POLITICO Playbook: Scoop: Liz Cheney's next move  —  With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  SCOOP: CHENEY'S NEXT MOVE — Rep. LIZ CHENEY is wasting no time beginning the next phase of her bid to prevent DONALD TRUMP's return to office.

Trump is rushing to hire seasoned lawyers — but he keeps hearing ‘No’  —  The former president's current legal team includes a Florida insurance lawyer who's never had a federal case, a past general counsel for a parking-garage company and a former host at far-right One America News

‘I Was on a Kill List’: Queer Afghans Say They're Being Hunted and Tortured  —  “The Taliban regime is truly the dark ages for Afghan LGBTQ people,” a 21-year-old gay artist in Kabul said.  —  Pallavi Pundir  —  JAKARTA, ID  —  Qadam Shah, 32, had a lot going for him before the Taliban came.

Lisa Murkowski and Sarah Palin Survive Primary Battles, but a Democrat Breaks Through  —  ANCHORAGE — Two of the most prominent women in Alaskan Republican politics — Senator Lisa Murkowski and Sarah Palin — appeared to be on divergent paths early Wednesday following the state's special election and primary.

Jared Kushner's ‘Breaking History’ Is a Soulless and Very Selective Memoir  —  In this lengthy book, Kushner recounts the time he spent in the White House during his father-in-law's term.  —  Buy Book ▾ … When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.

Scientists warn of dire effects as Mediterranean heats up  —  While vacationers might enjoy the Mediterranean Sea's summer warmth, climate scientists are warning of dire consequences for its marine life as it burns up in a series of severe heat waves.  From Barcelona to Tel Aviv …

Texas school district orders librarians to remove a version of Anne Frank's diary from shelves  —  (JTA) - A school district in suburban Fort Worth, Texas, has ordered its librarians to remove an illustrated adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank” from their shelves and digital libraries …

Taking the Fifth should disqualify a politician from taking office  —  Donald Trump invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 400 times in New York's investigation into his business's finances.  Of course, the defeated former president and alleged pilferer of nuclear secrets has every right …

Giuliani arrives to testify in Georgia 2020 election probe  —  Rudy Giuliani arrived at an Atlanta courthouse Wednesday under a judge's order to appear before a special grand jury that is investigating attempts by former President Donald Trump and others to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia.

German leader condemns Abbas' ‘50 Holocausts’ remark  —  Germany's chancellor said Wednesday that he was “disgusted by the outrageous remarks” made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Berlin, accusing Israel of committing “50 Holocausts” against Palestinians over the years.

Saudi woman given 34-year prison sentence for using Twitter  —  Salma al-Shehab, a Leeds University student, was charged with following and retweeting dissidents and activists  —  A Saudi student at Leeds University who had returned home to the kingdom for a holiday has been sentenced …

Not Just Kansas; Women Motivated to Vote in States with Repro Rights at Risk  —  As we detailed in our analysis last week, the electorate in Kansas changed dramatically in the days after the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision leaked.  Kansans turned out in record numbers in the primary and delivered …

Inside the 100-day U.S. struggle to stop monkeypox  —  The nation's top health officials believed they had finally hit upon a solution to quell weeks of public criticism about the straggling government response to the monkeypox outbreak spreading across the country this summer.

Officials discuss defunding FBI in wake of Mar-A-Lago search  —  OMAHA, Neb (KMTV) — Defunding law enforcement is a topic that has come up a lot over the last couple of years.  —  Conservative voters and politicians typically oppose any efforts to defund law enforcement but some are changing their tune when it comes to the FBI.

A Rant: ‘Team Normal’ Republicans, Stop Whining That Democrats Won't Help You  —  Your Trump problem is just that: Your problem.  —  Dear readers,  —  I have a rant for you today.  —  I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the “bellyaching and scolding from establishment Republicans” …