Friday's Headlines: Trump sought out loyalist to curtail special counsel — and drew Mueller’s glare

Rosenstein fires back at critics over Mueller report; Japan's Abe visits White House in latest bid to soothe Trump's ego — and avoid his ire

Democracy Dies in Darkness

The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors

Trump sought out loyalist to curtail special counsel — and drew Mueller's glare President Trump's efforts to enlist Corey Lewandowski as a back channel were read by some legal observers as one of the clearest cases for potential obstruction of justice laid out in Robert S. Mueller III's report. By Ashley Parker, Rosalind Helderman and Matt Zapotosky · Read more Rosenstein fires back at critics over Mueller report As he prepares to leave the Justice Department, the deputy attorney general had harsh words for politicians and the press now that the investigation is over. By Philip Bump and Devlin Barrett · Read more   Japan's Abe visits White House in latest bid to soothe Trump's ego — and avoid his ire The Japanese leader has played a diligent inside game to mixed results but now faces a new test amid President Trump's threats on trade. By David Nakamura · Read more   WorldViews | Analysis The death toll in Sri Lanka was wrong. This might be why. Officials lowered the death toll by about one-third on Thursday. Forensic experts explain the gruesome reason. By Siobhán O'Grady · Read more   NFL Draft | Analysis Oklahoma QB chosen No. 1 overall for second year in a row as Cardinals take Murray The Giants surprised some by taking Duke's Daniel Jones at No. 6, and the Redskins chose Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins with its 15th pick. By Mark Maske · Read more   Murray is the first person to be selected in the first round of the NFL and MLB drafts Murray, a polarizing prospect because of his size, is selected first by the Arizona Cardinals. Ohio State's Nick Bosa, Alabama's Quinnen Williams, Clemson's Clelin Ferrell and LSU's Devin White round out the top five. By Roman Stubbs · Read more   Male angst prompts a new fertility service: Sperm freezing Part of the sales pitch from new businesses is that, at a population level, sperm quality appears to have fallen precipitously. But many fertility specialists see little cause for immediate alarm. By Ariana Eunjung Cha · Read more     ADVERTISEMENT   Opinions Impeaching Trump will only help him By Marc Thiessen · Read more Missouri's GOP wants to undo voters' redistricting wishes. Take note, SCOTUS. By Editorial Board · Read more What Alexander Hamilton would say about the Mueller report By Danielle Allen · Read more The Supreme Court can't allow Trump to weaponize the census By Eric Holder · Read more Is water in Flint safe to drink? It's not just a question of chemistry. By Mona Hanna-Attisha · Read more Warren's student debt plan may be liberal, but it isn't progressive By Catherine Rampell · Read more   ADVERTISEMENT   More News EXCLUSIVE North Korea issued $2 million bill to U.S. for care of comatose Otto Warmbier A State Department envoy signed a document pledging to pay for the American college student's care, a decision that was authorized by President Trump, two people familiar with the incident told The Post — but it remains unclear whether the money was ever transferred. By Anna Fifield · Read more   Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration's abortion 'gag' rule The rule would have barred programs receiving federal family planning funds from saying or doing anything to assist a patient in securing an abortion. By Fred Barbash · Read more   White House implores GOP lawmakers to move quickly to raise debt ceiling Other budget discussions have broken down, leaving lawmakers struggling to avoid a pileup of dangerous deadlines in September. Financial experts believe an economic crisis would occur if the debt ceiling isn't raised. By Damian Paletta and Erica Werner · Read more   The arc of Joe Biden: The 'young fella' becomes the candidate of experience In all three of his presidential campaigns, Biden's approach has focused on convincing Americans he can rescue them from the ills of a Republican president. By Matt Viser · Read more   How to nail the ultimate homemade pizza, from crust to toppings Start slinging stellar pies with these smart tips and mix-and-match recipes. By Becky Krystal and Bonnie Benwick · Read more   Pineapple on pizza is easy to hate — at least in theory We gathered a group of people to taste test a chef-driven pizza topped with pineapple and ham. The results surprised even the diners. By Tim Carman · Read more   Fresh mozzarella isn't just for pizza. These 5 recipes prove it. Fresh mozzarella is full of possibilities, so don't stand in the way of its potential. By Kari Sonde · Read more   Perspective: We tried 15 frozen pizzas, and the worst might surprise you Our honest appraisal of frozen pies, ranked. By Maura Judkis · Read more   Last year #LivingWhileBlack went viral. Now a Michigan city wants to make biased 911 calls illegal. The proposed law in Grand Rapids would make it a criminal misdemeanor to racially profile when calling 911. But experts say it could be difficult to enforce. By Reis Thebault and Michael Brice-Saddler · Read more   Taylor Swift finally released new music after a much-hyped countdown. Here's everything to know. The pop superstar's joyful new single "ME!" is strikingly different from her last album, which she released after she went through "some really low times." By Emily Yahr · Read more   NBA great John Havlicek dies at 79 "Hondo" won eight championships in 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics and turned an initial reserve position into what became known as the valuable "sixth man" role. By Desmond Bieler · Read more   Post Reports | Listen Now And then there were 20: Biden (finally) enters the race Matt Viser on former vice president Joe Biden jumping into the 2020 race. Gillian Brockell and Drew Harwell on the complications of grieving on social media. And what is breaking "Jeopardy!"? Emily Yahr explains. By The Washington Post · Read more

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