Scoop: Biden bombs with Manchin  —  President Biden failed to persuade Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to agree to spending $3.5 trillion on the Democrats' budget reconciliation package during their Oval Office meeting on Wednesday, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Anthony Gonzalez, a Republican Who Voted to Impeach Trump, Won't Run in 2022  —  Representative Anthony Gonzalez, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump, is the first of the group to retire rather than face a stiff primary challenge.

Trump-Era Special Counsel Secures Indictment of Lawyer for Firm With Democratic Ties  —  The defendant, Michael Sussmann, is accused of lying to the F.B.I. in a meeting about Trump and Russia.  He denies wrongdoing.  —  WASHINGTON — A prominent cybersecurity lawyer was indicted on a charge …

The Most Important Statistic of the Biden Presidency  —  One in five hundred Americans has died in the pandemic, and Republicans are actively rooting for the country to fail.  —  President Biden is moving on.  His “summer of freedom” from covid didn't work out.

Thousands of Migrants Huddle in Squalid Conditions Under Texas Bridge  —  The temporary camp in Del Rio has grown with staggering speed in recent days during a massive surge in migration that has overwhelmed the authorities.  —  DEL RIO, Texas — Thousands of migrants were crowded under …

California Limits Single-Family Home Zoning  —  Law intended to increase housing supply and lower prices will allow duplexes on properties where one home exists  —  California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed legislation allowing the construction of duplexes on most properties with one home …

Biden approval drops to lowest of presidency - Reuters/Ipsos poll  —  Public approval of U.S. President Joe Biden has dropped to the lowest level of his presidency, with Americans appearing to be increasingly critical of his response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll.

Joe Biden's New World Order  —  A new world is beginning to take shape, even if it remains disguised in the clothes of the old.  —  The United States, Britain, and Australia have announced what is in effect a new “Anglo” military alliance.  The basics are these: In 2016 …

Troll farms reached 140 million Americans a month on Facebook before 2020 election, internal report shows  —  In the run up to the 2020 election, the most highly contested in US history, Facebook's most popular pages for Christian and Black American content were being run by Eastern European troll farms.

Justice Thomas defends the Supreme Court's independence and warns of ‘destroying our institutions’  —  SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Justice Clarence Thomas defended the independence of the Supreme Court on Thursday and warned against “destroying our institutions because they don't give us what we want, when we want it.”

Pandemic politics fuel long-shot Republican challenges to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott … Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has $55 million banked for his re-election campaign, a 73 percent approval rating among Republicans, and an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.

The Jennifer Rubin WH symbiosis  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With Allie Bice  —  Before Washington Post columnist JENNIFER RUBIN became one of the most reliable defenders of the Biden administration …

Google and Apple Remove App Aimed at Spurring Protest Voting in Russia  —  The app, from the Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, vanished from online stores as polls opened in the parliamentary election it was designed to sway.  —  MOSCOW — An app designed by Russian activists …

Trump gave six months extra Secret Service protection to his kids, three officials.  It cost taxpayers $1.7 million.  —  In June, former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin visited Israel to scout investments for his new company, then flew to Qatar for a conference.  At the time, Mnuchin had been out of office for five months.

Idaho expands Crisis Standards of Care statewide due to surge in COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization  —  The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) has activated Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) in accordance with IDAPA 16.02.09 - Crisis Standards of Care For Healthcare Entities.

Trump endorsements stoke dissension in GOP ranks  —  Staten Island borough president.  Michigan state Senate.  Arizona secretary of state.  —  Donald Trump is endorsing candidates in party primary elections all the way down the ballot, a level of involvement that's virtually unheard of among recent former presidents.