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.

Joe Rogan, A Podcasting Giant Who Has Been Dismissive of Vaccination, Has Covid  —  Joe Rogan, the host of the hugely popular podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience,” said on Wednesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus after he returned from a series of shows in Florida, where the virus is rampant.

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.

Record Rainfall Swamps Roads and Strands Travelers  —  Here's what you need to know:  —  ‘A historic weather event’: The New York area is under a state of emergency after Ida floods the city.  —  The New York area was under a state of emergency on Thursday after the remnants …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

AP sources: Intel shows extremists to attend Capitol rally  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Far right extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are planning to attend a rally later this month at the U.S. Capitol that is designed to demand “justice” for the hundreds of people who have been charged …

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.

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 …

Mueller Scrutinized an Unidentified Member of News Media in Russia Inquiry  —  The scrutiny was one of several new disclosures the Justice Department made about investigative actions involving the news media during the Trump years.  —  WASHINGTON — The special counsel who investigated …

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.

How anti-California propaganda and racism are driving the recall  —  In the summer of 2019, as early efforts to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom foundered, right-wing commentators launched a smear campaign against California to discredit its progressive policies and stoke anger at its leaders.