Top Items:
Washington Post:
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 …
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Washington Post:
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 …
Discussion:
Politico and Balloon Juice, more at Techmeme »
CNN:
Exclusive: DHS inspector general knew of missing Secret Service texts months earlier than previously known — Washington (CNN)The embattled inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security first learned of missing Secret Service text messages in May 2021 — months earlier …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Esquire, The Hill, HotAir, The Status Kuo, CBS News, Mother Jones and HuffPost
Reuters:
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 …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Breaking News USA, PoliticusUSA and Raw Story
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Richard Cowan / Reuters:
U.S. House passes, sends to Senate assault-style weapon ban — The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed legislation banning assault-style rifles that have been used in mass shootings, sending it to the Senate where it faces likely defeat. — By a mostly partisan vote of 217-213 …
Jason Lemon / Newsweek:
Democrats Beat Republicans for Control of Congress in 4 Polls in Past Week
Democrats Beat Republicans for Control of Congress in 4 Polls in Past Week
Discussion:
EdgeTheory Narrative … and Breitbart
U.S. Department of Justice:
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 …
Discussion:
FOX 13 Tampa Bay, WFLA-TV, UPI, Washington Examiner, The Daily Beast, MindWar, CNN, WTOP News, Just The News, The Hill and Politico
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Patricia Mazzei / New York Times:
Russian National Charged With Spreading Propaganda Through U.S. Groups
Russian National Charged With Spreading Propaganda Through U.S. Groups
Discussion:
The National Pulse
Dan Sullivan / Tampa Bay Times:
FBI investigating Russian interference possibly linked to St. Petersburg Uhuru Movement
FBI investigating Russian interference possibly linked to St. Petersburg Uhuru Movement
Discussion:
The Guardian, NBC News, St. Louis Riverfront Times …, Florida Politics and Insider
Devlin Barrett / Washington Post:
Russian national charged with U.S. political influence operation
Russian national charged with U.S. political influence operation
Discussion:
Letters from an American, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth and Associated Press
Chris Joyner / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Atlanta group implicated in Russian influence scheme
Atlanta group implicated in Russian influence scheme
Discussion:
HotAir
Washington Post:
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.
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Paige Hopkins / Axios:
Union Station Starbucks closing Sunday
Marianna Sotomayor / Washington Post:
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 …
Discussion:
Oregon Capital Chronicle, New York Times, Al Jazeera, David Feldman Show, HuffPost, The Hill, Twitchy, Townhall, Fox News, USA Today, The Daily Caller, UPI and CBS News
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Lisa Rubin / MSNBC:
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 …
Discussion:
CBS News, Covidian Æsthetics, Fox News, Raw Story, PBS NewsHour and Press Herald
Matt Wilstein / The Daily Beast:
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 …
NBC News:
Trump endorses Tudor Dixon in Michigan governor's race — SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Tudor Dixon, a conservative media personality who is leading the polls in Michigan's Republican race for governor, secured former President Donald Trump's endorsement on Friday. — “When I met Tudor Dixon …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Associated Press, RedState, New York Times, Politico, The Hill, Just The News and Detroit News
Eva Fu / theepochtimes.com:
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 …
Discussion:
Steve Kirsch's newsletter, Liberty Journal and Just The News
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
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%.
Discussion:
HotAir, Just The News, Mediaite, The Hill and TheBlaze
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Valerie Volcovici / Reuters:
Exclusive: Biden EPA to tackle coal industry carbon with rules on other pollutants — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to use new limits on traditional pollutants like ozone and coal ash to help encourage the retirement of the nation's remaining coal-fired power plants …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller
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Nate Raymond / Reuters:
Biden nominates abortion rights lawyer in U.S. Supreme Court case to federal judgeship
Biden nominates abortion rights lawyer in U.S. Supreme Court case to federal judgeship
Discussion:
USA Today, Washington Examiner, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Forbes, WTOP News and CNN
Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
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.
Discussion:
The Land of 10,000 Takes and Raw Story
Mark Joseph Stern / Slate:
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.
Discussion:
New York Times
Merlyn Thomas / BBC:
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 …
CNN:
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
Discussion:
ukrainaenews's Newsletter and Tom's Newsletter
New York Times:
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 …
Dylan Byers / Puck:
An Alleged Affair to Remember — A close reading of the media melee over what did and didn't happen between Sergey Brin, Elon Musk, and Nicole Shanahan reveals the second order consequences, near and far term. … It also set off a series of cascading questions about the article of journalism, itself: What counts as an affair?
Jonah Goldberg / The Dispatch:
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 …
Bolts:
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.”
Discussion:
The Guardian
Bloomberg:
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 …
Discussion:
alicublog
Zachary Stieber / theepochtimes.com:
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.
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
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 …
Discussion:
New Republic, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway and Points And Figures
Politico:
‘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 …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Daily Kos, CNN, New York Magazine, Kofi Ampaabeng, HotAir and PoliticusUSA
Mariko Paulson / Issues:
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.
Reuters:
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 …
Discussion:
TMZ.com, CBS News, The Daily Caller, The A.V. Club, IJR, Deadline, Jezebel, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, ABC13, Fox News, The Daily Wire, Fortune, Insider, Consequence and TheBlaze
CNN:
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.
Discussion:
Fox News, New York Times, New York Post, Political Wire, The Daily Wire and The Hill, more at Mediagazer »
Wilson Ring / Associated Press:
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.
Discussion:
Eschaton