Statement by the Department of Defense  —  (Attributable to Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby)  —  “At President Biden's direction, U.S. military forces earlier this evening conducted defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region.

Biden walk-back doesn't solve Democrats' divide: The Note  —  President Joe Biden just might have been able to fix what he may have broken.  —  That's not the same as saying there's a bill that can pass Congress - much less two.  —  Biden's walk-back of his vow to only support …

Toyota is the no. 1 donor to 2020 election objectors — by far  —  The Japanese automaker gave $55,000 to 37 GOP objectors this year.

An Accusation Blew Up a Campaign.  The Media Didn't Know What to Do.  —  Handling a delicate allegation of sexual misconduct is a lot more challenging than covering a horse race.  —  Two days after coming in fifth in the election night count of votes for New York mayor last week …

Where Jobless Benefits Were Cut, Jobs Are Still Hard to Fill  —  Missouri scrapped federal pay to the unemployed, saying it kept people out of the labor market.  But so far, workers still seem to be choosy.  —  MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — By lunchtime, the representatives …

The Last-And Only-Foreign Scientist in the Wuhan Lab Speaks Out  —  Danielle Anderson was working in what has become the world's most notorious laboratory just weeks before the first known cases of Covid-19 emerged in central China.  Yet, the Australian virologist still wonders what she missed.

Trump Organization attorneys given Monday deadline to persuade prosecutors not to file charges against it  —  Prosecutors in New York have given former president Donald Trump's attorneys a deadline of Monday afternoon to make any final arguments as to why the Trump Organization …

Possible Failure Point Emerges in Miami Building Collapse  —  Some engineers looking at the failure of a 13-story condo tower in Florida said the collapse appeared to have begun somewhere near the bottom of the building.  —  The investigation into what may be the deadliest accidental building collapse …

QAnon Supporters Express Boredom With ‘Same Old’ Trump Speech: ‘This Is Getting Ridiculous’  —  Both QAnon and longtime supporters of former President Donald Trump criticized his Saturday night speech in Wellington, Ohio, accusing him of the “same-old, same-old” grievances against Democrats …

Trump's Situation Room shouting match  —  Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, repeatedly blew up at President Trump over how to handle last summer's racial-justice protests, The Wall Street Journal's Michael Bender writes in his forthcoming book, “Frankly, We Did Win This Election.”

Voters didn't elect us to do nothing and blame the Senate filibuster.  Get rid of it.  —  Voters elected us to fix problems and we should.  Yes, the other party might take power and pass bills I think are bad, but that's how democracy works.  —  The future of our republic is being decided …

Olympic hammer thrower Gwen Berry ‘pissed’ national anthem was playing at Olympic trials  —  A U.S. hammer thrower turned away from the American flag as the national anthem played while she and two other athletes stood on the podium at the Olympic trials Saturday, later saying she was “pissed” …

His Insurrection Inside the Oval Office on January 6.  —  Seems like quite a few crazies," said the president.  —  A little more than three weeks before rioters and revelers stormed the Capitol on January 6, several thousand Trump fans and fanatics gathered in Washington …

Red America's Covid Problem  —  Cases are rising, because of the Delta variant.  —  There was a strange Covid-19 pattern in the U.S. for much of this spring.  The virus was not spreading any faster in communities with low vaccination rates than in those with high vaccination rates.

Madison Cawthorn, self-described ‘big history buff,’ keeps getting historical facts wrong  —  Washington (CNN)Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a freshman Republican from North Carolina, has called himself a “big history buff” and a “lover of history.”  —  But Cawthorn — who, at age 25 …

DeSantis' big goal: Don't enrage Trump  —  As the Florida governor's national profile rises, he risks angering the former president.  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives two thumbs up towards then-President Donald Trump during a 2020 campaign event.  Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Memo: Michael Dukakis warns Democrats on crime  —  A generation ago, Michael Dukakis saw his chances of winning the presidency crushed after Republicans cast him as soft on crime.  —  Now he is warning his party not to make the same mistake.  —  The Defund the Police movement is “nuts …

How Many Gaza Palestinians Were Killed by Hamas Rockets in May?  An Estimate  —  BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,081, June 27, 2021  —  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Much of the coverage and commentary surrounding the fighting in May between Hamas and Israel has focused on numbers …

Breyer's future is Supreme Court's biggest question  —  Justice Stephen Breyer's future is the biggest question as the Supreme Court winds down its term in the next week.  —  Close observers of the court are scrutinizing any tea leaves they can find for possible clues on the 82-year-old liberal justice …

The Cruel Progressive Creed Undoing Civilization  —  The Left's progressive wasteland is an acceptable price to pay for the terrifying visions of its anointed.  —  Debt is suffocating us.  Our currency is on its way to being Lebanonized.  —  Most major American cities are broke, dirty …