At yesterday’s surprise hearing from the Jan. 6 House Select Committee, Cassidy Hutchinson, who was a top aide to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, shared intimate details about what was going on leading up to and during the insurrection. Hutchinson described how Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani brought up plans for “the 6th” days beforehand, and how Meadows later told her, “Things might get real, real bad on January 6.” She also said then-White House Deputy Chief of Staff Tony Ornato told her that Trump attempted to force his way to the Capitol as the riot unfolded that day — despite his security detail warning him it was unsafe — apparently exclaiming, “I'm the effing president, take me to the Capitol now!” and grabbing at the steering wheel of his motorcade limo in an unsuccessful attempt to join the armed mob. CHEDDAR

Gov. Kathy Hochul easily turned aside her Democratic opponents in New York’s gubernatorial race and this fall will face Long Island Rep. Lee M. Zeldin, whose defeated foes included Andrew Giuliani, the son of former NYC Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. Hochul’s running mate will be Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. In Illinois, Republican Darren Bailey, an uber-conservative state senator, won a bruising battle against Aurora Mayor Richard C. Irvin and will now take on Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Rep. Mary Miller, an election denier who described the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade as "a victory for white life," bested fellow Rep. Rodney Davis. And in Colorado, Trump ally Rep. Lauren Boebert captured the Republican nomination in the Third District. NY TIMES

On the final day of the G7 Summit, world leaders agreed to new sanctions on Russia to counter its invasion of Ukraine, including a price cap on Russian oil and a ban on Russian gold imports. Western leaders will now head to Madrid for a NATO meeting, where the alliance is expected to announce more military funding for Ukraine, and a plan to deploy more troops — including Americans — in Eastern Europe as a sign of solidarity and warning to Russia. Separately, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an emergency meeting to address the UN Security Council in response to the Russian missile attack on a shopping mall, where the death toll has risen to 18. Also, Turkey agreed to back NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, putting the Nordic countries one step closer to joining the world’s most powerful defense alliance. CNN

Courthouses nationwide are continuing to make rulings on abortion following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. In Tennessee, a federal court allowed the Volunteer State to ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy. Early-stage abortions can continue in Texas for at least a few more weeks after a judge issued a temporary restraining order on the state's impending ban. Meanwhile, in the corporate sector, Target became the latest company to announce it would cover costs for employees’ travel if they live in a state where abortion is banned, a policy which will take effect in July. Walt Disney, JPMorgan Chase and Nike announced Friday they would cover such expenses. THE HILL

Ghislaine Maxwell, a 60-year-old British socialite, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. Epstein, who committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial, was accused of sexually abusing children hundreds of times over more than a decade with the help of his onetime girlfriend Maxwell, who prosecutors said recruited, groomed and sometimes joined in on the abuse of the victims. Maxwell, who has been behind bars since July 2020, was convicted last December of sex trafficking and transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts. U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan also fined Maxwell $750,000. CHEDDAR

“Should Scotland be an independent country?” That’s the question First Minister Nicola Sturgeon plans to ask in October 2023, when Scotland could hold a fresh referendum on its independence. A similar vote in 2014 saw 55% vote for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson — who must file a special order for the referendum to take place — remains opposed to its independence. Critics argue that Sturgeon should focus more on issues like the rising cost of living. Currently, Scotland makes its own policies on public health and education, but the larger U.K. government handles defense and fiscal policy. BBC

The Michigan Supreme Court threw out charges against former Gov. Rick Snyder and several others connected to the Flint water crisis after deciding the grand jury that issued the indictments - which consisted of just one judge - overstepped its authority. Snyder had previously been charged with two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect after his appointees approved changing the water source for Flint to the lead-contaminated Flint River. The crisis has been linked to a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak responsible for 12 deaths. AP

Airbnb announced a permanent ban on parties at properties listed on its platform, following a temporary restriction put in place two years ago. Since then, Airbnb says it has seen a 44% year-over-year drop in the rate of party reports; last year, more than 6,600 guests and hosts were suspended for violating the party ban — a small number when considering the app has more than 150 million users. The company is continuing its ban of “all disruptive parties and events,” open-invite gatherings (typically shared on social media), and “party house” properties, which guests book to throw a large event for just one night. In a seemingly contrary move, Airbnb also announced it will drop its 16-person guest limit so larger homes can be booked at full occupancy. THE VERGE

As the crypto market crashes, decentralized finance firms heavily invested in the sector are looking for a bailout. As unregulated entities, they don’t have access to loans from the federal government, so many companies are turning to fellow crypto firms for loans to stabilize their balance sheets. But why help a competitor? One answer is to avoid an overall financial meltdown, which is a real possibility if customers continue to lose faith in the industry and pull their money out of crypto investments. As Cheddar’s Alex Vuocolo notes, some are comparing the current bailout spree to the 1907 banking crisis, when JP Morgan — the man, not the company — stepped in with private funds to avert a run on banks. CHEDDAR

Tennis legend Serena Williams was bounced in the first round of Wimbledon, losing in a nailbiter to little-known Frenchwoman Harmony Tan. The final score was 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7). It was Williams’ first singles match in a year after she tore her hamstring in last year’s first round at the All-England Club. The 23-time Grand Slam champion needs one more to tie Margaret Court’s all-time record, and her next chance will come in late August at the U.S. Open, though it’s unclear whether she’ll compete there. As for Tan, she’ll take on the 32-seed Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo in the second round Thursday. ESPN

"I kind of just decided to shoot my shot and send an email and see if this campaign and her governmental office would be interested in letting a cartoonist tag along."