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.

How Facebook Hobbled Mark Zuckerberg's Bid to Get America Vaccinated  —  Company documents show antivaccine activists undermined the CEO's ambition to support the rollout by flooding the site and using Facebook's own tools to sow doubt about the Covid-19 vaccine

Milley: Calls to China were ‘perfectly’ within scope of job  —  ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The top U.S. military officer said Friday that calls he made to his Chinese counterpart in the final stormy months of Donald Trump's presidency were “perfectly within the duties and responsibilities” of his job.

McConnell's final remark to Trump was ‘you lost the election’ as the defeated president railed at him for not embracing the Big Lie: book  — McConnell's final remark to Trump was, “You lost the election,” according to a new book.  — Trump has railed against McConnell for not embracing …

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.

Australian PM rejects Chinese criticism of nuclear sub deal  —  CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday rejected Chinese criticism of Australia's new nuclear submarine alliance with the United States and said he doesn't mind that President Joe Biden might have forgotten his name.

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.

U.S. to Target Crypto Ransomware Payments With Sanctions  —  Biden administration hopes to disrupt digital finance infrastructure that facilitates ransomware cyber attacks, a national security threat traced to Russia  —  The Biden administration is preparing an array of actions …

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.”

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

Trump endorsements jolt GOP races  —  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.

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.

Georgia criminal probe into Trump's attempts to overturn 2020 election quietly moves forward  —  Trump singled out election official.  Hear the horrific voicemails he received  —  (CNN)As Donald Trump returns to Georgia later this month, criminal investigators in the state …

Even Republicans Don't Believe Their Arguments Against Biden's Vaccine Mandate  —  Republicans have declared war on President Joe Biden's plan to mandate vaccinations against the coronavirus.  They say Biden's plan—which covers federal workers, health care workers, government contractors …

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 …

‘Tax the rich?’  Sorry, AOC, but we already do  —  When Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted a photo of her unmasked self wearing a white dress marked with “TAX THE RICH” in blood-red letters, she at least made sure to praise the help — her dressmaker, who of course was there with her in the photo, wearing a mask.

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.

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 …

MY HUSBAND'S A VACCINATED DOCTOR.  HERE'S WHY I'M NOT GETTING A COVID SHOT  —  It's quite clear major health institutions might not have my unborn daughter's best interests at heart, and may give advice accordingly.

The Filibuster's Fate Is Already Decided.  Just Look To The 2022 Democratic Senate Candidates.  —  Democratic candidates trying to take Senate seats support changing the filibuster in some way.  —  The Senate's filibuster rules requiring 60 votes to start or end debate on most legislation …

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 …

Rep. Susie Lee, a Democrat from Nevada, failed to properly disclose stock trades worth as much as $3.3 million  — Lee was late disclosing more than 200 stock trades since the beginning of 2020.  — Many trades were a few days late, while some were tardy by weeks.

Dem Budget Would Hand Out Cash to Students at Tuition-Free Colleges  —  The Democratic plan for free community college also throws in up to nearly $7,000 in cash for students who qualify for a Pell grant.  —  A portion of Biden's $3.5 trillion spending plan would create a federal program …

Occupy Ten Years On: An Interview With Winnie Wong  —  Talking with the veteran organizer and Bernie Sanders campaign staffer about the quiet revolution that started a decade ago in Zuccotti Park  —  Occupy Wall Street protesters join a labor union rally in Foley Square before marching …

Many in Rural Afghanistan Welcome an Unfamiliar Peace After Taliban Victory  —  While Taliban rule prompted an exodus from Kabul, many in villages ravaged by war express relief that killings, destruction have stopped  —  BARAKI BARAK, Afghanistan—In one of the last night raids of the Afghan war …