‘This Case Was Never About Fraud’: Federal Judge Refers ‘Kraken’ Attorneys, Including Lin Wood and Sidney Powell, for ‘Possible Suspension or Disbarment’  —  A federal judge sent a strong message to each of the so-called “Kraken” lawyers behind litigation to upend the 2020 election …

In Florida, the pandemic is worse now than it has ever been before.  —  More people in Florida are catching the coronavirus, being hospitalized and dying of Covid-19 now than at any previous point in the pandemic, underscoring the perils of limiting public health measures as the Delta variant rips through the state.

A naked baby helped Nirvana sell millions of records.  Now 30, he's suing the band for ‘child pornography.’  —  Spencer Elden may very well be the most famous naked baby the world has ever seen.  —  A photo of him as an infant — submerged in water and seemingly chasing a dollar bill dangling …

Gov. Greg Abbott bans mandates on COVID-19 vaccines regardless of whether they have full FDA approval  —  The order comes two days after the FDA granted full approval to the Pfizer vaccine.  That raised questions about the fate of a previous Abbott order that prohibited vaccine mandates …

Lester Holt to interview Capitol Police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt  —  NBC News's Lester Holt will interview the Capitol Police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the network announced.  —  The interview, set to air Thursday …

Pelosi assails two lawmakers who made unauthorized trip to Kabul  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) blasted two lawmakers who surreptitiously flew into Kabul without approval to examine conditions at the international airport where a massive airlift is underway to evacuate U.S. citizens, allies and vulnerable Afghans.

Students from San Diego County school district stranded in Afghanistan  —  At least 24 students from the Cajon Valley Union School District in El Cajon and 16 parents are stranded in Afghanistan after taking a summer trip abroad.  —  They are among thousands of individuals waiting to leave …

Henry Kissinger on why America failed in Afghanistan  —  It was not possible to turn the country into a modern democracy, but creative diplomacy and force might have overcome terrorism, says the American statesman … THE TALIBAN takeover of Afghanistan focuses the immediate concern …

Fact check: Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy makes at least 5 false claims in 7-minute Fox News interview  —  This is what Trump said about US' evacuation of Afghan allies  —  Washington (CNN)House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy made at least five false claims during a seven-minute Sunday interview on Fox News.

Herschel Gets In  —  “Mr. Walker, you have admitted you carried a gun and wanted to kill a man.”  —  “Mr. Warnock, that experience led me to Jesus.  You're a minister and you tried to run over your wife.”  —  A Herschel Walker v. Raphael Warnock debate would be one for the ages and Walker wants to make it happen.

Ron DeSantis Says Biden Should Follow Florida's Lead on COVID  —  ‘GREAT SUCCESS’  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, said that President Joe Biden had failed to “end COVID,” whereas his state was experiencing “great success” in treating patients.

Prosecutor: South Dakota AG to take plea deal in fatal crash  —  PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg will avoid a trial and take a plea deal for misdemeanor traffic charges in a crash last year in which he hit and killed a man who was walking along a rural highway, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Bodies stacked to the ceiling as COVID-19 surge creates backlog at Florida funeral homes, crematories  —  WINTER GARDEN, Fla. (WESH) — At West Side Crematory in Winter Garden, they're overwhelmed with the remains of people that need to be cremated.  —  There's an influx of bodies …

At Least 250,000 Afghans Who Worked With U.S. Haven't Been Evacuated, Estimates Say  —  At least 250,000 Afghans who may be eligible for expedited American visas remain in Afghanistan, far too many for American forces to rescue before their deadline to leave next week, new estimates suggest.

Man gets 6 years in prison in Michigan governor kidnap plot  —  GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A man upset over state-ordered coronavirus restrictions was sentenced to just over six years in prison Wednesday for planning to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a significant break that reflected …

Enough is Enough: Antifa Attacks Reporter in Portland  —  Antifa's influence may be exaggerated, but it's not a mythical Snuffleupagus, either, as they showed in attacking reporter Maranie Staab from our partner News2Share this past weekend.  —  This past Sunday, while covering a protest in Portland …

The Latest G.O.P. Schism: How to Handle Afghan Evacuees  —  The resettlement of Afghan allies in the U.S. is revealing an internal divide between the party's anti-immigrant wing and other conservatives who want to help the refugees.  —  WASHINGTON — The Republican Party is united …

South Dakota Covid cases quintuple after Sturgis motorcycle rally  —  Two weeks after the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, reported Covid infections in the state have risen nearly sixfold.  —  South Dakota counted 3,819 new cases in the past two weeks, including seven deaths …

Don Lemon Reacts to Parents Ranting Against School Mask Mandates: ‘Just Because You Can Have Kids, Does Not Mean You Should.  Yeah, I Said It’  —  As children across the country start going back to school, a debate is raging in many places about whether to mandate that kids and school staff wear masks.

Gannett says political cartoon of DeSantis press secretary ‘being reviewed’ after critics accuse it of sexism  —  Christina Pushaw invoked the media company's ‘corporate social responsibility’ policy  —  Ron DeSantis fires back on media mob's failing attempt to smear him

CIA, U.S. Troops Conduct Missions Outside Kabul Airport to Extract Americans, Allies  —  Risky operations include helicopter lifts as evacuation window closes  —  WASHINGTON—The Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. military are conducting extraction operations to rescue Americans using helicopters …

Biden made the hard choice in Afghanistan, and the right one  —  Jake Auchincloss, a Marine veteran, is a Democrat representing Massachusetts's 4th district in the U.S. House of Representatives.  —  Before serving in Congress, I was an infantry platoon commander in Afghanistan's Helmand Province.

NYPD's largest police union vows to sue over possible COVID vaccine mandate  —  The Big Apple's largest police union told its members Wednesday that it would sue the city if cops are required to get the COVID-19 vaccine, The Post has learned.  —  “If the City attempts to impose a vaccine mandate …

New NY governor adds 12,000 deaths to publicized COVID tally  —  ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul promised more government transparency on her first day in office and by day's end her administration had quietly delivered it by acknowledging nearly 12,000 more deaths in the state …

Where America Lost And Gained Population Could Help Democrats In Redistricting  —  With the release of block-level data from the 2020 census, we now have a much clearer picture of how and where the U.S. population has grown — and shrunk — over the past 10 years.