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.

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 …

Kathy Hochul vows big change from ‘toxic’ Cuomo administration, will fire ‘unethical’ staffers  — New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is ready to take over as governor from Andrew Cuomo, and vowed not to have a “toxic” workplace as Cuomo allegedly has had for three terms.

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 …

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.

Former U.S. attorney in Atlanta says Trump wanted to fire him for not backing 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 …

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.”

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

Mississippi's Hospital System Could ‘Fail’ In 10 Days, UMMC Warns As Feds Rush In  —  With COVID-19 patients overflowing at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, including in its pediatric center, hospital leaders are warning that the medical system statewide could be on the verge of failing without drastic intervention.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

‘This Is Lunacy’: Frustrated Border Patrol Agents Take Pictures of Overcrowded Detention Facilities  —  The Biden administration's handling of the ongoing crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border continues to flounder as the massive influx of people illegally crossing into the U.S. remains at an all-time high …

Republicans risk becoming face of delta surge as key GOP governors oppose anti-covid measures  —  In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has banned local governments from implementing mask requirements even as he pleads for emergency medical help in combating a surge in coronavirus cases from the delta variant.

'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 …

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 …

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 …