'The president's decline is alarming': Biden trapped in coronavirus malaise  —  ATLANTA — In a focus group last week, Pennsylvania Democrats one after another articulated the issue vexing top White House aides, party operatives in Virginia and voters in Georgia: Why isn't President Joe Biden's diminished job rating rebounding?

White Tiger and Cheetah Furs: A Mess of Trump Gift Exchanges  —  Gift exchanges between U.S. and foreign leaders, a highly regulated process, devolved into sometimes risible shambles during the Trump administration.  —  The Saudi royal family showered Donald J. Trump and his entourage …

Two Journalists Started an Argument in Boston in 1979.  It's Not Over Yet.  —  A writer for an alt-weekly called out a Boston Globe editor for his “fealty” to the idea of objectivity in a column that reads as if it was written yesterday.  —  In 1979, two journalists got into an argument.

Biggest U.S. Retailers Charter Private Cargo Ships to Sail Around Port Delays  —  Home Depot, Costco and Walmart resort to private charters in push to stock shelves for holiday shoppers  —  Global supply-chain delays are so severe that some of the biggest U.S. retailers have resorted to an extreme …

Corey Lewandowski in Exile: Banned at Trump Properties  —  Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski is no longer allowed on Trump properties or at Trump parties after a high-profile donor accused him of sexual misconduct.  —  After a GOP donor accused Corey Lewandowski of sexual misconduct late …

Eric Clapton Isn't Just Spouting Vaccine Nonsense—He's Bankrolling It  —  Eric Clapton went from setting the standard for rock guitar to making ‘full-tilt’ racist rants to becoming an outspoken vaccine skeptic.  Did he change?  Or was he always like this?  —  Cambel McLaughlin thought he was being punked.

Celebrate Columbus's Achievements  —  We should acknowledge his flaws, but his treatment by the left is reminiscent of communist propaganda.  —  Friends, Americans, citizens of the world, lend me your ears.  I come to bury Christopher Columbus, not to praise him.

Afghan Interpreter Who Helped Rescue Joe Biden in 2008 Escapes Afghanistan  —  After a personal plea to the U.S. president, weeks in hiding and a clandestine evacuation, Aman Khalili gets out with his family  —  An Afghan interpreter who helped rescue then- Sen. Joe Biden in 2008 …

There Is Shadow Inflation Taking Place All Around Us  —  Some companies haven't been raising prices.  Instead, they've been cutting back customer services and conveniences, but how should that be measured?  —  Inflation has surged in 2021, with various official measurements of consumer prices rising faster than they have in years.

Why should Spain despise its greatest explorer?  —  Monuments to Christopher Columbus are regularly vandalized throughout the Americas, but Spain remains faithful to his memory.  Last week, I visited Seville Cathedral, where his supposed remains are carried shoulder-high by massive statues representing …

'It's Not Sustainable': What America's Port Crisis Looks Like Up Close  —  An enduring traffic jam at the Port of Savannah reveals why the chaos in global shipping is likely to persist.  —  SAVANNAH, Ga. — Like toy blocks hurled from the heavens, nearly 80,000 shipping containers are stacked …

AG Merrick Garland is at war with American families  —  Only a fool pokes a mama bear, but that's Merrick Garland for you.  —  The attorney general thought to be such a moderate that 20 Republicans confirmed his nomination turns out to be a radical ideologue hellbent on targeting President Biden's political foes.

Inside Rikers: Dysfunction, Lawlessness and Detainees in Control  —  With a staffing emergency disrupting the basic functions of the jail system, detainees have had free rein inside.  —  When a detainee decided to hijack a bus inside the Rikers Island jail complex, little was in place to stop him.

After the Taliban seized their school, Afghanistan's all-female orchestra tried to flee.  Only some escaped.  —  KABUL — The girls came from homes broken by war and poverty to chase an unimaginable future as musicians.  And with grit and determination they succeeded: Some played at Carnegie Hall.

The Left Got What It Wanted—So Now What?  —  There is no schadenfreude in seeing the Left destroy everything it touches—because its claws tear all of us as well.  —  What was the purpose for the insane opposition of the Left between 2017 and 2021?  To usher in a planned nihilism …

The Far-Right John Birch Society Wants Anti-Mask Protests to Fuel Its Comeback  —  The John Birch Society used to boost segregation.  Now it's back to attack schools over mask mandates.  —  On a sunny Saturday in a Knoxville, Tennessee park, a man with a microphone told a crowd of parents to bar entry to their children's schools.

Steven Mnuchin Stepped In to Prevent Ivanka Trump World Bank Appointment … In January 2019, Jim Yong Kim threw the global financial development sector into a state of disarray: The former academic and health official announced he would be stepping down the following month from his role …

Elect Democrats in 2022, Write Miles Taylor and Christine Todd Whitman  —  Mr. Taylor served at the Department of Homeland Security from 2017 to 2019, including as chief of staff, and was the anonymous author of a 2018 guest essay for The Times criticizing President Donald Trump's leadership.

The Biden-Harris train wreck may have its savior: 2024 GOP nominee Donald Trump  —  Former President Trump recently declared he would beat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a potential Republican primary match-up for the party's 2024 presidential nomination.  And based on current polling, he's almost certainly right.

White House throws up its hands at new questions on Hunter Biden's ‘art’ scam  —  “I'd refer to the gallerist for questions,” huffed White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki last week in non-answer to reporters asking about Hunter Biden's star-studded Los Angeles art show.

Rep. Schiff reveals impeachment regrets, tensions on Capitol Hill after insurrection  —  Nine months after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., says the Capitol is a “different place.”  —  “I think the relationships that we had with our [GOP] …

Herschel Walker off to $3.7M fundraising start in 2022 Senate race  —  Republican Herschel Walker has raised $3.7 million since launching his campaign for U.S. Senate about five weeks ago, as GOP donors came off the sidelines to support the former Georgia football star.Walker's campaign …

Liberal Democrats have become the mainstream of the party and less willing to compromise with dwindling moderates  —  Moments after President Biden instructed House Democrats to make concessions or risk derailing passage of his economic agenda, members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus hastily gathered …

Why the Latest Campus Cancellation Is Different  —  Dorian Abbot is a geophysicist at the University of Chicago.  In recognition of his research on climate change, MIT invited him to deliver the John Carlson Lecture, which takes place every year at a large venue in the Boston area and is meant to …

Bleak midterm outlook shadows bitter Democratic battle  —  The 2022 midterm elections — and the very real possibility that Democrats could be swept from their House majority — are hanging over the bitter political fight within the party over President Biden's domestic agenda.

Southwest Airlines cancels 1,800 flights, blaming weather and staffing  — Southwest has cancelled more than 1,800 flights over the weekend so far.  — The Dallas-based airline blamed the disruptions on air traffic control issues, bad weather and staffing shortfalls.

Navy Nuclear Engineer Attempted Espionage, FBI Says  —  Jonathan Toebbe and his wife tried several times to pass information on nuclear propulsion systems to a foreign government, according to a criminal complaint.  —  WASHINGTON — A nuclear engineer for the U.S. Navy and his wife …

VA Dems Want Last Minute Voting Rule Change  —  Virginia's gubernatorial contest between Republican Glenn Youngkin and Democrat Terry McAuliffe clearly has supporters of the latter worried.  Recent polls show a far tighter race than they expected.  Consequently, it was all but inevitable …