Dictatorship and Death: Otto Warmbier, 22, the American college student released from a North Korean prison in a coma last week, died yesterday in a Cincinnati hospital. The North Koreans said Warmbier contracted botulism poisoning and took a sleeping pill before falling into a coma more than a year ago. His American doctors said there was no evidence of botulism as the cause of extreme damage to Warmbier’s brain.

His family said he arrived in the US unable to see, speak, or react to spoken prompts.

The University of Virginia student pleaded guilty to a “hostile act” against the North Korean government and was sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing a propaganda poster in a restricted area of his hotel.

Warmbier, was traveling in China in December 2015 when he joined a five-day tour of North Korea with a Chinese company that advertised “budget travel to destinations your mother would rather you stayed away from.”

Top Gun: After a US warplane shot down a Syrian jet, Russia threatened to shoot down any American aircraft over Syrian territory and suspended use of the hotline for avoiding collisions and clashed between aircraft from the two countries.

  “All flying objects, including planes and drones of the international coalition, detected west of the Euphrates, will be followed by Russian air defense systems as targets,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The US said it will continue air operations over Syria.

The Supremes: In an accidental win for the Washington Redskins, the court ruled yesterday that the government may not deny trademark protection for names that are deemed offensive. The ruling was made in the case of an Asian-American dance-rock band called the Slants. And really, when you think about it, being offensive is part of rock. The decision probably means that the Redskins also cannot be stripped of their trademark name. Offensive is also half the game of football. — The court also agreed to hear a case testing whether gerrymandered election maps favoring one political party over another violate the Constitution. Both parties have gerrymandered in their own favor, but right now the Republicans hold the House of Representatives through gerrymandered districts.

Heat: The airlines have already cancelled flights out of Phoenix today, where the temperature is expected to hit 120 degrees. The wings of planes lose their lift when the air is so hot and thin.

A heat wave stretches through most of California all the way through the Southwest. Today’s highs: Bishop, Calif., 105; Las Vegas, 114; Needles, Calif., 123.

Run Silent, Run Deep: White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer gave a press briefing yesterday in which reporters were prohibited from using cameras or recording devices. In one nugget of news, Spicer said the White House is closer to revealing whether there are tape recordings of President Trump’s conversations with fired FBI Director James Comey.

We may be hearing less from Spicer no matter the rules of engagement. The Washington Post reports that Spicer is closer to being moved to the back room in the Communications office to be replaced by one or more briefers.  The White House has sounded out several people to take over, but like other jobs, few smart Republicans want their career to splatter against the Trump windshield.

The Numbers: A New CBS News poll says president Trump’s approval rating is the lowest since he took office. The CBS poll says just 36 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s performance, and 57 percent disapprove.

Canary in the Coal Mine: Voters in Georgia’s predominantly Republican 6^th Congressional District go to the polls today in what is regarded as a referendum on President Trump and a harbinger for 2018. Democrat Jon Ossoff, a political newcomer, has raised $23 million and battled Republican Karen Handel to a statistical dead heat. It is the most expensive house campaign in history.

Both parties sent their heavyweights into the fight. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue described it as “a race for the heart and soul for America.” And we thought we already had that.

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