Homeland Security watchdog halted plan to recover Secret Service texts, records show  —  The Department of Homeland Security's chief watchdog scrapped its investigative team's effort to collect agency phones to try to recover deleted Secret Service texts this year, according to four people …

Conspiracy website InfoWars parent files for bankruptcy  —  The parent of far-right conspiracy website InfoWars filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection on Friday as the company and its founder Alex Jones face up to $150 million in damages in a trial over longstanding falsehoods he perpetuated …

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 …

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.

Rising GOP anger at Mitch McConnell offers a lesson for Democrats  —  Republicans have staged a carnival of fake outrage ever since Sen. Joe Manchin III announced support for a massive climate and health-care package.  Their claim: The West Virginia Democrat and his party double-crossed …

Why an unnamed ‘White House employee’ could be a pivotal Jan. 6 witness  —  Two anonymous White House staffers are at the center of important episodes in the Jan. 6 probe.  Are they the same person — and also the person Trump tried to call?  —  With the revelation that several senior Trump …

Biden Job Approval Dips to New Low  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden's job approval rating has fallen below 40% for the first time and now sits at a personal low of 38%.  Between September and June, the president's rating had ranged narrowly between 40% and 43%.

Jon Stewart Fires Back at Ted Cruz's ‘Bullshit’ Excuses  —  The comedian and activist went off on Cruz, calling his reason for opposing a bill that would provide healthcare to veterans “inaccurate, not true, bullshit.”  —  After days of lobbying Republican senators from Capitol Hill …

Twitter Censors All Content From The Epoch Times  —  The social media company ‘must explain itself for this outrageous act of censorship,’ Senator Marco Rubio says  —  Twitter on July 28 imposed a blockade on all content from The Epoch Times without explanation, raising further concerns …

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.

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.

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 …

UK heatwave: Weather forecasters report unprecedented trolling  —  Weather forecasters faced unprecedented levels of trolling during this month's extreme heat in the UK, according to leading figures in the industry.  —  The BBC's team received hundreds of abusive tweets or emails questioning …

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 …

Russia is plundering gold in Sudan to boost Putin's war effort in Ukraine  —  CNN Exclusive by Nima Elbagir, Barbara Arvanitidis, Tamara Qiblawi, Gianluca Mezzofiore, Mohammed Abo Al Gheit, Darya Tarasova Video by Alex Platt, Mark Baron Graphics by Sarah-Grace Mankarious, Marco Chacón, Natalie Croker and Henrik Pettersson

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.”

Blinken Resists Push to Label Russia a Terrorist State  —  The Biden administration is wary of making the designation despite strong calls from Congress and pleas from Ukraine.  —  WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate supports it unanimously.  So does House Speaker Nancy Pelosi …

The Descent of Men  —  The ‘new manliness’ makes vices into virtues and cruelty into courage.  —  Dear Reader (including some of my snowflakier colleagues who are triggered by self-indulgent wordplay),  —  I'm having a minor crisis.  I have an indefensible fondness for double entendre …

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.

‘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 …

Top FDA Officials Concerned About Pressure to Authorize COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters: Emails  —  Top officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were worried about what they saw as pressure being placed on them by vaccine companies and the White House to clear booster shots, according to newly released emails.

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 …

Passenger rail return to Vermont city took vision, decades  —  Amtrak-Expansion-Vermont  —  BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — After a nearly 70-year absence, a passenger train running from Vermont's revitalized Burlington train station to New York City headed south Friday as part of a nationwide renewal of interest in rail travel.

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.

David Hogg Threatens Democratic Member of Leadership With Primary Challenge, but There's a Catch  —  This piece has been updated to reflect the announcement of a Friday vote in the House on legislation to ban so-called assault weapons.  —  Last week, David Hogg engaged in a publicity stunt …

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 …

White House communications director Kate Bedingfield makes ‘last-minute’ decision to stay in her role  —  (CNN)White House communications director Kate Bedingfield is staying on in her role, a surprise decision coming after the White House announced she would be leaving, multiple sources told CNN.

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.