I just read that Apple's next Safari browser upgrade will block auto-play videos. It can't come fast enough.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Here's the transcript of the testimony so far.

Sounds like he said he believes Trump is a liar, and that he directed him to drop the Flynn investigation, but he can't say whether Trump committed obstruction of justice.

Was there a smoking gun in his testimony? Not from the news coverage I've seen.

ISIS claimed credit for today's dual attacks inside the Iranian Parliament and at the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic, which killed 12 people and wounded dozens. ISIS's affiliated news agency A'maq posted a short 25 second clip showing one person dead inside parliament.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said:

"The Iranian people are moving forward, and today’s fumbling with firecrackers will not affect the will-power of the people. Everyone must realize this, the terrorists are too small to affect the will of the Iranian people and the authorities'. This also reveals that if the Islamic Republic had not resisted, at the center of all this conspiracy, we would have had much more trouble of this sort in the country. God willing, they will "bite the dust."

[More...]

Here is James Comey's prepared testimony on Trump and Russia. The New York Times has this description.

Trump says Comey's statement vindicates him because it confirms he assured Trump he wasn't personally under investigation.

I don't think that's the issue. The issue is whether he interfered or attempted to interfere in a criminal investigation. There's enough in Comey's statement to show he attempted to interfere with the investigation into Mike Flynn. Comey makes it clear he understood Trump to be requesting the FBI drop the investigation. Is it a smoking gun? No. But it is another loose brick in the wall of the House of Trump, the foundation of which crumbles a bit more every day. [More...]

Donald Trump will nominate Christopher Wray, a former Deputy AG under GW Bush, for Director of the FBI.

The third London attacker has been identified as Youssuf Zaghba, 22, who lived in East London. He is an Italian national.

The third London Bridge attacker has been named as Youssef Zaghba, a 22-year-old son of an Italian mother and Moroccan father who was reportedly stopped at Bologna airport in 2016 bound for Syria via Turkey and told officials “I am going to be a terrorist”.

....According to reports in the Italian press, Zaghba had recently been working in a Pakistani restaurant in London. He was reported to have been on Italy’s list of persons at risk.

Italian officials say they notified British police about him when he left for London: [More...]

The New York Times reports Donald Trump is unhappy with his AG pick, Jefferson Sessions. There seems to be two reasons: He regards Sessions' immigration memo as a "watered down" version of his executive order, and he's mad that Sessions recused himself on Russia.

This sounds more like water-cooler gossip to me than facts suggesting Sessions' tenure will be short-lived.

However, Mr. Trump is said to be aware that firing people now, on the heels of dismissing James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director, would be risky. He has invested care and meticulous attention to the next choice of an F.B.I. director in part because he will not have the option of firing another one. The same goes for Mr. Sessions, these people said.

I wish it were otherwise, but I don't think it is.

Time for a new open thread, all topics welcome.

Two of the dead London attackers have been identified.

27-year-old Khuram Shazad Butt, a British citizen who was born in Pakistan, and 30-year-old Rachid Redouane, who had claimed to be Moroccan and Libyan. Both lived in the Barking area of east London, the scene of multiple police raids since Sunday. Police did not identify the third attacker, saying efforts to confirm his identity are ongoing.

You can see Khuram Shazad Butt in this Channel 4 News Special called The Jihadis next door. It was filmed in 2014 (aired later) and he is the one unfolding the ISIS flag in the park and buzzing around when his preacher gets hassled about the flag by police. The Daily Mail has more. Contrary to some news reports, he was not involved in an altercation in the film. It was his preacher who became beligerant. He had a very minor part in the film. According to friends, he became radicalized by watching You Tube films.

Manchester was packed with people for the One Love Manchester concert this afternoon.

Ariana Grande & Friends: One Love Manchester show today is set to feature Justin Bieber, the Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Niall Horan, Little Mix, Katy Perry, Take That, Usher, Robbie Williams and Pharrell Williams.

Some screengrabs below: [More...]

Three men in white van drove into passerbys at the London Bridge. London Bridge station has been shut down.

A second incident was reported at nearby Borough Market, where some men jumped out of a car and started randomly stabbing people.

Police say shots were fired and there is at least one fatality. A third incident (as yet undefined) occurred at the Vauxhall area of south London. London police say that was a stabbing but is unrelated to the first two incidents.

Here is the London police twitter feed. BBC is updating here. Here's a map.

The Daily Mail now has auto-play video. Buzzfeed for some reason includes in its news article what Donald Trump tweeted about this. Who cares? It has nothing to do with him. No links for either.

ISIS has claimed credit for the Philippines casino bombing.

The U.S. took out the significant ISIS cleric, Turki al-Binali, and the co-founder of the Amaq News Agency.

Al Qaida continues to regroup, with Osama bin Laden's son Hamza bin Laden taking on a more public spokesman role.

Ansar al-Sharia folded in Libya. Al Qaida has not. ISIS is still making noise there, but it no longer is in control of a major city.

Donald Trump and Paris: Absent from the Rose Garden ceremony yesterday: Jared and Ivanka. Guess their feelings were hurt that Ivanka's time spent putting meetings together was for nothing. She really doesn't hold any power over her erratic father. There's no reason for anyone to "court" her.

Who has fun plans this weekend? This is an open thread, all topics welcome.