Oklahoma congressman threatened embassy staff as he tried to enter Afghanistan, U.S. officials say  —  The call to the U.S. ambassador to Tajikistan came in Monday.  On the line, two U.S. officials said, was Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) with an unusual and urgent request …

Texas's six-week abortion ban takes effect, after Supreme Court doesn't act to block it  —  A Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy went into effect Wednesday, as a midnight deadline for the Supreme Court to stop it came and went without action.

Rural Oregon school superintendent fired after enforcing state mask mandate  —  ADRIAN - Kevin Purnell was fired Monday as superintendent of the Adrian School District just one week after students returned to school.  —  The Adrian School Board, convening in an emotionally charged special meeting …

Fort Walton Beach Man Faces Federal Indictment For $25 Million Scheme To Defraud  —  PENSACOLA, FLORIDA - Stephen M. Alford, 62, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury on counts of wire fraud and the attempted prevention of seizure of an electronic device …

NPR Trashes Free Speech.  A Brief Response  —  In an irony only public radio could miss, “On the Media” hosts an hour on the perils of “free speech absolutism” without interviewing a defender of free speech.  —  The guests for NPR's just-released On The Media episode about the dangers …

Al Leiter, John Smoltz won't appear at MLB Network studios after refusing vaccine  —  Hall of Famer John Smoltz and former Met and Yankee Al Leiter will no longer appear in-studio for MLB Network after refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine, The Post has learned.

McCarthy threatens companies that comply with Jan. 6 probe's phone records requests  —  Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday threatened to use a future GOP majority to punish companies that comply with the House's Jan. 6 investigators, warning that “a Republican majority will not forget.”

Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal could've gone so differently  —  For the last few weeks, Americans have been struggling to understand how, after 20 years of war and occupation and historic levels of foreign investment in Afghanistan, the Taliban were able to seize control of the country …

‘We Feel His Presence in the Department Is Threatening’  —  State employees protest the continued employment of an “antisemitic” blogger in their ranks.  —  A group of more than 70 State Department officials sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken voicing alarm about …

Wealthy GOP donors flock to DeSantis as presidential speculation swirls  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has cemented himself as the face of GOP opposition to anti-Covid-19 mandates — a position that is winning over not only rank-and-file voters ahead of the 2024 presidential primaries …

Paul Ryan says former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election  —  The former speaker says he doesn't see himself on a ballot anytime soon  —  Former House Speaker Paul Ryan told WISN 12 News on Monday there should be no question that President Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election.

The Trump News Show Is Over and We're All Healthier For It  —  The all-you-can-eat Trump buffet is gone.  But have we learned to stay away?  —  A newsstand in Seattle.  Alan Berner/The Seattle Times via AP  —  What have you been doing with your time?  The numbers tell us …

A Republican's Friendly Advice to Democrats On How Not to Screw Up Their Agenda  —  Democrats finally have power.  So of course they're squabbling over what to do with it.  —  Lately, the drama has centered on the group of moderate House Democrats who threatened to tank approval …

What Dr. Leana Wen's improbable journey says about our country  —  Until I picked up her recently published memoir, I knew Dr. Leana Wen pretty much the way most readers of The Post do: as a source of medical expertise and common sense whose columns and newsletter have been invaluable during the most serious pandemic of our lifetimes.