The President Defends His Son

President Donald Trump is defending his son after revelations that Donald Trump Jr. took a meeting with a Russian lawyer tied to the Kremlin. “Most people would have taken that meeting,” the President said in a press conference Thursday in Paris, adding he’s also received unsolicited calls shopping opposition research on political rivals. The scandal followed him across the Atlantic, as the White House continues to reel from the disclosure of the email.

Senate Republicans unveiled their latest attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare, but already it is being met skeptically by a caucus that can afford to lose just two votes for the legislation to pass. The new version would allow the sale of bare-bones coverage plans and adds funding for the opioid crisis, but other issues, like Medicaid, were not addressed to some senators’ satisfaction. Republican lawmakers hope to hold a vote in the next two weeks, but a successful one still appears to be a long shot.

A senator profits from the outsourcing he derides. Trump speaks out on Putin’s hacking. And the president’s friend “Jim.”

Here are your must reads:

Must Reads

How Donald Trump Jr.’s Emails Have Cranked Up the Heat on His Family

The most pressing question of our time might be: How bad is it? [TIME]

The United Patients of America

TIME’s Haley Sweetland Edwards and Charlotte Alter on the new parent healthcare activists

No Good Options on North Korea

TIME’s Philip Elliott on the difficult choice ahead for the Trump administration

The GOP Quest to Find Voter Fraud Draws Backlash

TIME’s Alex Altman on the controversy surrounding the Trump commission

Trump says he does not fault son for meeting Russian lawyer

Suggests need for investigation into Putin actions [Reuters]

Senate moderates sidelined in new Obamacare repeal bill

Centrist Republicans are still opposed to deep Medicaid cuts, potentially dooming the GOP effort to gut the health law [Politico]

Senator profits from outsourcing he slams

Vulnerable Indiana Democrat benefits from his family’s business [Associated Press]

Sound Off

“Look. Something happened and we have to find out what it is, because we can’t allow a thing like that to happen to our election process. So something happened and we have to find out what it is.” —President Donald Trump to Reuters on whether he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s election hacking denials.

“It’s really the one question I wish I would have asked Putin: Were you actually supporting me?” —Trump to Reuters. U.S. Intelligence agencies assess that he was.

Bits and Bites

Mark Zuckerberg Hits the Road to Meet Regular Folks—With a Few Conditions [Wall Street Journal]

Trump lawyers want wall between Kushner, president [Axios]

Trump intervenes to grant rejected Afghan girls entry to U.S. for robotics contest [Politico]

Chuck Grassley will call Paul Manafort to testify: ‘We’ll subpoena him if necessary’ [Des Moines Register]

Trump in Paris: The curious case of his friend Jim [Associated Press]

Trump loves a military parade — it’s one reason he’s heading to Paris [Washington Post]