Mark Milley's crisis  —  When Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley goes before Congress on Sept. 28, he may face some of the most hostile questioning of any modern four-star general.  —  Driving the news: Newly released excerpts from “Peril” by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa …

Frustrated California Voters May Have Lost The Recall, But The War On Newsom Isn't Over  —  Some California residents were stunned, but others said they are determined to use the power they amassed to create the recall to keep fighting to hold the governor accountable for his tyranny.

Paranoia and accusations cloud efforts to launch ‘Justice for January 6’ rally  —  The extremist forums that cheered on the Jan. 6 Capitol attack have soured on the planned Saturday rally in Washington, insisting without evidence that the event is a secret government plot to arrest more people involved in the riot.

How Kathleen Rice Is Threatening the Biden Agenda  —  Rice and two other House Democrats oppose aggressive drug price reform, which provides the budget savings available to fuel spending in the Build Back Better Act.  —  Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY) speaking at a press conference in June

Facebook Tried to Make Its Platform a Healthier Place.  It Got Angrier Instead.  —  Internal memos show how a big 2018 change rewarded outrage and that CEO Mark Zuckerberg resisted proposed fixes  —  In the fall of 2018, Jonah Peretti, chief executive of online publisher BuzzFeed …

Gymnasts testify as Congress investigates FBI's handling of Larry Nassar sexual abuse case  —  A report said the FBI made “fundamental” errors in the investigation.  —  By Katie Kindelan via  —  U.S. elite gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman are testifying …

Nearly 7 In 10 Say Recent Rise In COVID-19 Deaths Was Preventable, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Job Approval For Supreme Court Drops To All-Time Low  — mail_outline  —  With the number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States now topping 650,000, an overwhelmingly majority …

CNN Poll: Most Americans feel democracy is under attack in the US  —  (CNN)Most Americans feel democracy is under attack in this country (56%), according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS, as 51% say it is likely that elected officials in the US will successfully overturn the results …

The pandemic marks another grim milestone: 1 in 500 Americans have died of covid-19  —  At a certain point, it was no longer a matter of if the United States would reach the gruesome milestone of 1 in 500 people dying of covid-19, but a matter of when.  A year?  Maybe 15 months?  The answer: 19 months.

On papal flight, Pope Francis tackles debate over Communion for politicians who support abortion  —  Pope Francis said Wednesday that the Catholic Church is firm in its stance on abortion because “abortion is murder,” and urged priests to be pastoral rather than political when faced with the question of who can receive Communion.

Josh Hawley, Clownish Menace  —  Hawley is a hypocrite and an opportunist, and now he has shown himself to be the lowest kind of demagogue.  —  Josh Hawley is a clownish menace: … Hawley is a hypocrite and an opportunist, and now he has shown himself to be the lowest kind of demagogue.

Mercer family played bigger role in 2020 election than thought, giving nearly $20 million to dark money GOP fund  — The wealthy family led by Robert and Rebekah Mercer invested nearly $20 million last year into a dark money fund that allows donors to keep secret the ultimate destination of their contributions.

A Boy Went to a COVID-Swamped ER.  He Waited for Hours.  Then His Appendix Burst.  —  Non-COVID patients are paying a price as the delta variant and low-vaccination rates overwhelm hospitals across the country.  “Wait times can now be measured in days,” said an expert.  —  Coronavirus

Federal judge denies Trump's request to stop E. Jean Carroll lawsuit from moving forward  —  (CNN)A federal judge overseeing columnist E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit against former President Donald Trump has denied Trump's request to stop the case from moving forward as they await an appeals court decision.

This pastor will sign a religious exemption for vaccines if you donate to his church  —  A pastor is encouraging people to donate to his Tulsa church so they can become an online member and get his signature on a religious exemption from coronavirus vaccine mandates.

Former Client Charged With Shooting Alex Murdaugh in ‘Assisted Suicide’ Attempt  —  The former client was arrested after Mr. Murdaugh survived being shot in the head on a rural South Carolina road.  Mr. Murdaugh's wife and son had been fatally shot in June.

Unredacted Pompeo whistleblower complaint reveals new allegations … A State Department whistleblower accused former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his staff of a litany of misconduct in 2019, according to newly unredacted records obtained by CREW.  The alleged misconduct included false …

1 in 500 US residents has died of Covid-19  —  'It's bad to the bone': Unvaccinated man describes Covid-19 fight  —  (CNN)The United States has reached another grim milestone in its fight against the devastating Covid-19 pandemic: 1 in 500 Americans have died from coronavirus since the nation's first reported infection.

Afghanistan: Taliban leaders in bust-up at presidential palace, sources say  —  A major row broke out between leaders of the Taliban just days after they set up a new government in Afghanistan, senior Taliban officials told the BBC.  —  Supporters of two rival factions reportedly brawled …

Once again, the GOP's answer is ‘no.’ Democrats should take it and run.  —  Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) in a statement on Tuesday announced a compromise voting reform bill supported by Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine (Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Manchin III (W.Va.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.) …