Exclusive audio: Trump defends threats to “hang” Pence  —  Former President Trump — in a taped interview with Jonathan Karl of ABC News that was shared with Axios — defended, quite extensively, supporters who threatened to “hang” former Vice President Mike Pence.

Judge in Kyle Rittenhouse trial makes inappropriate Asian food joke  —  (CNN)The judge presiding over the homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse confused observers after making a strange and off-color joke inside the courtroom on Thursday.  —  “I hope the Asian food isn't coming …

POLITICO Playbook: Trump sours on DeSantis  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  TODAY'S MUST-READ — “The toughest trial KEVIN MCCARTHY faces on his way to becoming House speaker isn't reclaiming the majority.  It's what comes afterward.”  That's the blunt takeaway from Olivia Beavers' big piece …

Biden's broken promise: Build Back Better will force 30% of middle class families to pay higher taxes - breaking president's vow to only tax the super-rich, analysis finds  — Tax Policy Center analysis finds some middle class taxpayers would pay more  — Increases would be modest, and the average household would not pay more

Chris Christie Dishes on What Turned Him Off Working for Trump  —  The former guv almost became Trump's third chief of staff.  But a combo of aggressive Javanka behavior and Trump's loose lips led to Christie turning down the gig, he writes. … When Chris Christie withdrew from consideration …

An Air Force sergeant killed himself on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  The note he left is heartbreaking.  —  Kenneth Omar Santiago's perfect smile dazzles on social media as he poses in his Air Force uniforms — flight suits to mess dress.  —  He accepts military awards …

'We don't want any more Black pastors coming in here,' says defense attorney in Arbery death trial  —  (CNN)A defense attorney for one of the three White men charged in 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery's killing objected Thursday to nationally recognized civil rights leaders attending the trial to support the victim's family.

The strong winds of climate change have failed to move the opinions of many Americans  —  Most believe global warming is a problem, but the partisan divide is growing  —  Even as windstorms became more powerful, wildfires grew more deadly and rising seas made damaging floods more frequent …

The danger of critical race theory  —  By now, most Americans have heard of critical race theory.  But many do not know just how radical or pernicious CRT is — because, as a new study from the American Enterprise Institute shows, the media does not explain its key tenets in its coverage.

COVID-19 hot spots offer sign of what could be ahead for US  —  The contagious delta variant is driving up COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Mountain West and fueling disruptive outbreaks in the North, a worrisome sign of what could be ahead this winter in the U.S.

Sen. Murkowski announces reelection bid in a race featuring a Trump-backed GOP challenger  —  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) announced Friday that she will seek reelection to a seat for which former president Donald Trump has already backed a Republican challenger following Murkowski's vote …

The White House Says Its Plans Will Slow Inflation.  The Big Question Is: When?  —  The Biden administration has argued that its infrastructure and broader economic package will slow rapid price increases.  But that will take time.  —  Rocketing inflation has become a headache for U.S. consumers …

Project Veritas: Journalists or Political Spies?  —  Documents show how the conservative group worked with lawyers to gauge how far its deceptive reporting practices could go before running afoul of federal laws.  —  WASHINGTON — Hours after F.B.I. agents searched the homes …

If libertarians built the roads, maybe they wouldn't be racist  —  Libertarians face many trite and tired arguments against their ideology, but none is more famous than the ever-present “Who would build the roads?” attack.  —  But while libertarians are forced to spend a good bit of time talking …

'But he's Jewish': Opponent questions Mandel's faith in Ohio Senate primary debate  —  A Republican Senate candidate in Ohio is doubling down on a controversial campaign ad, insisting voters need to be aware of an important fact: that the frontrunner in the primary is Jewish.

You Are the Object of a Secret Extraction Operation  —  Dr. Zuboff is a professor emeritus at Harvard Business School and author of “Surveillance Capitalism.”  —  Facebook is not just any corporation.  It reached trillion-dollar status in a single decade by applying the logic …

Chinese Voters Came Out in Force for the GOP in NYC, Shaking Up Politics  —  From Sunset Park in Brooklyn to Elmhurst and Flushing in Queens, frustrations over Democratic stances on schools and crime helped mobilize votes for Republican Curtis Sliwa for mayor and conservative Council candidates.

Ocasio-Cortez Isn't Wavering.  Are New Yorkers on Her Side?  —  By voting no on the infrastructure bill, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez set off a fierce debate, including among city residents eager to see the subways improved.  —  As the No. 6 subway train creaked toward …

Biden's self-inflicted energy crisis  —  According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, heating costs for American families will increase by 54 percent this winter, making it the most expensive in over a decade.  Given President Biden's statements on the 2020 campaign trail …

Zephyr Teachout Will Run for New York Attorney General  —  The law professor, a darling of New York's left wing, wants to be attorney general.  —  In the three years since she last ran for office, Zephyr Teachout has taught, written a book ("Break 'Em Up: Recovering Our Freedom from Big Ag …