Tuesday's Headlines: White House tries to play down meeting of Trump Jr., Russian lawyer as new details emerge

Spotlight in Russia controversy falls on a son always ready to fight; Senate Democrats turn to GOP governors in latest bid to block Republican health-care bill; Fact Checker: McConnell is on shaky ground with Medicaid assertion; Federal government cancels decade-long plan to replace crumbling FBI headquarters; The battle for Mosul: How Iraqi forces defeated the Islamic State;   Democracy Dies in Darkness     The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Top Stories White House tries to play down meeting of Trump Jr., Russian lawyer as new details emerge Revelations about the June 2016 meeting, during which the lawyer purportedly offered damaging information about Hillary Clinton, put the Trump administration again on the defensive about its relationship with Moscow, and seemed to add to a pattern of not disclosing Kremlin contacts or providing false information about them. By Rosalind S. Helderman, Tom Hamburger and Greg Miller  •  Read more » Spotlight in Russia controversy falls on a son always ready to fight Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, retained his own criminal defense attorney amid questions about his meeting with a Russian lawyer during the 2016 campaign. By John Wagner and Rosalind S. Helderman  •  Read more »   Senate Democrats turn to GOP governors in latest bid to block Republican health-care bill The effort comes as Republicans remain divided over whether Congress can pass a health-care bill before the August recess. By Juliet Eilperin, Sean Sullivan and Ed O'Keefe  •  Read more »   Fact Checker: McConnell is on shaky ground with Medicaid assertion The majority leader has argued that the Senate GOP health overhaul bill does not "cause" anyone "currently" on Medicaid to no longer be covered. But the bill would decrease federal reimbursement for Medicaid, and states would need to decide how to move forward with less federal money. By Michelle Ye Hee Lee  •  Read more »   Federal government cancels decade-long plan to replace crumbling FBI headquarters For years, bureau officials have raised alarms that decrepit conditions at the J. Edgar Hoover building constitute serious security concerns. But the plan to move to a new site in the Washington suburbs grew mired in a pit of government dysfunction and escalating costs with no end in sight. By Jonathan O'Connell  •  Read more »   Analysis The battle for Mosul: How Iraqi forces defeated the Islamic State The primarily Sunni city was the biggest prize claimed by the Islamic State in its violent, chaotic sweep across Iraq in 2014. A grueling, nine-month fight to retake the city turned into two major battles. By Dan Lamothe, Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Laris Karklis and Tim Meko  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Opinions   Donald Jr.'s meeting is a legal game-changer By Eugene Robinson  •  Read more »   So that's why Sarah Huckabee Sanders wants the cameras off By Dana Milbank  •  Read more »   Why a terrorist attack on Hindu pilgrims could change everything for Kashmir By Barkha Dutt  •  Read more »   On his trip abroad, Trump left America's values behind By Richard Cohen  •  Read more »   Americans are burning down the house By Catherine Rampell  •  Read more »   The Trump campaign's attempted collusion By Editorial Board  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   More News   Marine Corps cargo aircraft crashes in Mississippi, killing at least 16 A local resident said he heard a boom and looked up to see the plane corkscrewing downward with one engine smoking. He told the Associated Press that the plane hit the ground behind some trees in a soybean field. By Thomas Gibbons-Neff  •  Read more » Trump commission tells states not to submit voter data until court weighs privacy impact In addition, two civil liberties groups filed lawsuits to prevent the panel from holding its first meeting, alleging that it had been working in secret and in violation of government regulations on public transparency. By Spencer S. Hsu  •  Read more » Thousands of Californians forced to evacuate as 14 wildfires rage across the state In Butte County, in the Sierra Nevada foothills, nearly all of the 220,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes in the past six months. This time for fire; the last time for flooding. By Amy Westervelt  •  Read more » The Fix | Analysis New Jersey residents are calling Chris Christie names. And he's calling them names right back. The governor called a radio caller a "communist" and a "bum" — shortly after a new poll showed that New Jerseyans had a few choice words for his sunbathing last week on a state beach that was closed during a government shutdown. By Aaron Blake  •  Read more » U.S. soldier arrested in terrorism probe, charged with providing support to ISIS Ikaika Kang, 34, who was based in Hawaii, allegedly sought to provide training and classified military secrets to the Islamic State. He also "contributed to the purchase of a drone with the intention" it would be used by the militants, according to charging documents. By Devlin Barrett  •  Read more »         Share Today's Headlines:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you are signed up for Headlines. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. 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