Let's Not Pretend That the Way We Withdrew From Afghanistan Was the Problem  —  In 2005, my colleagues at The American Prospect, Sam Rosenfeld and Matt Yglesias, wrote an essay I think about often.  It was called “The Incompetence Dodge,” and it argued that American policymakers …

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.

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.

$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.

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 …

The New Chief Chaplain at Harvard?  An Atheist.  —  The elevation of Greg Epstein, author of “Good Without God,” reflects a broader trend of young people who increasingly identify as spiritual but religiously nonaffiliated.  —  The Puritan colonists who settled in New England in the 1630s …

Why the Media is Worse for Biden Than Trump  —  Over the last week, the media has hammered Joe Biden with relentlessly critical coverage of his pullout from Afghanistan, resulting in noticeable drops in his approval ratings.  Put aside for a moment whether this reflects failures by Biden or biases by the media.

‘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 …

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 …

Hunter Biden Art Dealer Served Jail Time and Allegedly Defrauded Investor  —  White House tapped Georges Bergès to vet art sales for ethical conflicts  —  The art dealer who the White House has tapped to vet Hunter Biden's art sales for ethical conflicts was sentenced to three months …

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 …

OnlyFans Drops Planned Porn Ban, Will Continue to Allow Sexually Explicit Content … OnlyFans dropped plans to ban pornography from its service, less than a week after the U.K. content-creator subscription site had announced the change citing the need to comply with policies of banking partners.