Russian National Charged with Conspiring to Have U.S. Citizens Act as Illegal Agents of the Russian Government  —  An indictment was unsealed today in Tampa, Florida, charging a Russian national, working on behalf of the Russian government and in conjunction with the Russian Federal Security Service …

Secret Service's ‘ludicrous’ deletion of Jan. 6 phone data baffles experts  —  Cybersecurity specialists said the agency bungled a routine task by telling agents to back up their own records, which is ‘not something any other organization would ever do’  —  Cybersecurity experts …

As Starbucks exits, Union Station struggles with safety, empty stores  —  The closure of a Starbucks because of ‘challenging incidents’ is adding fuel to concerns about the conditions of Washington's busiest transit hub  —  Starbucks is departing Union Station on Sunday while citing safety concerns at the iconic transit hub.

‘Alarm bell’: Oz's struggles have GOP pitching alternate path to Senate takeover  —  PHILADELPHIA — The GOP establishment is feeling down on Dr. Oz.  —  The Senate Republicans' campaign arm is privately sounding the alarm about physician Mehmet Oz's bid for the Senate in the critical battleground …

Pelosi to leave for Asia amid Chinese threats over Taiwan stop  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi is set to leave this weekend on a trip that includes Singapore, Japan and South Korea — and possibly Taiwan — even as a Chinese state media commentator suggested Friday that Beijing could shoot down any U.S. military plane she takes to Taipei.

CNN Exclusive: Russian officials requested adding convicted murderer to Griner/Whelan prisoner swap  —  (CNN)Russian government officials requested that a former colonel from the country's domestic spy agency who was convicted of murder in Germany last year be added to the US' proposed swap …

Wait, Is Biden a Better President Than People Thought?  —  Many progressives have spent the Biden years in a mood of rising despair and even rage about the prospects for achieving the kind of fundamental change they believe the country and world urgently need.  They wish Joe Manchin was a different kind of senator.

House overcomes internal rancor to pass assault weapons ban  —  House Democrats passed an assault weapons ban for the first time in roughly 30 years Friday, a legislative feat on a politically fraught issue that tested the unity of the caucus.  —  The historic legislation passed along party lines …

Inflation Reduction Act: Preliminary Estimates of Budgetary and Macroeconomic Effects  —  Print to PDF Summary: PWBM estimates that the Inflation Reduction Act would reduce non-interest cumulative deficits by $248 billion over the budget window with no impact on GDP in 2031.

Fear of Rampant Crime Is Derailing New York City's Recovery … Incidents of violent crime remain at historic lows in New York City.  But people's views on guns and crime are often more influenced by what they see and hear, rather than by hard numbers.  While homicide is the most high-profile type …

North Texas Conservatives Police High Turnout and Close Races as “Anomalies” Suggesting Fraud  —  Election deniers nationwide are twisting civic engagement and results they don't like into evidence of rigged elections.  —  At a January presentation, a speaker lists election figures he coniders to be “anomalies.”

Pro-Trump influencer upset after documents detailing ‘substantial’ cooperation with FBI are released  —  WASHINGTON — A pro-Trump social media influencer who was convicted of disorderly and disruptive conduct on Capitol grounds for his actions on Jan. 6 is upset over the release of court filings …

So You Want To Start a Third Party?  —  Then tell me how you are going to attract real-world Trump voters.  —  Starting a new third party is all the rage these days, especially out here in Never Trumpistan.  —  The Yang Gang is teaming up with some future former Republicans for the Forward Party.

Biden nominates abortion rights lawyer in U.S. Supreme Court case to federal judgeship  —  President Joe Biden on Friday nominated a lawyer who represented the Mississippi clinic at the heart of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision to become a federal appeals court judge.

At least 16 people are dead after Kentucky's catastrophic flooding, and the death toll is expected to rise  —  Flood threat persists in Kentucky while sweltering temperatures target the Northwest  —  (CNN)At least 16 people are dead following catastrophic flooding in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday.

When Can Dying Patients Get a Lifesaving Abortion?  These Hospital Panels Will Now Decide.  —  When Elizabeth Weller's water broke during the 18th week of her pregnancy, the prognosis was bleak: With almost no amniotic fluid left, the fetus could not survive.

Spanish prosecutor asks for eight-year jail term for Shakira  —  A Spanish prosecutor is seeking a prison term of eight years for Colombian superstar Shakira over a 14.5 million-euro tax fraud case, a prosecutor's office document showed on Friday.  —  The singer, who has sold …

Fox News, Once Home to Trump, Now Often Ignores Him  —  The former president hasn't been interviewed on the Rupert Murdoch-owned cable network in more than 100 days, and other Republicans often get the attention he once did.  —  It's been more than 100 days since Donald J. Trump was interviewed on Fox News.

Facebook, Instagram Posts Flagged as False for Rejecting Biden's Recession Wordplay  —  Meta's third-party fact-checkers have flagged as “false information” posts on Instagram and Facebook accusing the Biden administration of changing the definition of a recession in order to deny that the U.S. economy has entered one.

Sen. Jim Inhofe has a strained relationship with the man favored to succeed him  —  The retiring senator says he and Markwayne Mullin ‘have problems.’  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Retiring U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe's relationship with U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin hit a low point after Mullin's unauthorized attempt to visit Afghanistan last year.

First on CNN: Jared Kushner details West Wing ‘war’ with ‘toxic’ Steve Bannon in new book  —  (CNN)Jared Kushner details his clashes with Steve Bannon in his new book, describing a “toxic” West Wing presence who accused him of “undermining the President's agenda” and threatened to break him “in half” if Kushner turned on him.

🚨 Instagram walks back its changes  —  Say goodbye to the full-screen feed, and at least some of those recommendations — for now.  Adam Mosseri explains why  —  Instagram will walk back some recent changes to the product following a week of mounting criticism, the company said today.

What if They Gave a War and Everybody Was Woke?  —  WSJ Opinion: Can ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Boost Recruitment Rates For Pilots?  —  Skip Ad  —  in 15 … Is the U.S. prepared for battle?  By one measure, military recruitment, the answer appears to be no. Nearly every branch has struggled …

“I can't believe I even survived that job.”  —  Staffers fleeing Katie Hobbs' campaign question her ability to lead Arizona.  —  In the past five months, two-thirds of Democrat Katie Hobbs' gubernatorial campaign staff have left, and several describe the campaign as an emotionally abusive atmosphere …

Improvement or Illusion?  —  Over the last couple of weeks, there's been a shift in opinion among many political professionals about Democrats' chances in the midterm campaign.  They point in particular to improvement for Democrats in the generic ballot poll question (which party …

Phillips: Democrats need ‘new generation’ of leadership, not Biden in 2024  —  In an interview on the Chad Hartman radio show on WCCO-AM, Phillips, who represents Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District, said he wants to see “a new generation of compelling, well-prepared, dynamic Democrats who step up.”

'I don't agree with her on anything,' California Democrats say of Liz Cheney — as they donate to her race  —  Californians have contributed more to Republican Rep. Liz Cheney than donors from any other state, including her Wyoming home, as the outspoken Trump critic faces an increasingly perilous reelection bid.

Democrats Beat Republicans for Control of Congress in 4 Polls in Past Week  —  Four national polls from the past week have shown Democrats favored by more voters to control Congress compared to Republicans, as many analysts and GOP leaders continue to express confidence that the liberal party …

White House insists economy is strong as allies grow uneasy about Fed  —  President Biden and his top advisers insist the U.S. economy remains strong, even as it shows new signs of weakening and the White House's own allies express unease about the government's response to rising prices.

Burn it down?  Washoe Republicans disagree how to prioritize election fraud claims  —  Updated at 8:55 a.m. July 29, 2022 to clarify that Joey Gilbert has talked about possibly running as an independent candidate “in the future.”  —  A secret recording at Washoe County Republican Party headquarters earlier …