CIA Director William Burns held secret meeting in Kabul with Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar  —  CIA Director William J. Burns held a secret meeting in Kabul on Monday with the Taliban's de facto leader Abdul Ghani Baradar in the highest-level face-to-face encounter between the Taliban …

Rep. Stephanie Murphy: We need infrastructure funding now  —  Those of us who call Central Florida home know — and the census just confirmed — that our region is growing rapidly.  It makes me proud that so many people want to live here.  But the dramatic population increase is outpacing efforts …

Proud Boys leader Henry ‘Enrique’ Tarrio sentenced to five months in jail  —  Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, a national leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right group with a history of violence, was sentenced Monday to five months in jail for two crimes, including setting fire to a stolen Black Lives …

Maryland's Kimberly Klacik sues conservative commentator Candace Owens for defamation, asks for $20 million in damages  —  Kimberly Klacik, a former Republican congressional candidate in Maryland, is suing conservative commentator Candace Owens for $20 million in damages over an Instagram video Owens …

Republican Lobbyist Barry Bennett Comes Under DOJ Scrutiny  —  One-time Trump campaign adviser faces probe into whether he set up an undisclosed lobbying effort to embarrass Qatar's adversaries, people familiar with the matter say  —  WASHINGTON—Federal prosecutors are investigating Barry Bennett …

Conservative Bill Kristol endorses McAuliffe in race for Virginia governor  —  RICHMOND — Bill Kristol is just like all the other disaffected Virginia Republicans whom gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin needs to win over, only famous.  —  The longtime conservative commentator …

Monsoon Rains Just Washed Away Trump's ‘Impenetrable’ Border Wall  —  Photos show rusted steel border bollards along the Arizona border ripped from their hinges by the recent rains.  —  JE  —  Monsoon rainfall in southeast Arizona damaged sections of the multi-billion dollar border wall whose construction …

300 recall ballots, drugs, multiple driver's licenses found in vehicle of passed out felon: Torrance police  —  Torrance police are investigating the discovery of hundreds of recall election ballots in a vehicle where a felon was found passed out with drugs, a loaded firearm and multiple driver's licenses …

With Pfizer's FDA approval, employers should now require COVID-19 vaccinations  —  Only through compulsory vaccination will America accomplish the monumental task in front of us - getting to herd immunity.  —  The Editorial BoardUSA TODAY  —  Full FDA approval was announced Monday for Pfizer's BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination.

Hawaii governor tells tourists to stay home as coronavirus surges across islands  —  Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) is telling tourists to stay away from the islands amid a surge in COVID-19 infections.  —  In a news conference on Monday, Ige encouraged visitors and residents to reduce travel to essential business activities.

Mark Sanford calls Graham ‘a canary in the coalmine’ on GOP's relationship with Trump  —  Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is a “canary in the coalmine” when it comes to the GOP's relationship with former President Trump, contending that the senator “has a good political nose for his base.”

He Walks the Line  —  More than 20 years ago, I sat down to talk with a Black cop from New York City.  He had a weightlifter's powerful hands, a quick-trigger tongue, and a scar on the back of his shaved head from his days in a youth gang.  —  At the time, the relationship between police officers and Black residents was raw.

Vax mandates are a cruel stick to beat people with.  They will tear us apart  —  Vaccine-passport requirements have come to Gotham.  Restaurants have started asking patrons to see their vaccination cards along with IDs to dine inside.  Starting Sept. 13, restaurants, museums and certain …

Arizona's sham election ‘audit’ report delayed after Cyber Ninjas CEO and others test positive for Covid-19  —  (CNN)The report detailing the findings of contractors who conducted Arizona's sham “audit” of last year's election results — which had been expected Monday …

Cuomo commutes sentence of radical who took part in '81 robbery  —  David Gilbert, imprisoned for four decades, can take case to parole board  —  ALBANY — Just hours before leaving office, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo granted clemency to five men, including the commutation of the 75-years …

Devin Nunes lawsuit against GOP strategist dismissed in VA |  The Fresno Bee  —  A Virginia judge has dismissed the second of two lawsuits California Rep. Devin Nunes filed against a Republican political strategist who he claimed spread defamatory information about him leading up to his 2018 reelection campaign.

Harris Trip to Vietnam Delayed by ‘Health Incident’ in Hanoi  — Vice president traveling to Hanoi in next leg of Asia visit  — Trip comes amid questions on U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan  —  Vice President Kamala Harris departed Singapore more than three hours late on Tuesday …

Second resident of Nebraska's one-person town just a figment of Census Bureau's imagination  —  The only resident of Nebraska's only one-person town was surprised when she heard the news.  —  The U.S. Census Bureau was reporting Monowi's population had exploded by 100% and was now home to two people …

Where Is the Anti-Biden Tea Party?  —  An analysis of crowd events shows the president hasn't yet drawn the protests that Barack Obama and Donald Trump faced.  —  Barack Obama had been president for only a few months when the Tea Party roared onto the American political scene.