Scoop: White House official, Pelosi aide test positive for COVID  —  A White House official and a staff member for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have both tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the same reception last week, officials confirmed to Axios.

Axios-Ipsos poll: Most unvaccinated Americans won't get the shot for any reason  —  Many won't budge even if their own doctor gives the shot, a celebrity endorses it or they get paid time off.

Infrastructure deal in precarious state as endgame nears  —  President Biden on Monday took a subtle yet unmistakable dig at Republicans who have backed away from a major funding component in a bipartisan infrastructure package that is now starting to fray, saying pointedly that …

Bezos says space flight reinforced commitment to fighting climate change  —  Jeff Bezos said in an interview hours after flying to suborbital space on Tuesday that there are “no words” to adequately describe the experience, but that it reinforced his commitment to combatting climate change and keeping Earth …

Twitter Suspends Marjorie Taylor Greene for Posting Coronavirus Misinformation  —  The Republican lawmaker from Georgia cannot tweet for 12 hours, after the White House criticized social media sites for amplifying vaccine lies.  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter said on Monday …

After waiting, Steve Scalise gets vaccinated against COVID-19, calls it “safe and effective”  —  “Soon,” U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise replied at the beginning of April when asked when he would be vaccinated against the coronavirus.  —  “Soon,” he repeated at the beginning of May when asked the same question.

Indicted Trump Organization executive may have defended his Mercedes perks in custody, court documents show  —  NEW YORK — Indicted Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg may have offered an unprompted early defense to investigators on the day he was charged in a 15-year tax avoidance …

Here's What to Expect from the Republicans on the Jan. 6 Committee  —  Kevin McCarthy met with Trump before announcing his appointees.  —  After a pilgrimage to Bedminster to get the blessing of the GOP's Apricot Archbishop, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy announced yesterday …

We're begging you, Gov. DeSantis, stop messing in Texas and save Florida from COVID  —  That's what DeSantis told the conservative TPUSA crowd on Sunday.  —  We agree.  Completely.  —  Please, governor, we're begging you, handle the COVID problem.  Be a leader.

Unvaccinated Trump supporter who spread coronavirus conspiracy theories dies of COVID-19  —  On Tuesday, the Cape Cod Times reported that Linda Zuern, a former member of the Bourne, Massachusetts Board of Selectmen and a Trump-supporting figure in the local Republican Party, had died of COVID-19.

Let's get more people vaccinated  —  It all starts with actually approving the vaccine....  One great piece of news about life in the United States of America in July of 2021 is that widely available mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna are highly effective against the SARS-Cov-2 virus.

Virginia GOP Makes a Mockery of the Redistricting Process  —  In 2020, Virginia voters passed an amendment to the state constitution designed to thwart the kind of partisan gerrymandering that has helped make American politics so polarized in recent decades.

Ben & Jerry's Will End Sales of Our Ice Cream in the Occupied Palestinian Territory  —  We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry's ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).  We also hear and recognize the concerns shared with us by our fans and trusted partners.

A House Race in Cleveland Captures the Democrats' Generational Divide  —  Nina Turner's move from Bernie Sanders's campaign co-chairwoman to House candidate has highlighted a Democratic divide between impatient young activists and cautious older voters.  —  WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, Ohio …

Delta variant poses major risk to Biden's promises of swift economic comeback  —  White House had expected economy to roar in 2021, but growing number of cases has raised concerns about setback  —  A resurgence in coronavirus cases is threatening the Biden administration's promises …

Justice Department seeks 50-year bar to release of grand jury material  —  The Justice Department is pushing for rule changes that would put a 50-year delay on when courts can consider releasing material from federal grand juries, according to documents and interviews, and would separately allow gag orders …

Florida GOP chair under investigation for alleged sexual harassment  —  TALLAHASSEE — The Republican Party of Florida is investigating its chair, Joe Gruters, in connection with a sexual harassment allegation involving a legislative staffer amid complaints from top party officials that the accusation was covered up.

Texas Senate Bill Drops Teaching Requirement That Ku Klux Klan Is ‘Morally Wrong’  —  Eliminated requirements also include the writings of Martin Luther King Jr., United Farm Workers leader Cesar Chavez and suffragist Susan B. Anthony.  —  In a new political low in Texas …

WATCHING THE WATCHMEN  —  In the inky darkness of a late summer night last September, three cars filled with armed men began circling Birch Lake in northern Michigan, looking for ways to approach Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's three-bedroom vacation cottage, subdue her — using a stun gun if necessary — and drag her away.

What were the Capitol rioters thinking on Jan. 6?  —  Robert Gieswein is a good man, according to family and friends, who describe him as gentle and compassionate.  His mother says he has “an amazing work ethic.”  His younger sister calls him “the most inspiring person in my life.”

Young conservative Republican Karoline Leavitt becomes candidate for 1st District U.S. House seat  —  NH native, former Trump White House staffer, says ‘radical’ Democrats, including Pappas, have ‘dismantled progress’ made under 45th president  —  Hide Transcript Show Transcript

Court Packing is Unconstitutional  —  Today, the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court holds its second full day of hearings, beginning at 8:30am this morning.  You can watch it live here.  At 3:30pm, I will be the first witness on a panel devoted specifically to partisan court expansion, known pejoratively as “court packing.”

Rand Paul Accuses Fauci of Lying to Congress about Gain-of-Function Research Funding  —  Senator Rand Paul (R., Ky.) and Dr. Anthony Fauci again clashed over alleged U.S. government funding of gain-of-function research on bat coronavirus in Wuhan, China, during testimony before a Senate committee on Tuesday.

Buffalo Bill Center of the West trustee resigns after racist newsletter comes to light  —  A longtime member of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West board of trustees resigned Monday after it was recently revealed that he runs a racist newsletter.  —  Henry “Rip” McIntosh had been a trustee at the museum since September 2012.

We are all propagandists now  —  The U.S. is in an information war with itself.  The public sphere, where Americans discuss public issues, is broken.  There's little discussion - and lots of fighting.  —  One reason why: Persuasion is difficult, slow and time-consuming …

The Hedgehogs of Critical Race Theory  —  They start with important truths—slavery was wicked—and get carried away into monomania.  —  The political philosopher Isaiah Berlin turned an obscure fragment by the ancient Greek poet Archilochus ("The fox knows many things …

Learning to Love G.M.O.s  —  Overblown fears have turned the public against genetically modified food.  But the potential benefits have never been greater.  —  To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

This deaf-blind Paralympian was told to navigate Tokyo alone.  So she quit Team USA.  —  TIMONIUM, Md. — Five years ago, Becca Meyers was on the floor of her room in the Olympic Village at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, balled up and sobbing, frustrated and terrified.