At least 150 people fatally shot in more than 400 shootings over the Fourth of July weekend  —  (CNN)At least 150 people were killed by gun violence in more than 400 shootings across the country during the Fourth of July weekend as major cities nationwide confront a surge in violent crime …

US left Afghan airfield at night, didn't tell new commander  —  BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. left Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by shutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night without notifying the base's new Afghan commander …

Ivanka Trump is the next place the district attorney will likely look: Former federal prosecutor  —  Former federal prosecutor Cynthia Alksne told MSNBC viewers Monday that the next person that the Manhattan District Attorney's office will likely look to is Ivanka Trump.

What's keeping democracy experts up most at night?  An overturned election … WASHINGTON — Congress is just beginning a new investigation into the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, but the movement behind it remains as active as ever.  Former President Donald Trump is frequently repeating false claims …

Pence got 10 minutes to talk about ‘how hard he was working’ during weekly lunches before Trump turned on the TV and began complaining, book says  — Former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence met weekly for lunch.  — The lunches were a chance for Pence to tell Trump …

J.D. Vance says he regrets since-deleted tweets criticizing Trump  —  J.D. Vance, the bestselling author and a Republican Senate hopeful, said on Monday that he regretted his since-deleted Twitter posts that criticized Donald Trump, amid accusations of flip-flopping as he vies for a seat in Ohio.

GOP Rep. Recalls Exact Moment He Realized Party Was Capitulating To Trump  —  “That's the moment when I realized, ‘Oh, man, this is a problem,’” said Illinois Republican Adam Kinzinger.  —  Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) says the GOP's capitulation to Donald Trump finally became clear …

‘We are an army for everything that Jesus has purchased for us’: Lauren Boebert at Freedom rally  —  Wearing her usual holstered firearm U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) on Independence Day injected a heavy dose of Christian nationalism into her speech in Mesa County, Colorado.

Maniac punches carriage horse, attacks two others in Central Park: driver  —  His name may not be Mongo but a shirtless maniac stole a page from “Blazing Saddles” on Monday — punching, and also kicking, three carriage horses in Central Park before claiming he had a knife, witnesses said.

‘Killing spree’: Wisconsin's wolf population plunges after protections removed, study finds  —  Researchers blame poaching and hunting far beyond quotas after species dropped from endangered list  —  As many as one-third of Wisconsin's gray wolves probably died at the hands of humans …

I'm joining the Lincoln Project to make sure Republicans don't win Congress in 2022  —  Donald Trump is fueling an authoritarian movement abetted by far too many Republican senators and House members.  We must unite to preserve democracy.  —  America is exhausted.

Biden allies brace for GOP attacks when southern border reopens  —  The White House is expected to reopen the U.S.-Mexico border in the coming weeks, and even President Joe Biden's allies are worried he's not ready for the logistical and political impact, including an avalanche of Republican attacks that will follow.

Demolition widens search at condo site, but storms threaten  —  SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Rescuers searched through fresh rubble Monday after the last of the collapsed Florida condo building was demolished, which allowed crews into previously inaccessible places, including bedrooms where people …

Hackers demand $70 million to unlock businesses hit by sprawling ransomware attack  —  Cybercriminals involved in a widespread attack said they would release their victims' files for a ransom of $70 million  —  A hacking group that experts said was behind the sprawling ransomware attack …

The Shocking Enormity of Russia's Botched Pandemic Response  —  A massive third wave is spreading unchecked, anti-vaxxers are rampant, and the Kremlin's vaccine diplomacy has failed.  —  MOSCOW—As I write this, Russia is firmly in the grip of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Counterintelligence is as American as Apple Pie  —  America just celebrated another July 4th and, while it was a happier affair than the contested Canada Day feted by our neighbors to the north, the sense that the country is emerging from 18 months of coronavirus shutdown was palpable.

When Bill Clinton's Veep Vetting Process Revealed That Al Gore Had No Friends  —  “Senator, who are your friends... the people you most like, relax with, travel with, drink with.  Your friends.”  —  I was in the third grade when I saw Abraham Lincoln assassinated.

An Ugly War Among Leftist YouTubers Shows Two Common, Toxic Pathologies Plaguing U.S. Politics  —  Baselessly accusing people of being Russian agents and weaponizing accusations of sexual misconduct are reputation-destroying cancers at the heart of liberal discourse.  —  7 hr ago

Conservatives Have No Plan To Win the Culture War.  They Intend to Rule Anyway.  —  Conservatives would have to make changes to win the hearts and minds of the young.  They have no intention of doing that.  They intend to kill democracy, instead  —  In this age of dull-witted Fox News propaganda …

We Still Won't Admit Why So Many People Believe the Big Lie  —  CLUELESS … Six months after the insurrection it triggered, it's clear that the stolen-election nonsense is just a drop in a tidal wave of bullshit.  —  How could so many Americans believe in “the Big Lie?”  We see the numbers and we shake our heads.