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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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?

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 …

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.

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.

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.

Court dismisses FTC, state antitrust cases against Facebook  —  A D.C. federal court on Monday dismissed two antitrust cases brought against Facebook last year in a major setback for federal and state regulators.  —  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will have an opportunity to file an amended complaint …

Democrats in Oil Country Worried by Party's Natural-Gas Agenda  —  Progressive agenda has moderates weathering Republican attack ads over oil and gas jobs  —  WASHINGTON—Democratic Party progressives are pushing President Biden to include in his infrastructure agenda stringent measures …

Congressman Recruits Holocaust Deniers Into the Republican Party A Republican radical with a sinister plan.  —  Some of the most cartoonishly nutty members of the Republican caucus simply want to get famous, rich, or the affections of younger women.  Representative Paul Gosar, on the other hand, has a plan.

Tucker Carlson Claims the NSA is Monitoring His Communications ‘In an Attempt to Take This Show Off the Air’  —  Tucker Carlson claimed on Monday night that his communications are being monitored by the NSA “in an attempt to take this show off the air.”  —  Carlson told viewers a whistleblower …

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.

Newsom Sues Elections Chief to Get Party Preference on Recall Ballot  —  Months before the pending recall, the Democratic governor of California is at risk of being designated without a party preference on ballots destined for millions of voters.  —  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) …

Fully Oligarchic Luxury Californication  —  The tech elite have joined forces with progressive visionaries to establish a model of America's feudal future.  —  What happens in California matters well beyond its borders.  The Golden State's cultural and technological influence on America …

A Teen Was Having Car Trouble.  A Sheriff's Deputy Shot and Killed Him.  —  Want the best of VICE News straight to your inbox?  Sign up here.  —  During a traffic stop last week, an Arkansas sheriff's deputy shot and killed a teenage boy who was only armed with a neon-blue jug of antifreeze, family members told VICE News.

Rudy Giuliani Facing Inquiry Into Whether He Lobbied Trump for Turkey  — DOJ inquiry is separate from criminal probe of Ukraine work  — U.S. could order ex-NYC mayor to register as foreign lobbyist  —  Rudy Giuliani is the subject of a Justice Department inquiry into possible foreign lobbying …

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.

Kamala Harris Isn't Being Helped by Joe Biden  —  Ms. Greer is a political scientist at Fordham University.  —  On Sunday, after Vice President Kamala Harris's visit to the southern border, the White House felt the need to issue a statement calling her trip a “success.”

Jean Shorts—A Dad Style Staple—Are Suddenly in Fashion  —  From scrappy DIY versions to extravagantly expensive designer models, once-mockable jorts are a big summer trend for men.  Here's why.  —  IN THE WORLD of men's fashion, what was once mockable is now covetable.

House to vote to remove Confederate statues from the Capitol … WASHINGTON — The House is set to vote Tuesday on legislation to remove Confederate statues from public display in the Capitol as well as a bust of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney who wrote the 1857 Dred Scott decision that said Black people couldn't be citizens.