Joe Manchin just threatened to derail Biden's big win.  Please proceed, Senator.  —  Barely hours after Senate Democrats passed their $3.5 trillion reconciliation budget resolution, Sen. Joe Manchin III issued a statement that unleashed waves of dread across Twitter.

Federal judge says Trump's accountants must turn over tax records to House panel  —  A federal judge has ruled that former President Donald Trump's accountants must turn over two years' worth of his tax and financial records to a House committee investigating whether Trump and his businesses profited from his service in the White House.

Vaccine Refusers Risk Compassion Fatigue  —  On social media, I've been seeing sentiments that I never thought I'd see anyone express in a public forum. … These are harsh, angry feelings.  And some of the people giving voice to them are doctors.  —  I am an obstetrician in New York.

Italian Americans mad at Cuomo for dismissing creepy behavior as cultural  —  Italian Americans are outraged that Gov. Andrew Cuomo appeared to try to write off his creepy behavior with women as “cultural behavioral differences.”  —  “We Italians refuse to acknowledge Cuomo as a member of la famiglia …

Federal government sends ventilators to Florida as DeSantis says he's unaware of shipment  —  (CNN)The Biden administration sent hundreds of ventilators to Florida in recent days as the state responds to a dramatic new increase in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, an official from the Department …

YouTube suspends Sen. Rand Paul over a video falsely claiming masks are ineffective  —  WASHINGTON — YouTube suspended Sen. Rand Paul's account on Tuesday for posting a video claiming cloth face masks are ineffective against the coronavirus.  —  “A badge of honor ... leftwing cretins …

Secret IRS Files Reveal How Much the Ultrawealthy Gained by Shaping Trump's “Big, Beautiful Tax Cut”  —  The Secret IRS Files … In November 2017, with the administration of President Donald Trump rushing to get a massive tax overhaul through Congress, Sen. Ron Johnson stunned his colleagues by announcing he would vote “no.”

Inside the Biden administration as Afghanistan collapses  —  The Taliban has stunned even some seasoned military and national security officials in the U.S. government with the speed of its conquests over the past week, sources with direct knowledge of the developments tell Axios.

Donald Kagan, celebrated historian of the ancient world and revered teacher  —  Share this with Facebook Share this with Twitter Share this with LinkedIn Share this with Email Print this  —  Donald Kagan, Sterling Professor Emeritus of Classics and History, prominent for his scholarship …

The Delta Variant Isn't As Contagious As Chickenpox.  But It's Still Highly Contagious  —  In a leaked report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made a surprising claim about the delta variant of the coronavirus: It “is as transmissible as: - Chicken Pox,” the agency wrote …

Former U.S. attorney in Atlanta says Trump wanted him to back election fraud claims.  —  Byung J. Pak, a former U.S. attorney in Atlanta, told congressional investigators on Wednesday that his abrupt resignation in January had been prompted by Justice Department officials' warning …

Lie of credit — American Express tells its workers capitalism is racist  —  American Express, which made a $2.3 billion profit last quarter, invited the great-grandson of the Nation of Islam's founder to tell its employees that capitalism is evil.  —  It was part of the credit-card giant's …

Children's hospitals are swamped with Covid patients — and it may only get worse  —  The number of kids infected with Covid-19 is soaring as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads and schools reopen, pushing children's hospitals around the country to the brink.

Suspected saline switch sparks vaccine stir in Germany  —  Authorities in northern Germany appealed to thousands of people on Tuesday to get another shot of COVID-19 vaccine after a police investigation found that a Red Cross nurse may have injected them with a saline solution.

'We are in harm's way': Election officials fear for their personal safety amid torrent of false claims about voting  —  In preparation for a vote on local tax assessments last week in Houghton County, Mich., county clerk Jennifer Kelly took extraordinary precautions, asking election staff …

Federal prosecutors came to suspect Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg lied, and considered charging him with perjury  —  New York (CNN)New York federal prosecutors came to suspect the Trump Organization's chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, lied in testimony during their investigation …

Psaki grilled on whether Biden created vaccine hesitancy with 2020 comments slamming Trump  —  Biden said last year that he trusts scientists, but not Donald Trump  —  White House press secretary Jen Psaki was grilled on whether or not President Biden encouraged vaccine hesitancy with comments …

massachusetts holy ghost  —  martha's vineyard, cancellation, & the scammy demimonde  —  A little update: My introduction for Percival Everett's Erasure was published in The Telegraph.  It's paywalled—not my choice!—but you can read if you have a subscription, OR if you just buy …

Israel to approve new construction in West Bank for both settlers and Palestinians  —  Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz today announced that a committee will convene next week to authorize new housing units in the occupied West Bank for both Jewish settlers and for Palestinians living in “Area C,” which is controlled by Israel.

A first: Judge delivers a blow to Abbott's ban on mask mandates in schools with temporary restraining order  —  There's rarely a dull moment in Texas these days.  Between the state Democrat fleebaggers drama and the coronavirus pandemic, things are popping.

FDA poised to OK 3rd vaccine dose for immunocompromised people  —  The Food and Drug Administration is poised to amend the emergency use authorizations for the Pfizer and the Moderna Covid-19 vaccines Thursday to allow people with compromised immune systems to get a third dose, according to two sources familiar with the plans.

Jefferson coffee shop flooded with applications after raising wage to $15 an hour  —  JEFFERSON: Bold.  Refreshing.  Ethically sourced.  —  And that's just the coffee shop owner.  —  Rich Osborne, who owns Greene Bean Coffee in downtown Jefferson with wife Reagan, said they …

‘No One I Know Is Vaccinated’: Sturgis Rally Bikers Are Coming for America  —  SUM OF ALL FEARS  —  Thousands of unvaccinated, unmasked people traveling across the country.  An ultra-contagious new variant.  Overloaded hospitals.  If you thought it could get no worse, think again.

China Sentences Canadian Businessman to 11 Years in Prison  —  The prosecution of Michael Spavor has been widely seen as political retaliation by China against Canada for the detention of a Chinese technology executive.  —  For years, as Michael Spavor tried to expand his business in North Korea …

Giuliani told agents it was okay to ‘throw a fake’ during political campaign  —  Rudolph W. Giuliani's promise of a “big surprise” to help Donald Trump's election in October 2016 led to Democratic accusations the FBI was feeding him secrets about an investigation of Hillary Clinton.

Feds warn of potential violence fueled by false election claims … False claims of fraud in the 2020 election are fueling calls for violence on social media, the Department of Homeland Security is warning local police departments.  —  “DHS has seen an increasing but modest level …