Times Investigation: In U.S. Drone Strike, Evidence Suggests No ISIS Bomb  —  U.S. officials said a Reaper drone followed a car for hours and then fired based on evidence it was carrying explosives.  But in-depth video analysis and interviews at the site cast doubt on that account.

Biden's Sweeping Vaccine Mandates Infuriate Republican Governors  —  Some employers and business groups welcomed the new coronavirus requirements, but many G.O.P. leaders issued outright condemnations.  —  President Biden's orders pushing millions of workers to get vaccinated were aimed …

Biden, Obama, Clinton mark 9/11 in NYC with display of unity  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Three presidents and their wives stood somberly side by side at the National September 11 Memorial, sharing a moment of silence to mark the anniversary of the nation's worst terror attack with a display of unity.

Salesforce offers to relocate employees and their families after Texas abortion law goes into effect  — Salesforce committed to helping employees and their families relocate if they're concerned about the ability to seek reproductive care, after a Texas abortion law went into effect.

U.S. could authorize Pfizer COVID-19 shot for kids age 5-11 in October -sources  —  Top U.S. health officials believe that Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) COVID-19 vaccine could be authorized for children aged 5-11 years old by the end of October, two sources familiar with the situation said on Friday.

Biden knows his vax mandates are unconstitutional — but just doesn't care  —  Clearly, President Joe Biden is not chastened by the Supreme Court smackdown he got just a couple of weeks ago, when the justices invalidated the eviction moratorium that even administration officials acknowledge …

20 Years On, the War on Terror Grinds Along, With No End in Sight  —  The failures in Iraq and Afghanistan obscure the striking success of a multilateral effort that extends to as many as 85 countries.  —  When President Biden told an exhausted nation on Aug. 31 that the last C-17 cargo plane …

A convoy to the Kabul airport, hostile Taliban and the faint hope that the gates to escape would swing open … A month before the Taliban seized Kabul, a letter appeared on the doorstep of Sara Qaderi's home in the city.  The militants knew she was working for a U.S.-funded research program, the letter stated.

Unvaccinated People Are 11 Times More Likely To Die Of COVID-19, New Research Finds  —  Unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those who are fully vaccinated, new research has found, bolstering evidence that the inoculations continue to provide powerful protection, even against the delta variant.

EXCERPT: On 9/11, reporting from Taliban-controlled Kabul  —  The following account from Kathy Gannon, now news director for Afghanistan and Pakistan for The Associated Press, is excerpted from the book “September 11: The 9/11 Story, Aftermath and Legacy,” an in-depth look at AP's coverage of 9/11 and the events that followed.

Sister of NYC firefighter who died on 9/11 calls for ‘resolution’ in Gitmo trial 20 years later  —  GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — The sister of a New York firefighter who died in World Trade Center while trying to help people escape in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks told the story of her brother's heroism …

Newsom's rebound papers over broader trouble for Democrats  —  President Joe Biden's Monday campaign event with California Gov. Gavin Newsom will be a meeting of two Democrats whose fortunes are careening in opposite directions.  —  For Newsom, the past six weeks have been a resurgence after finding his political career on the ropes.

A secretive Pentagon program that started on Trump's last day in office just ended.  The mystery has not.  —  Control of a remarkable 6 percent of the Internet was handed over to a Florida company as part of a cybersecurity pilot project.  Now the Pentagon has taken all 175 million IP address spaces back.

Affidavit: Texas man murdered woman, shot her husband, because they voted for Biden  —  Suspect claimed pro-choice advocates are members of ‘Jewish Satanist Party’ who sacrifice children  —  EL PASO, Texas (KWTX & CBS Newspath) - Police in West Texas this week arrested Joseph Angel Alvarez …

BinaxNow vs. Ellume: Why one rapid COVID test seems to be sold out everywhere  —  At-home tests are hard to find in the Bay Area.  Here's what to look for, and where  —  Rapid at-home antigen tests have become convenient tools for people hoping to quickly determine whether their cold symptoms are COVID-19.

US Forces Were Training the Guinean Soldiers Who Took Off to Stage a Coup  —  American military officials have denounced the ouster of a president in West Africa, and said they had no warning of what their students were planning.  —  NAIROBI, Kenya — American Green Berets were training local forces …

By Ana Ceballos Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau  —  Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration won approval on Friday to reinstate a hold on a Leon County judge's ruling that said the state could not enforce a ban on strict mask mandates in schools, as the court battle continues.

Judge Refuses to Let Jacob Chansley Out of Jail Ahead of Sentencing, Calls Him a ‘Mascot’ for QAnon and ‘Hopes’ He's Really Had a Change of Heart  —  The federal judge who has presided over Jacob Chansley's criminal case doesn't appear to be entirely convinced that the so-called “QAnon Shaman” …

School Is Back and the Covid Rules Keep Changing: 'It's as Chaotic as You Can Get.'  —  Delta variant compels districts to rethink their strategies on everything from vaccines to lunch  —  In Dallas public schools, mandatory temperature checks are out, while mask requirements are in.