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.

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 …

The land was worth millions.  A Big Ag corporation sold it to Sonny Perdue's company for $250,000.  —  It was a curious time for Sonny Perdue to close a real estate deal.  —  In February 2017, weeks after President Donald Trump selected him to be agriculture secretary …

Miami-Area Condo Board President Warned of Need for Repairs in April Letter  —  ‘The concrete deterioration is accelerating.  The roof situation got much worse,’ condo board leader told residents  —  SURFSIDE, Fla.—The president of the Champlain South Towers condo association told residents …

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.

Manchin says he's on board with Democratic-only infrastructure bill  —  Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said on Tuesday that he's supportive of going forward with a larger, Democratic-only infrastructure bill, but that it shouldn't be linked to a separate bipartisan framework.

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.

Several longtime Kamala Harris associates shut out as VP's chief of staff keeps tight control over access  — Kamala Harris' chief of staff has effectively shut out several longtime political and business world allies of the vice president, according to people familiar with the matter.

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.

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.

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.

'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 …

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.

Democrats launch new ‘coming back’ push to tout Biden agenda  —  WASHINGTON — Covid-19 kept candidate Joe Biden off the campaign trail last July Fourth.  But this year, the White House and the Democratic National Committee are launching a campaign-style blitz as Americans get set …

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.

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?

California bans state travel to Florida, 4 other states  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California added five more states, including Florida, to the list of places where state-funded travel is banned because of laws that discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community, the state attorney general announced Monday.

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) …

Inside the risky bat-virus engineering that links America to Wuhan  —  In 2013, the American virologist Ralph Baric approached Zhengli Shi at a meeting.  Baric was a top expert in coronaviruses, with hundreds of papers to his credit, and Shi, along with her team at the Wuhan Institute of Virology …

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.

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 …

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.

Texas Gov. Abbott to visit border with Trump as he becomes biggest thorn in Biden's side  —  Abbott leads conservative pushback against the Biden administration on various issues  —  Greg Abbott: Texas will increase arrests, build wall at border  —  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is vowing to do what he claims …

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 …

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 …

Column: Utah's governor doesn't worship Trump or hate Democrats.  Is there room for him in the GOP?  —  Spencer Cox stopped watching cable TV years ago when he tired of Fox News polluting his home with bile and outrage.  He teared up discussing a law banning transgender athletes from girls sports …

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 …

What to Expect as Early Ranked-Choice Results Are Released in New York  —  Absentee ballots won't be included, but data to be released Tuesday could signal the way vote totals will shift as the field is officially winnowed.  —  New Yorkers will get one step closer on Tuesday to learning who their next mayor is likely to be.