Biden Drops Plan to Name Anti-Abortion Lawyer Backed by McConnell as Judge  —  The White House quietly agreed with the Senate Republican leader to nominate Chad Meredith for a federal judgeship, but opposition from his fellow Kentuckian Rand Paul scuttled the deal.  — Give this article- - - Read in app

Exclusive: Fulton County DA sends ‘target’ letters to Trump allies in Georgia investigation  —  American attorney, and District Attorney of Fulton County  —  46th president of the United States since 2021  —  ATLANTA — In the latest sign she is moving rapidly in her investigation …

Democrats vent their fury as Joe Manchin shelves action on climate change  —  WASHINGTON — Democrats are sounding dire warnings after Sen. Joe Manchin tanked their hopes of acting on climate change.  —  “We're all going to die,” House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky. …

Biden says he confronted Saudis directly on Khashoggi  —  Biden told reporters he was ‘straightforward and direct’ with Saudi leaders about the slain journalist, in a meeting that came after a fist bump between Biden and the crown prince that some saw as overly chummy  —  Listen  —  Gift Article

The poll results are in: Hageman holds commanding lead over Cheney … Former President Donald Trump's pick to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney in the race for Wyoming's lone House seat holds a commanding 22-point lead with a month until the primary, a new Casper Star-Tribune poll shows.

Trump campaign operative who delivered Jan. 6 false elector lists is identified  —  A little-known Donald Trump campaign operative delivered lists of false electors to Capitol Hill in a bid to get them to Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 6, 2021, according to two people familiar with the episode.

DeSantis' education message is winning in battleground states, teacher union poll finds  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Before a friendly audience of conservative moms, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday excoriated political opponents of wanting to “sexualize” children and warp kids' understanding of race and history.

Social media post from Kentucky county GOP about ‘Jewish junta’ draws criticism  —  A Facebook post by the Bracken County Republican Party attacking the new director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as being part of the “Jewish junta” drew criticism Friday from Jewish leaders in Kentucky.

Kamala Harris' chief speechwriter is departing  —  Vice President Kamala Harris' director of speechwriting, Meghan Groob, is leaving the office less than four months into the job, two people familiar with the matter told POLITICO.  —  Groob was hired in April after Harris' first chief speechwriter …

Justice Dept. backs House over Jan. 6 subpoena to Meadows  —  The Justice Department declared Friday that the Jan. 6 select committee has adequately justified its subpoena for testimony and documents from Mark Meadows, a former chief of staff in Donald Trump's White House.

Mexico Captures Notorious Drug Kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero  —  Rafael Caro Quintero, an accused drug cartel leader, was convicted of killing Enrique Camarena, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent, and was wanted by the F.BI.  — Give this article- - - Read in app

Attorney says circuit judge pointed gun at her from bench during hearing … NEW MARTINSVILLE - A circuit court judge allegedly brandished a handgun during a hearing earlier this year, leaving it pointed at an attorney from Texas during the proceedings.  —  Second Judicial Circuit Judge David Hummel …

First on CNN: DHS inspector general told Jan. 6 panel he went to Mayorkas about Secret Service cooperation  —  (CNN)The Department of Homeland Security inspector general on Friday briefed all nine members of the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack …

Michael Cohen says Trump's alleged witness tampering in January 6 probe shows the former president is ‘melting down’  — Michael Cohen said he thinks Donald Trump is growing increasingly nervous about the January 6 investigation.  — The panel accused Trump of trying to call a witness …

‘A Real Chilling Effect’: A Lefty Scholar is Dumping CAP — For AEI  —  Ruy Teixeira is one of Washington's most prominent left-leaning think-tank scholars, a fixture at the Center for American Progress since the liberal organization's founding in 2003.  But as of August 1 …

Daughter of doctor who gave 10-year-old an abortion faced kidnapping threat  —  Caitlin Bernard of Indiana is named on an extreme anti-abortion website linked to Amy Coney Barrett  —  The Indiana doctor who recently provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim whose story …

Don't Fall into the Collusion Trap on Trump and January 6  —  Facts matter: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter.  Support our nonprofit reporting.  Subscribe to our print magazine.  —  Here we go again.  —  Watching the recent coverage of the January 6 investigation, I felt a stab of deja vu.

‘Sneaky’ Personhood?  Wicker, Hyde-Smith Sponsor Unborn Child Support Act  —  U.S. Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker of Mississippi are among a group of nine Republicans who on Wednesday unveiled Senate Bill 4512, The Unborn Child Support Act, which would require fathers …

Two Books Decry the Uyghur Tragedy in China  —  In a remote part of Central Asia, an entire people is losing its land, its language, its freedom.  —  1x  —  The name Xinjiang was slapped on the Uyghur homeland in 1884, after its conquest by China's last imperial dynasty.