Sinema doesn't support Democrats' $3.5T bill, clinches bipartisan infrastructure deal  —  Sen. Kyrsten Sinema does not support Democrats' $3.5 trillion budget plan that aims to deliver major components of President Joe Biden's economic agenda that Democrats hope to pass after moving …

Trump allies blame conservative leader for failed Texas endorsement  —  Susan Wright's defeat in a Republican runoff dealt a blow to Trump's aura of invincibility as a GOP kingmaker.

McConnell aims to boost U.S. Republican vaccination rate by countering ‘bad advice’  —  U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell blamed misinformation for the low rates of COVID-19 vaccination among Americans, which are fueling a rise in coronavirus cases, particularly in Republican-dominated states.

As Trump pushed for probes of 2020 election, he called acting AG Rosen almost daily  —  President Donald Trump called his acting attorney general nearly every day at the end of last year to alert him to claims of voter fraud or alleged improper vote counts in the 2020 election, according to two people familiar with the conversations.

Turns Out Mo Brooks Was Wearing Body Armor to Trump's Very Peaceful Jan. 6 Rally  —  Rep. Mo Brooks may be done with Jan. 6, but Jan. 6 isn't done with him.  —  The Alabama representative, notorious for his speaking role at the Jan. 6 rally leading up to the invasion of the Capitol …

The Radical Courage of Simone Biles's Exit from the Team USA Olympic Finals  —  Biles's decision not to compete on Tuesday is, to many spectators, a heartbreak.  It is also a welcome example of an athlete setting her own limits.  —  USA Gymnastics was already on the wrong foot entering …

Jared Kushner to leave politics, launch investment firm - sources  —  Jared Kushner, a top adviser to former President Donald Trump, plans to launch an investment firm in coming months, a move that will take him away from politics for the foreseeable future, sources familiar with the plan said on Wednesday.

What If Vaccines Don't Really Stop the Virus From Spreading?  —  America entered its second pandemic summer full of optimism.  Vaccination numbers were strong, and new cases of the coronavirus were plummeting.  In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the fully vaccinated …

Arizona Senate liaison Ken Bennett says he will resign Wednesday from overseeing election audit  —  The main person who has been overseeing the Arizona Senate's review of Maricopa County election results said he plans to resign Wednesday.  —  Ken Bennett, former secretary of state who has served …

Who's Behind Dallas Justice Now's 'Don't Send White Kids to Ivy League' Controversy?  —  As soon as Casie Tomlin found the FedEx envelope in her mailbox, she knew something looked fishy.  Inside, a flyer from a group called Dallas Justice Now urged parents in Dallas' wealthy — and largely white …

Ben & Jerry's Founders on the Company's Israel Policy  —  Mr. Cohen and Mr. Greenfield founded Ben & Jerry's Homemade Holdings in 1978.  —  We are the founders of Ben & Jerry's.  We are also proud Jews.  It's part of who we are and how we've identified ourselves for our whole lives.

Byron York's Daily Memo: What Jim Jordan would have said  —  Welcome to Byron York's Daily Memo newsletter.  —  Was this email forwarded to you?  Sign up here to receive the newsletter.  —  WHAT JIM JORDAN WOULD HAVE SAID.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously banned Republican Rep. Jim Jordan …

The Number of People With IRAs Worth $5 Million or More Has Tripled, Congress Says  —  After ProPublica revealed that some wealthy Americans hold Roth IRAs worth hundreds of millions — compared to $39,000 for the average account holder — Democrats requested data.

Gentle Encouragement Wasn't Going to Be Enough  —  Here's something I almost never say: The NFL is right.  —  When pro football announced last week that it will impose stiff penalties on teams that experience a COVID-19 outbreak involving unvaccinated players, it exposed a serious vaccination divide among its athletes.

ATF Agents Corroborate Existence of Racial Complaint Against Biden Director Nominee, Fear Reprisals and Hit to Agency Effectiveness  —  Multiple ATF sources back up the existence of a complaint alleging President Biden's nominee to lead ATF, David Chipman, made racist comments during his previous stint at the agency.

RNC fact-checks Biden on driving ‘18-wheeler’  —  The Republican National Committee circulated a “fact check” on Twitter of whether President Joe Biden drove an 18-wheeler after a speech on manufacturing to a Mack truck facility in Pennsylvania.  —  “There is *zero evidence* that Biden 'used …

Our democracy is under attack.  Washington journalists must stop covering it like politics as usual.  —  Back in the dark ages of 2012, two think-tank scholars, Norman Ornstein and Thomas Mann, wrote a book called “It's Even Worse Than It Looks” about the rise of Republican Party extremism and its dire effect on American democracy.

Lauren Boebert throws ‘mask in the face of a floor staffer’ as she fumes over ‘totalitarian’ House rules: report  —  Colorado GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert doesn't like masks, as evidenced by her COVID-denialist rhetoric and her history of defying mask mandates in the House chamber.

What Do These People Think About Gawker Coming Back?  —  If you are reading this, it means Gawker is back.  We reached out to some of our favorite writers, artists, policymakers, and billionaires to ask them how that makes them feel.  Below are their answers.

The New Moral Code of America's Elite  —  Every striver who ever slipped the rank of their birth to ascend to a higher order has shared the capacity to ingratiate themselves with their betters.  What the truly exceptional ones have in common is the ability to connect not only with their superiors …

'I don't feel any fear going out.' How residents are living in America's most vaccinated state  —  Burlington, Vermont (CNN)The sweaty Lindy Hoppers stood in a circle clapping to a hard-driving beat — switching partners and laughing on the ballroom floor of The Champlain Club in Vermont's largest city.