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 …

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.

Moderates bring House to standstill in Biden budget clash  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Confronting moderates, House Democratic leaders tried to muscle President Joe Biden's multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint over a key hurdle, working overnight to ease an intraparty showdown that risks upending their domestic infrastructure agenda.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Possible case of ‘Havana syndrome’ in Vietnam delays Vice President Harris' visit  —  Vietnam is the latest country where a mysterious incident has been reported.  —  Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to Vietnam on Tuesday was interrupted by a report of an “anomalous health incident,” …

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 …

Even Amid a Crackdown, the Proud Boys Are Still Agitating  —  At least two dozen members of the Proud Boys face federal charges in the U.S. Capitol siege.  But on Sunday, members of the group were mobilizing once again in Oregon.  —  PORTLAND, Ore. — In the months since the siege …

Elitist Democrats want you to shut up and obey  —  'We're seeing now what happens when countries tolerate authoritarians, even for a moment'  —  Tucker: You don't need a mask if you're a rich Democrat  —  Ever get the feeling we've been here before?  We have.

Giuliani associate Igor Fruman expected to plead guilty in campaign-finance case  —  NEW YORK — Igor Fruman, an associate of Rudolph W. Giuliani who aided his political activities on behalf of former president Donald Trump, is expected to plead guilty this week in connection with his indictment …

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.

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.”