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.

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.

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.

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.”

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

‘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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

UM Students Outraged by Former Trump Official Alex Azar's Hire  —  The decision to hire former President Donald Trump's HHS Secretary Alex Azar has incensed faculty, staff, and students.  —  On its surface, the hiring of a former federal health official would seem like a smart move for the University of Miami.

'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 …

California Teachers Must Be Vaccinated or Tested Weekly for Covid-19  —  First-in-the-nation rule garners support from unions and comes amid growing nationwide disagreements over Covid-19 safety rules in schools  —  California will require school teachers and staff to show proof of vaccination …

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.