Trump played tough with Putin when cameras were around, but a new book details his insecurities  —  Little is known about what happened in the 90-minute conversation between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Osaka, Japan, two years ago.

‘Speed equals safety’: Inside the Pentagon's controversial decision to leave Bagram early  —  On a rainy day in early May, weeks after President Joe Biden announced the U.S. exit from Afghanistan, senior leaders from across the government gathered in the basement of the Pentagon …

131 Federal Judges Broke the Law by Hearing Cases Where They Had a Financial Interest  —  The judges failed to recuse themselves from 685 lawsuits from 2010 to 2018 involving firms in which they or their family held shares, a Wall Street Journal investigation found

Deadline Looming, Thousands of Health Care Workers in New York Get Vaccinated  —  Though many hospital and nursing home employees remain unvaccinated, officials say worst-case staffing shortages seem less likely.  —  When New York State officials issued a sweeping coronavirus vaccine mandate …

Byron York's Daily Memo: The Democratic cave begins  —  Welcome to Byron York's Daily Memo newsletter.  —  Was this email forwarded to you?  Sign up here to receive the newsletter.  —  THE DEMOCRATIC CAVE BEGINS.  Remember when President Joe Biden stunned the political world by threatening …

Pass the damn infrastructure bill, dammit  —  Then pass the reconciliation bill, then pass another bill...  I am annoyed at the way Democrats are handling the two spending bills now moving through Congress.  When the bipartisan infrastructure deal passed the Senate, I assumed it was a done deal …

Youngkin caught saying he ‘can remove’ Virginia vaccine requirement ‘on Day One’  —  In an exclusive video, Republican Virginia gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin said he could eliminate the state's COVID-19 safety measures for state employees if elected.  —  The Republican candidate …

NY Times' cluelessness is wrecking journalism  —  I know, I know, you're probably sick of “anniversary journalism,” but it must be noted that this week marked the 32nd anniversary of Billy Joel's last big hit, the unforgettable “We Didn't Start the Fire.”  I'm thinking there's plenty of material …

Facebook's Effort to Attract Preteens Goes Beyond Instagram Kids, Documents Show  —  It has investigated how to engage young users in response to competition from Snapchat, TikTok; ‘Exploring playdates as a growth lever’  —  Facebook Inc. has come under increasing fire in recent days …

We've reached the ‘Red Covid’ phase of the pandemic  —  (CNN)In his victory speech after the 2020 election, Joe Biden said this: “I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify.  Who doesn't see red and blue states, but a United States.”  —  Roughly nine months into his presidency …

Restaurant Review: Eleven Madison Park's Vegan Menu  —  Now vegan, Daniel Humm's acclaimed restaurant does strange things to vegetables.  —  8 PhotosView Slide Show  —  ›  —  Daniel Krieger for The New York Times … When you make a reservation at an independently reviewed restaurant through …

Kyrie Irving wants to leave a legacy.  With his stance on vaccination, he just might.  —  Kyrie Irving is too smart for you.  He's so smart, he can outwit germs and governments.  He's so smart, you can't understand a word he's saying.  That's how smart he is.

The Age of Progressive Misinformation  —  The vicious lie that mounted border agents whipped Haitians is only the latest entry in progressives' vast trove of propaganda.  —  How does a stupid and ridiculous lie come to be embraced and promulgated by top officials of the United States government?

Trump's spiteful support for Abrams over Kemp sparks midterms fear from Georgia Republicans  —  (CNN)Donald Trump is escalating his fight against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, and state Republicans fear it will give Democrats a stronger foothold in the key swing state as next year's midterm elections loom.

Marine officer who blasted leaders over Afghanistan withdrawal now in the brig  —  “All our son did is ask the questions that everybody was asking themselves, but they were too scared to speak out loud.”  —  Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, the Marine officer whose meteoric rise to internet fandom began …

We Underestimated Trump Before.  It Didn't Go Well.  —  Sometimes, and much to our detriment, we find real events are simply too outlandish to take seriously.  —  Many professional Republicans, for example, initially dismissed the movement to “Stop the Steal” as a ridiculous stunt.

As Trump hints at 2024 comeback, democracy advocates fear a ‘worst-case scenario’ for the country  —  A year before the 2020 election, about two dozen constitutional scholars and democracy advocates traveled to Washington to work through a range of scenarios where something goes awry on Election Day.

‘Mad Dash’: Trump's demand for a Texas ‘audit’ caught Gov. Abbott off guard  —  Donald Trump's letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott demanding he pursue an “audit” of the 2020 election set off a “mad dash” in the governor's office as aides sought to figure out just how serious the former president was …

Another Defeat for Election Truthers  —  Once again, an investigation into the claim that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” has revealed nothing that changes the outcome.  Once again, this has made no difference whatsoever to those who demanded that such an investigation be conducted …

She Was Walking Home: How Sarah Everard's Murder Revealed Feminism's Fault Lines  —  The disappearance and murder of a young British woman, whose killer will be sentenced this week, unleashed a torrent of anger—and exposed deep rifts in feminist approaches to criminal justice.

How the Christian right embraced voter suppression  —  Abortion isn't the only victory conservative evangelicals have won in 2021. … For decades, the Christian-right foot soldiers who form the backbone of the Republican Party have regularly and enthusiastically showed up for legislative battles …