Joe Biden's credibility has been shredded in Afghanistan  —  But the fall of the country to the Taliban would also create a dilemma for China  —  If Donald Trump were presiding over the debacle in Afghanistan, the US foreign policy establishment would be loudly condemning the irresponsibility and immorality of American strategy.

9 Moderate Democrats Threaten to Tank Entire Biden Presidency The party has managed to work together, until now.  —  Joe Biden's success to date has owed itself to many factors, the largest of which is the willingness of congressional Democrats to compromise with each other.

As COVID Hits Florida's Children, DeSantis Stands Firm, Says ‘Deal With’ It  —  The delta variant of COVID-19 is different, more contagious, and it is fueling a record-high wave of virus in Florida that is rapidly impacting its children.  —  Florida's plight was a top item on Thursday's agenda of the White House COVID Response Team.

Federal Judge Leaves New Eviction Moratorium in Place  —  Any stop to moratorium must come from higher court, judge says  —  WASHINGTON—A federal judge on Friday allowed the Biden administration's new eviction moratorium to remain in place, saying she didn't have authority to block it despite her misgivings about the ban's legality.

Inside Fox News, DeSantis is ‘the future of the party.’ And he's taking advantage.  —  Emails show the Florida governor is in high demand on the network — and gets his way.  —  Updated Just now  —  Early in Florida's vaccine rollout, during a period marked by confusion and images of seniors …

Evidence presented to grand jury in Durham's Russia probe  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — John Durham, the federal prosecutor tapped to investigate the origins of the Russia investigation, has been presenting evidence before a grand jury as part of his probe, a person familiar with the matter said Friday.

The Co-Founder Of The Fact-Checking Site Snopes Was Writing Plagiarized Articles Under A Fake Name  —  David Mikkelson, the co-founder of the fact-checking website Snopes, has long presented himself as the arbiter of truth online, a bulwark in the fight against rumors and fake news.

South Park Creators Trey Parker & Matt Stone Say They've Agreed To Buy Casa Bonita  —  DENVER (CBS4) - “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone told Colorado's governor they've tentatively agreed to purchase Casa Bonita, the Colorado landmark in Lakewood that is both a restaurant and a beloved small entertainment center.

New intel reports indicate fresh efforts by Russia to interfere in 2022 election  —  Washington (CNN)The Biden administration is receiving regular intelligence reports indicating Russian efforts to interfere in US elections are evolving and ongoing, current and former officials say, and in fact …

Sec. Mayorkas says border crisis ‘unsustainable’ and 'we're going to lose' in leaked audio  —  Mayorkas visited the Texas border where he announced that there were more than 212,000 migrant encounters by agents in July  —  DHS Secretary Mayorkas announces 212,672 migrant encounters in July

Don't Be a Schmuck.  Put on a Mask.  —  Earlier this week, I delivered a simple message: There is a virus here.  It kills people.  The only way you can prevent it is to get vaccinated, wear masks, and do social distancing.  —  Some people are complaining, “Well, my freedom is being kind of disturbed here.”

‘Pregnant People’ and the Erasure of Motherhood  —  This week, the Centers for Disease Control revealed its guidance on COVID vaccinations for what it called “pregnant and recently pregnant people.”  Earlier CDC guidance for pregnant women has now been altered to reflect the new dispensation …

The GOP Is Playing Itself  —  Senate Democrats barely have a majority, but they're legislating and trolling the GOP at the same time.  —  When you're a Senate staffer, you get used to long nights with silly amendments being added to bills under consideration, often sponsored by senators making posturing speeches.

27 people test positive for coronavirus on Carnival cruise ship  —  A Carnival Cruise Line ship that left from Galveston, Tex., has 27 coronavirus-positive people on board, according to the Belize Tourism Board.  The outbreak is among the highest number of publicly reported cases on a ship sailing …