise the federal borrowing limit. If it succeeds, it represents compromise and a break in …

—From Poughkeepsie, NY.   Most Foul: DNA found on a slice of pizza has led investigators to the arrest of a suspect in the murder of a Washington DC family of three and their housekeeper last week in a DC …

Nation: Authorities in the New York area yesterday rounded up 71 people accused of possessing and swapping child pornography images. The suspects include a small town police chief, a New York City cop, and a mother believed to have produced …

Disaster: At least 238 people are dead in a coalmine explosion and fire in Turkey. About 120 miners are still trapped inside. Turkey’s energy minister said 787 people were working at the mine 155 miles south of Istanbul when the …