From the synagogue to the Senate: The busiest Democratic senator you've probably never heard of … Larry Rosen and Doug Emhoff bonded because of their powerful wives.  As two of the only men in the book club for spouses when their other halves served as senators, they became good friends.

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.

My Fellow Republicans, Stop Fearing This Dangerous and Diminished Man  —  Ms. Comstock, a Virginia Republican and a lawyer, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019.  —  When Donald Trump, the patron saint of sore losers, appeared at a Republican event on Saturday night …

Stephen Breyer's Apparent Retirement Plan Will Backfire  —  The New York Times reported last month that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, age 82, has been resisting calls for his retirement from fellow progressives.  The reason?  Breyer apparently worries that retiring in the face …

Trump administration pursued CNN reporter's records in months-long secret court battle  —  Washington (CNN)The Trump administration battled with CNN for half a year to obtain the email records of a reporter and insisted it all take place under an extraordinary order of secrecy, CNN's lead attorney revealed on Wednesday.

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 …

Biden administration to buy 500 million Pfizer coronavirus vaccine doses to donate to the world  —  The Biden administration is buying 500 million doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine to donate to the world, as the United States dramatically increases its efforts to help vaccinate the global population …

‘Legalized money laundering’: Trump Victory fund exposes GOP state officials  —  Several state Republican parties are still unable to explain major gaps between their 2020 fundraising and spending reports, even after their committees have corrected the discrepancies.

White House ‘Perplexed’ By Kamala Harris Performance on First Foreign Policy Trip: CNN  —  Unnamed White House “insiders” were left “perplexed” by the performance of Vice President Kamala Harris on her recent trip to Guatemala and Mexico to address the root causes of the immigration problems at the US Southern border.

Cicadas Took On Biden's Press Plane.  They Won.  —  The omnipresent insects filled the engines of a flight set to accompany the president on his trip to Europe, forcing a delay and a new plane and pilot to be called in.  —  WASHINGTON — The plane set to carry dozens of journalists to Europe …

Executive Order on Protecting Americans' Sensitive Data from Foreign Adversaries … By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)

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.

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 …

An open letter on U.S. media coverage of Palestine  —  From journalists, to journalists: Why reporting on Palestine has to change.  —  Finding truth and holding the powerful to account are core principles of journalism.  —  Yet for decades, our news industry has abandoned those values in coverage of Israel and Palestine.

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.

In the U.S., hospitalizations are rising in areas with low vaccination rates.  —  Health officials worry that Covid-19 hospitalization rates could increase among the unvaccinated as variants of the virus spread.  —  The coronavirus might be receding in much of the United States …

Oxford student who led ‘woke’ move to remove Queen's portrait is American … The Oxford university student who led a vote to remove Queen Elizabeth II's portrait — sparking outrage in the top tiers of UK government — is a wealthy American private school boy who is a Captain America fan, it emerged Wednesday.

The case for prosecuting Donald Trump  —  Saving American democracy for the long run requires a clear condemnation of the Trump presidency.  That means making clear that no one is above the law.  —  Norms in a democracy are only as good as our willingness to enforce them.

The Curious Rise of Twitter Power Broker Yashar Ali  —  I'm extremely upset.  Yashar Ali delivers this news as he settles into a booth in the lobby of Santa Monica's Proper Hotel.  His eyes are red and puffy—he's clearly been crying—and his voice cracks with emotion when he speaks.

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 …

Trump is sabotaging the GOP's Senate prospects  —  The former president's growing involvement in primaries is jeopardizing Republican chances of winning back the majority.  —  Former President Trump could have been an important asset for the GOP, turning out voters as it seeks to regain control …

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.

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 …

Bogus Social Media Outrage Is Making Authors Change Lines in Their Books Now  —  Elin Hilderbrand writes novels about people who summer in Nantucket and have lots of family secrets and complicated love lives.  The books—whose covers feature beach scenes with women in sun hats …

Arizona ballot audit backed by secretive donors linked to Trump's inner circle  —  Dark money groups pushing baseless election claims appear to be playing key role in unprecedented review of 2.1m ballots  — This story was reported in collaboration with OpenSecrets

How Far Are Republicans Willing to Go?  They're Already Gone.  —  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 …