First Read is your briefing from "Meet the Press" and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in private WhatsApp exchanges slammed his health minister's "hopeless" handling of the pandemic, a former top aide claimed Wednesday. Dominic Cummings, who stepped down as Johnson's top adviser in December, posted...

Former President Donald Trump gave his successor a harsh review of his performance at his first G-7 summit.

Americans locked down for a year or more are finally getting out, and a lot of them are headed to national parks. Live COVID news.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home construction rose 3.6% in May as builders battled a surge in lumber prices that have made homes more expensive The May increase left construction at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.57 million units, the Commerce Department...