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 …

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.

Federal judge in Michigan orders pro-Trump lawyers disciplined over lawsuit seeking to overturn 2020 election  —  A federal judge in Michigan has ordered that Sidney Powell, L. Lin Wood and seven other attorneys who filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the state's 2020 presidential election be disciplined …

$3.5T or bust?  Sanders goes all-out to protect Dems' social spending plans  —  Bernie Sanders is shifting into a new phase of his legacy-defining work on Democrats' $3.5 trillion spending plan: Protecting it from members of his own party and selling it to the public.

Exclusive: Police Lieutenant Who Killed January 6 Capitol Rioter Ashli Babbitt Finally Identified  —  For more than seven months, the U.S. Capitol Police officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt, an unarmed protester climbing through a broken window in a hallway of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, has remained anonymous.

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 …

Republicans Balk on the Battle for Voting Rights  —  The Party of Lincoln has made itself the party of the new Jim Crow.  —  “Old battles have become new again,” said US Representative Terri Sewell, of Alabama, as she introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act for Tuesday's essential vote in the House.

The Real Story Behind the $25,000 Trump Donation to Pam Bondi  —  When Trump used his charity to make a donation in 2013, executives claimed they didn't know the money was going to a political group.  Newly unearthed records prove otherwise.  —  It was the personally signed $25,000 check …

Vaccinated Democratic Counties Are Leading the Economic Recovery  —  With Covid-19 cases once again rising across the country, the U.S. is struggling to curb the latest, delta-driven surge, as hospitalizations and deaths have steadily climbed.  But at least so far, the economy has proved highly resilient.

Biden signs off on highest honor for Harlem Hellfighters  —  The tough-as-nails Black infantrymen that gave America's enemies hell in World War I will be awarded Congress's highest honor posthumously under a new law President Biden signed off on Wednesday.  —  The 369th Infantry Regiment …

Man who claimed to have bomb outside Capitol diagnosed with bipolar disorder  —  A man who prompted evacuations around the U.S. Capitol last week by claiming to have a bomb in his truck has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and needs more medical treatment, a court-appointed psychologist said Wednesday.

Axel Springer to Acquire POLITICO  —  Delivers on Axel Springer's growth strategy / Continuing its strategic expansion in the U.S. media market  —  BERLIN & WASHINGTON—(BUSINESS WIRE)—The publishing group Axel Springer signed an agreement to acquire POLITICO, including the remaining 50 percent share …

Maggie Haberman and the never-ending Trump story  —  NEW YORK — When the first Donald Trump story of the 2016 election cycle came her way, Maggie Haberman decided not to break it.  —  It was May 2015, and Trump adviser Sam Nunberg was helping orchestrate the imminent announcement of the reality star's candidacy.