Arizona ballot audit shows signs of backfiring on GOP  —  When Arizona Republicans first pushed for a partisan audit of the 2020 presidential ballots cast in the Phoenix metropolitan area, they argued that they needed to know if any irregularities or fraud caused President Trump to lose this rapidly evolving swing state.

'It's a daydream:' Questions emerge about financing plans for bipartisan infrastructure deal  —  Offsetting $500 billion in new spending without raising taxes or adding to the deficit requires some creative math  —  To pay for their proposed infrastructure package, the White House …

Two days before condo collapse, a pool contractor photographed this damage in garage  —  There was nothing unusual about the lobby and pool area at Champlain Towers South condo, which looked clean and well maintained to a commercial pool contractor who visited the building last Tuesday …

A First Lady for All of Us: On the Road with Dr. Jill Biden  —  To listen to this profile, click the play button below:  —  When Jill Biden visits community colleges, which is a lot these days, she is received in highly choreographed settings by a governor, say, or members of the public as the nation's first lady.

Trump lawyer: Manhattan DA won't charge former president  —  Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance has indicated he does not currently plan to charge the Trump Organization with crimes related to allegations of “hush money” payments and real estate value manipulations, according to a personal lawyer for Donald Trump.

Boring news cycle deals blow to partisan media  —  In the months since former President Donald Trump left office, media companies' readership numbers are plunging — and publishers that rely on partisan, ideological warfare have taken an especially big hit.  —  Why it matters …

It's so hot in the Pacific Northwest that roads are buckling  —  It's so hot in the Pacific Northwest that roads are buckling.  —  Asphalt and concrete roadways are expanding and cracking and even Interstate 5 has been impacted amid a heat wave that has sent temperatures soaring to dangerous levels.

L.A. County urges everyone to wear masks indoors as Delta variant spreads  —  With the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus continuing to spread statewide, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is recommending that all residents wear masks in public indoor spaces …

House GOP bristles as a Jan. 6 investigation lands in its lap  —  In the days after the deadly Capitol attack on Jan. 6, tension among House Republicans was so high that one of them privately suggested some GOP colleagues be punished for their roles in encouraging the riot.

Americans can be proud of the infrastructure deal  —  I have always believed that there is nothing our nation can't do when we decide to do it together.  Last week, we began to write a new chapter in that story.  —  After weeks of negotiations, a bipartisan group of United States senators forged …

Giuliani's suspension from the law is unconstitutional  —  Rudy Giuliani has been suspended from the practice of law without a hearing, based largely on First Amendment-protected statements he made outside of any court of law.  A panel of the Appellate Division of New York suspended …

The Man who Would be Mayor  —  Into the Archives, with Eric Adams  —  Over the last six months, it's been fascinating to watch Eric Adams, who has decent odds of becoming New York City's 110th mayor, characterized as the most conservative candidate in the Democratic primary when it comes to policing.

General Milley Leads the Enemy Within  —  Championing critical race theory, undermining the military.  —  [Editors' note: To sign the Freedom Center's petitions to remove Admiral Michael Gilday and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin from their positions, CLICK HERE and HERE.]

The Voting Rights Package That Can Pass the Senate  —  A plan that can get past Joe Manchin, the Republicans, and still help voters.  —  Filibuster opponents and bipartisanship skeptics on the left view the Republican rejection of Sen. Joe Manchin's voting rights proposal as validation.

Republican Rep. Pat Fallon failed to properly disclose more than 90 stock transactions worth as much as $17.53 million in apparent violation of federal law  — Rep. Pat Fallon of Texas disclosed some stock trades up to nearly four months late.  — Tardy stock disclosures can open up members of Congress to investigations and fines.

Book bombshells reveal depths of Trump's 2020 delusions  —  Washington (CNN)Excerpts from three upcoming books revealed previously unknown efforts by then-President Donald Trump to abuse the powers of his office to overturn the 2020 election, deploy the military against racial justice protests and prosecute his political opponents.

The truth about many in the GOP base: They prefer authoritarianism to democracy  —  We want to believe that goodwill can foster a return to less contentious and hyperpartisan times.  But what if one side adopts noxious views antithetical to democracy — and, worse, rejects the basic premise of America?

NY Republican leaders make their early pick for governor: Rep. Lee Zeldin  —  ALBANY - Republican leaders from across New York gathered Monday to name their preferred choice to run for governor next year: Rep. Lee Zeldin, a Long Island Republican known as an ally to former President Donald Trump.

Dan Snyder Tries to End an Era of NFL Scandal With a Progressive Pivot  —  A diverse front office.  A gender-neutral dance team.  His wife as the new co-CEO.  Snyder, the owner of the Washington Football Team, speaks out on his bid to fix a franchise plagued by internal problems.

Biden's defense of new airstrikes in Iraq and Syria is weak … The United States launched airstrikes on another country's soil this week.  Again.  According to the Pentagon, the “defensive precision” strikes hit their targets in Iraq and Syria.  Great victory, huge success, everyone shrugs and goes about their day.

Californians are fueling Austin's housing frenzy: 'We've never seen migration like this'  —  AUSTIN, Texas — The metro area of this capital city grows by around 180 people every day, a boom that's made it the country's fastest-growing major region for the past decade.

Biden to use Wisconsin speech as roadmap for infrastructure sales pitch  —  President Biden will use his visit to La Crosse, Wisconsin, to “cut through the noise in Washington,” aides told Axios, enlisting voters to help him hold together a fragile $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal.

McAuliffe Calls Critical Race Theory a ‘Right-Wing Conspiracy.’ His Union Ally Says It's Needed to ‘Teach the Truth’  —  Teachers' union backing McAuliffe stands by ‘anti-racism’ curriculums  —  Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe calls critical race theory a “right-wing conspiracy.”

Jared Kushner Really Did Make the Pandemic Worse  —  “Washington Post” reporters Yasmine Abutaleb and Damien Paletta discuss terrifying details from their book “Nightmare Scenario,” which recounts how the Trump admin handled COVID.  —  Jared Kushner is the epitome of the fuckup trope in every movie ever.