Texas law could flip script on abortion politics, with Democrats eying gains  —  WASHINGTON — Virginia was once at the forefront of anti-abortion efforts, going to the Supreme Court to defend its right to prosecute a newspaper publisher for running an ad promoting abortion.

The Harms of Masking Young Students Are Real  —  Scientists have an obligation to strive for honesty.  And on the question of whether kids should wear masks in schools—particularly preschools and elementary schools—here is what I conclude: The potential educational harms of mandatory-masking policies …

Heeding Steve Bannon's Call, Election Deniers Organize to Seize Control of the GOP — and Reshape America's Elections  —  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.  Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published.

Day After Record Rainfall, a Trail of Destruction  —  Rescues continued and bodies were retrieved from flooded basement apartments.  Our reporters and photographers are sending in live updates.  —  RIGHT NOW Philadelphia is inundated by floodwaters as Ida leaves a trail of destruction in the Mid-Atlantic.

China bans men it sees as not masculine enough from TV  —  BEIJING (AP) — China's government banned effeminate men on TV and told broadcasters Thursday to promote “revolutionary culture,” broadening a campaign to tighten control over business and society and enforce official morality.

The effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom is struggling, new California poll shows  —  Most likely California voters are opposed to the Republican-led recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom and a growing number fear the consequences of removing him from office with a hard-right conservative best positioned …

Cotton leads Senate GOP push on Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal  —  Senate Republicans are pressing President Joe Biden to account for how many Americans, green card holders and special immigrant visa applicants remain in Afghanistan after the U.S. completed its withdrawal earlier this week.

De Blasio sees hope in gubernatorial field as he faces political wilderness  —  Bill de Blasio, a career politician and operative, was facing the prospect of life outside public office for the first time in two decades.  —  Then came the downfall of his archnemesis, Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Prosecutors say Jan. 6 rioters committed roughly 1,000 assaults on federal officers  —  Prosecutors say rioters committed roughly 1,000 assaults on federal officers during the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.  —  In a court filing Wednesday, federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C. …

Liz Cheney named vice chair of the January 6 select committee  —  (CNN)Democratic Chairman of the January 6 Select Committee Bennie Thompson announced on Thursday that Republican Rep. Liz Cheney will become the panel's vice chair, the latest sign that the Democrat-run committee is attempting …

“2016 on Steroids”: The Race to Inherit Trump's MAGA Base Is Already On—And the Knives Are Out  —  With the 2024 election in sight, Republican presidential contenders such as Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz, and Mike Pompeo have begun racing each other to the bottom to claim the party's base.

Woman hurls racist slurs at Jefferson Parish workers, aims car at deputy, is shot dead  —  'There didn't seem to be a whole lot right with her,' sheriff says  —  A crew of Jefferson Parish workers was repairing a Metairie water main broken by Hurricane Ida when a woman pulled up in her car Wednesday, called them “f—

The election gambit that's sending Georgia Democrats into a frenzy  —  Georgia Republicans say it's merely an attempt to improve a chronically mismanaged elections administration.  —  But a newly-formed election review panel in Atlanta's Fulton County is nevertheless sparking outrage …

Biden's Job Approval Has Entered Dangerous Territory  —  ANALYSIS  —  In 1880, Americans did something momentous: They all elected their congressional delegations in the same year.  Prior to that, elections had been a hodgepodge affair.  For example, the first elections for the 28th Congress …

A hurricane of misinformation on climate change  —  Before Hurricane Ida even had the chance to dissipate into Tropical Storm Ida, Democratic politicians were already on Twitter using the natural disaster to score political points.  —  Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was typical …

Israeli coronavirus vaccine booster data gives the U.S. hope  —  Preliminary Israeli data shows that coronavirus booster shots quickly spike a person's protection against both severe disease and infection, suggesting that the additional shots could help blunt the virus' spread in the U.S. — although it's very unclear how much.

We Work at the A.C.L.U. Here's What We Think About Vaccine Mandates.  —  Mr. Cole is the national legal director of the A.C.L.U., and Mr. Mach is the director of its Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief.  —  Do vaccine mandates violate civil liberties?  Some who have refused vaccination claim as much.

Australia Traded Away Too Much Liberty  —  How long can a democracy maintain emergency restrictions and still call itself a free country? … In a bid to keep the coronavirus out of the country, Australia's federal and state governments imposed draconian restrictions on its citizens.