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.

‘Spray and Pray’: Republicans ramp up attacks on Biden on ... everything  —  Early in Joe Biden's presidency, Republicans openly conceded how poor a target he was for them.  Their hits on the president simply weren't sticking.  —  That hasn't, however, kept Republicans from swinging away.

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 …

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.”

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

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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” …

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 …

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.

Crossing the Red Line: Behind China's Takeover of Hong Kong  —  One year ago, the city's freedoms were curtailed with breathtaking speed.  But the clampdown was years in the making, and many signals were missed.  —  Hong Kong's march toward an authoritarian future began with a single phrase in a dry policy paper.

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 …

DeSantis ‘very wary’ of upsetting Trump  —  TALLAHASSEE — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is on a collision course with the most powerful man in the GOP: Donald Trump.  —  DeSantis is crisscrossing the country to deliver red-meat speeches.  Iowa leaders begged him to visit.  He just beat Trump in a key straw poll.

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 …

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 …

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 …