White House infrastructure talks with Capito collapse, leading to fingerpointing as Biden shifts strategy  —  The negotiations had stalled amid major disagreements over the size of any package and how to pay for it.  —  President Biden and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.a) …

Biden disliked Putin before it was cool  —  When President George W. Bush first met Vladimir Putin, he seemed smitten, describing the still-new Russian leader as “very straightforward and trustworthy,” even claiming he got “a sense of his soul.”  —  A certain Democratic senator from Delaware had a very different reaction.

Biden's press plane was about to head to Europe.  Then Brood X cicadas ‘invaded’ the engines.  —  The Brood X cicadas that rose from the earth after 17 years underground have proved their determination to leave a mark before they die off in a few weeks.  The shrill, winged insects have driven tourism …

McAuliffe wins big in Virginia  —  McLEAN, Va. — Terry McAuliffe's comeback bid aced its first test Tuesday, as the former Virginia governor cruised to victory in the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary.  —  He easily defeated his two main rivals, former state Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy …

The Immigration Debate Shows Progressives Have Abandoned the Working Class  —  Vice President Kamala Harris had strong words for migrants making their way to America's border on her first trip as vice president, to Guatemala.  “Do not come,” Harris said—twice—while speaking to reporters.

Trump backers lose big as Ciattarelli claims GOP nomination in N.J.  —  SOMERSET, N.J. — New Jersey Republicans looked past Donald Trump Tuesday, nominating a challenger to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy who once called the former president a “charlatan” and later acknowledged Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

Americans Are Dangerously Divided on the Insurrection  —  On Tuesday, more than a week after Republican senators filibustered and blocked the creation of an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was asked whether …

EXCLUSIVE: Hunter Biden addressed his white lawyer as ‘n***a’ multiple times, used phrases like ‘true dat n***a’ and bantered 'I only love you because you're black,' in shocking texts unearthed days after Joe's emotional Tulsa speech decrying racism  — Text messages obtained …

Senate approves sprawling $250 billion bill to curtail China's economic and military ambitions  —  The bill, adopted on a bipartisan vote, invests heavily in U.S. science and technology while threatening a host of punishments against Beijing  —  The Senate voted on Tuesday to adopt …

Biden quietly moves to start closing Guantánamo ahead of 20th anniversary of 9/11 … WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has quietly begun efforts to close the U.S. detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, using an under-the-radar approach to minimize political blowback …

Dog ejected from car during Sunday crash found on sheep farm, herding sheep  —  Tilly, the 2-year-old Border Collie who was ejected from a car Sunday during a crash, has been found.  —  He was found on a sheep farm, where he had apparently taken up the role of sheep herder.

Three Democratic incumbents, one Republican ousted in Virginia House primaries  —  Four Virginia lawmakers who span the political spectrum lost their bids for reelection in Tuesday's primary, with another incumbents fighting for political survival.  —  Del. Lee Carter (D-Manassas) …

Justice Department says it can ‘vigorously’ defend religious schools' exemption from anti-LGBTQ discrimination laws  —  The Justice Department in a court filing Tuesday said it can “vigorously” defend a religious exemption from federal civil rights law that allows federally funded religious schools …

Almost Overnight, Standards of Color-Blind Merit Tumble Across American Society  —  A broad revolution is underway in the United States as traditional standards used to measure achievement and provide opportunity are being rejected by schools, corporations, and governments in favor of quotas based on race and gender.

Politics is Interested in You  —  There's no hiding from the Left and hoping they'll go away.  —  You may not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in you.  —  Many Americans—focused on their businesses, careers, home, and family—prefer to ignore the political battles and attendant controversy dividing our country.

Burning the midnight oil: Eric Adams' mysterious whereabouts off the campaign trail  —  Eric Adams announced he was living in Brooklyn Borough Hall to combat Covid last March.  Now it seems he may have never left.  —  The mayoral hopeful has been staying overnight and keeping late-night …

For Asian Americans Wary of Attacks, Reopening Is Not an Option  —  Facing a wave of animosity, many Asian Americans remain afraid of public places even as the coronavirus pandemic recedes.  —  Millions of Americans may be leaping into a summer of newly unmasked normalcy.

Russian Poet Dmitry Bykov Targeted by Navalny Poisoners  — In a December 2020 investigation, Bellingcat and its partners identified seven FSB officers who had tailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny on more than 35 trips around Russia since early 2017.

Trump Impeachment Lawyers Are Now Representing Capitol Riot Defendants  —  Attorneys Michael van der Veen and Bruce Castor defended former President Donald Trump at his Senate impeachment trial for allegedly inciting the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection.  —  Even as van der Veen …

Republican victories in South Texas prove once again that demographics aren't everything  —  Republicans picked up a victory in a heavily Hispanic Texas border city in yet another race that proves demographics are not the be-all and end-all in politics.  —  The border-town victory for the GOP …

The Criminals Thought the Devices Were Secure.  But the Seller Was the F.B.I.  —  Global law enforcement officials revealed a three-year operation in which they said they had intercepted over 20 million messages.  Hundreds of arrests were made in more than a dozen countries.

Losing a Friend over Politics  —  Although political disagreements are common, few Americans report having stopped talking to or being friends with someone because of their views about government or politics.  Only 15 percent of the public have ended a friendship over politics.

Republicans Are Turning America Into a ‘Democracy With Asterisks’  —  Mr. Edsall contributes a weekly column from Washington, D.C. on politics, demographics and inequality.  —  Determined to enforce white political dominance in pivotal states like Georgia, Arizona, Texas and North Carolina …

Record-High 47% in U.S. Think Abortion Is Morally Acceptable  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans are sharply divided in their abortion views, including on its morality, with an equal split between those who believe it is morally acceptable and those who say it is morally wrong.

Val Demings launches 2022 campaign for Senate against Marco Rubio  —  Saying she's ready for a “tough fight,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings of Orlando officially launched Wednesday her campaign to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio next year.  —  “I know how to get through tough times …

Farewell, Millennial Lifestyle Subsidy  —  The price for Ubers, scooters and Airbnb rentals is going up as tech companies aim for profitability.  —  A few years ago, while on a work trip in Los Angeles, I hailed an Uber for a crosstown ride during rush hour.