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 …

Newsom's Anti-Trump Recall Strategy Offers Republicans a Warning for 2022  —  California Democrats were able to nationalize the vote — thanks to an avalanche of money, party discipline and, above all, an easily demonized opponent.  —  SAN LEANDRO, Calif. — California basks in its clairvoyance.

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.

Capitol Police officers face discipline for photos with rioters  —  A Capitol Police officer facing disciplinary action told investigators that he posed for a photo with a suspect during the Jan. 6 riot in order to identify him later.  —  But the officer never shared that plan with his supervisor …

Maverick Dem senators meeting with Biden on spending plan  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden planned meetings Wednesday with a pair of moderate Democratic senators whose objections to the size of a proposed, huge package of social and environment initiatives have thrown serious obstacles in its path.

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 …

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.

This is how a Republican lie is born  —  This is what happens when an entire political party takes leave of reality.  —  On Tuesday morning, one of the most senior and important Republican senators used one of the most prominent settings in official Washington to level one of the most serious …

POLITICO Playbook: Scoop: Grisham texts cast doubt on book claim  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  NOT A SHOCKER: Calif. Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM crushed the recall attempt by a nearly 2-to 1 margin.  The coverage: David Siders and Carla Marinucci with how he did it. ...  AP's Nick Riccardi with 5 takeaways …

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.

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 …

Ministers granted border exemptions to attend urgent meeting in Canberra  —  Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text size  —  Several federal cabinet ministers were called to a top-secret meeting in Canberra on Wednesday ahead of a major international development expected out of the United States on Thursday morning.

ABC News Staffer Claims Network Retaliated After She Filed Sexual-Assault Complaint  —  The claim from a producer on ‘Good Morning America’ comes in an amended version of her lawsuit against the network and her former boss  —  An ABC News staffer claimed the network retaliated …

The Guardian proclaims Anthony Fauci as ‘sexiest man alive’  —  MORE ON:  —  Dr. Anthony Fauci was dubbed the “sexiest man alive” by The Guardian newspaper, prompting some on social media to question whether the British daily had shifted to satire.  —  Fauci, 80, was given the unofficial title …

The UAE's Machiavellian journey from ‘Little Sparta’ to ‘Little Singapore’  —  Though it's easy to miss amid the turmoil in Afghanistan, there's a new trend of de-escalation in global foreign policy — symbolized by the country that once was seen as “Little Sparta,” the United Arab Emirates.

Whip Count: The Democrats Who Support the Progressive Reconciliation Strategy  —  A running tally of the lawmakers who have—and have not—committed to withhold their votes on the bipartisan infrastructure bill in favor of robust budget reconciliation  —  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi …

Taxing Wealth Is a Fool's Errand  —  “TAX THE RICH,” blared the red lettering on the back of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's white evening gown at last night's Met Gala, the word “RICH” lettered impudently across her rump.  Yes, but how?  The lead story in Tuesday's New York Times …