Joe Manchin and the enemies of democracy  —  With American democracy under fierce attack by enemies of democracy who engage in aggressive attacks against voting rights, honest election procedures, and honest vote counting in state after state — their most powerful ally and most valuable player …

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.)

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.

29% of GOP Voters Say It's Likely Trump Will Be Reinstated as President This Year  —  Most voters reject far-fetched idea, but many believe America's democracy is under threat  — 72% of voters, including 61% of Republicans, say it is unlikely Trump will be restored to the presidency.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

Democratic Rep. Val Demings announces challenge to GOP Sen. Marco Rubio … WASHINGTON — Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., made her Senate bid official Wednesday, announcing that she plans to challenge GOP Sen. Marco Rubio for his seat next year.  —  Demings made the announcement in a three-minute-long video …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

Stephen Breyer's Nonpartisan Retirement Plan Will Only Make Things Worse  —  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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

Ari Berman and Nick Surgey win June Sidney for Exposing Secret Right-Wing Playbook on Voter Suppression  —  Ari Berman of Mother Jones and Nick Surgey of Documented win the June Sidney Award for exposing the conservative dark money campaign to suppress the vote.