First on CNN: Trump tried to call a member of the White House support staff talking with January 6 committee, sources say  —  (CNN)Former President Donald Trump tried to call a member of the White House support staff who was talking to the House select committee investigating January 6, 2021 …

Arrest made in rape of Ohio girl that led to Indiana abortion drawing international attention  —  Bethany Bruner Monroe Trombly Tony CookThe Columbus Dispatch  —  A Columbus man has been charged with impregnating a 10-year-old Ohio girl, whose travel to Indiana to seek an abortion led …

The Jerusalem U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration  —  The leaders of the United States and Israel, President Biden and Prime Minister Lapid, met in Jerusalem on 14 July 2022, and adopted the following Joint Declaration on the US-Israel Strategic Partnership:

Congress eyes showdowns on birth control, marriage equality  —  Still reeling from the Supreme Court's decision to end Roe v. Wade, congressional Democrats are readying legislation to codify nationwide contraceptive access, LGBTQ marriage and parenting rights — and even potentially long-settled precedent on interracial marriage.

Confidence in Public Schools Turns More Partisan  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' confidence in U.S. public schools remains low, with 28% saying they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the institution, similar to 32% last year.  Both figures are down from 41% in 2020 …

What Happened to Alyssa Farah?  —  In going from the Trump White House to a media career, she has made adaptations.  —  In a February 2021 appearance on CNN, Alyssa Farah, who had recently stepped down as a communications director for the Trump White House, said it was …

The great realignment  —  Shifts in the demographics of the two parties' supporters — taking place before our eyes — are arguably the biggest political story of our time. … Democrats are becoming more elite and a little more white. … Democrats' theory of the case collapses if Republicans …

What's Really Going on in Those Police Fentanyl Exposure Videos?  —  It's nearly impossible for an overdose to be caused by brief contact with the drug.  It is possible these videos will worsen the danger for those truly at risk.  —  For the past five years, I've watched a bizarre news cycle play out on repeat.

What's Behind Biden's Record-Low Approval Rating?  —  In games such as golf, you win by scoring lower than any of your opponents.  But in the realm of presidential job approval, such an approach is a recipe for political upheaval, as President Biden has found over the past few months.

GOP candidate for Pa. governor Mastriano paid $5,000 to the website used by the Tree of Life shooter  —  Pennsylvania Sen. Doug Mastriano's campaign for governor in Pennsylvania paid $5,000 for “consulting services” to Gab, a social media platform that provides a home for conspiracy theories and antisemitic content.

Ex-C.I.A. Engineer Convicted in Biggest Theft Ever of Agency Secrets  —  The top federal prosecutor in Manhattan said Joshua Schulte had engaged in “one of the most brazen and damaging acts of espionage in American history.”  — Give this article- - - Read in app

Young Voters Are Fed Up With Their (Much) Older Leaders  —  Led by politicians often three times their age, many voters under 30 are hungry for new blood and new ideas.  — Give this article- - - Read in app  —  Alexandra Chadwick went to the polls in 2020 with the singular goal of ousting Donald J. Trump.

January 6 Was Trump's Project All Along  —  After seven hearings held by the January 6 committee thus far this summer, doubts as to who is responsible have been resolved.  The evidence is now overwhelming that Donald Trump was the driving force behind a massive criminal conspiracy to interfere …

Scoop: Trump's return to Washington  —  Donald Trump is returning to Washington later this month for the first time since the end of his presidency, Axios has learned. … - New polling shows nearly half the party's primary voters want a new GOP nominee for president in 2024, with a growing number pledging to desert him if he wins.

Donald Trump looks to fall launch for 2024, potentially upending midterms  —  Some Republicans fear an announcement will undercut them at a time when they have a strong chance of retaking the House and Senate  —  Listen  —  Gift Article  —  For nearly a year, a kitchen cabinet …

Dems agonize over election-year tax increases  —  Jon Tester isn't up for reelection this fall, nor is he threatening to oppose a party-line Democratic bill that might increase taxes.  He still has a warning for his colleagues.  —  “I don't think raising taxes is a winner anywhere, OK?”

Steve Bannon might finally go to jail.  We can hope.  —  If only he'd also pay for another crime: the way he tried to turn the public against the reality-based press and buried truth under an avalanche of lies  —  Listen  —  Gift Article  —  For years, Steve Bannon has been ripping holes …

3rd arrest made in alleged Colorado election security breach  —  DENVER (AP) — The former elections manager for a Colorado clerk indicted on charges of tampering with voting equipment has been arrested on allegations that she was part of the scheme, an official said Wednesday.

Gas Prices, a Big Inflation Factor, Are Coming Down Sharply  —  A four-week decline has offered some relief to drivers.  Weather, war and demand will influence how long the decline lasts.  —  HOUSTON — Gasoline prices, on an upward tear for months, have reversed course in recent weeks, giving consumers a welcome break.

Trump-backed Kari Lake gets a hand from an unlikely source in Arizona: Democrats  —  TUCSON, Ariz. — Kari Lake watched her lead narrow in the polls and big players in Arizona's Republican establishment coalesce around her top rival weeks before the state's Aug. 2 primary for governor.

Janet Yellen's global campaign to defund Russia's war machine  —  The U.S. is pushing leaders around the world to buy oil from Russia only at heavily discounted prices.  Obstacles loom.  —  Listen  —  Gift Article  —  TOKYO — Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen was feted by Japan's leaders …

As Faith Flags in U.S. Government, Many Voters Want to Upend the System  —  Desire for structural changes cuts across both parties, a Times/Siena College poll found, but for starkly different reasons.  Even Democrats now question if the government is a force for good.  — Give this article- - - Read in app