Lawyers with supreme court business paid Clarence Thomas aide via Venmo  —  Payments to Rajan Vasisht, an aide from 2019-21, underscore ties between the justice and lawyers who argue cases in front of him  —  Several lawyers who have had business before the supreme court …

Arizona Man Cited in Conspiracy Theories Sues Fox News for Defamation  —  Ray Epps, a two-time Trump voter, says Tucker Carlson repeatedly and falsely named him as a covert government agent who incited the Jan. 6 attacks.  —  Ray Epps, the man at the center of a widespread conspiracy theory …

Republican Gains in 2022 Midterms Driven Mostly by Turnout Advantage  —  An examination of the 2022 elections, based on validated voters  —  An examination of the 2022 elections, based on validated voters  —  How we did this Terminology  —  In midterm elections that yielded mixed results …

DeSantis donors privately worry about campaign as Florida governor lags in 2024 polls  — Some of Ron DeSantis' fundraisers have recently heard concerns from donors about the trajectory of the the campaign.  — The governor continues to lag former President Donald Trump in GOP primary polls.

Suspect in Larry Nassar stabbing said ex-doctor made lewd remark watching Wimbledon, AP source says  —  A prisoner suspected of stabbing Larry Nassar at a federal penitentiary in Florida said the disgraced former sports doctor provoked the attack by making a lewd comment while they were watching …

Chinese hackers breach government email accounts through Microsoft cloud  —  The State Department discovered the Microsoft vulnerability, which affected unclassified government systems, last month  —  Chinese cyberspies, exploiting a fundamental gap in Microsoft's cloud …

FBI Director Chris Wray defends agency amid onslaught of GOP criticism  —  Republican lawmakers are expected to press Wray over Trump, Hunter Biden investigations  —  FBI Director Christopher A. Wray is testifying Wednesday before Congress, in a hearing likely to feature extensive criticism …

A Sea Otter Is Stealing Surfboards Near Santa Cruz, California  —  California wildlife officials are hoping to apprehend a 5-year-old sea otter, who has a knack for riding the waves after committing longboard larceny.  —  Annie Roth lives in Santa Cruz, Calif., where she knows enough to stay away from sea otters in the ocean.

Judge acquits Broadway actor on all counts in Capitol riot case  —  James Beeks says he is no longer a member of the Oath Keepers and was “duped” by the organization.  —  WASHINGTON — A federal judge acquitted an Oath Keepers member and former Broadway actor on all counts Wednesday …

White House warns reporter Simon Ateba about his press-room outbursts  —  In a first for Biden's press office, the formal reprimand cites ‘continued interruptions’  —  Escalating its feud with an assertive reporter, the White House on Tuesday issued a formal warning to Simon Ateba …

Georgia sues True the Vote over refusal to show ‘2000 Mules’ evidence  —  X  —  Texas-based group objected to subpoena seeking proof of voting fraud  —  The Georgia State Election Board is suing True the Vote over the organization's failure to comply with subpoenas that would back up its allegation …

S.F.'s Anchor Brewing is shutting down after 127 years  —  Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate  —  San Francisco institution Anchor Brewing Co., the godfather of steam beer, is shutting down after 127 years.  —  The brewery was “losing millions of dollars a year,” said Anchor spokesperson Sam Singer.

Tommy Tuberville Goes on Defense Over Hold on Military Promotions, Racial Comments  —  Alabama senator maintains block on hundreds of Pentagon nominations, backtracks on white supremacy remarks  —  WASHINGTON—Many of Sen. Tommy Tuberville's colleagues say he is making bad calls.

WATCH: Train Conductor Tears Passenger a New One for Spewing Racist Crap  —  “Look at me,” he told the woman on the Connecticut train line.  “You will never ride my train again.”  —  A commuter Karen was forced to humble up during a ride through Connecticut last week after a conductor threatened …

Yes, Joe Biden Is Old.  Is That All Republicans Have to Run On?  —  By the way, Donald Trump is only three years younger.  —  The Republican National Committee wants everyone to know that President Joe Biden, like many Americans on a hot Saturday in July, was at the beach.

The White Media Has Missed a Key Part of the Affirmative Action Ruling The White Media Has Missed a Key Part of the Affirmative Action Ruling  —  The upshot isn't just that colleges must end affirmative action, it's that they'll have to cut Black enrollment to avoid lawsuits questioning their compliance with the decision.

Judge rules Michigan law broadly bans ‘undue possession’ of voting machines  —  Lansing — Laying the groundwork for potential criminal charges in a high-profile case, Oakland County Circuit Judge Phyllis McMillen ruled Wednesday it is illegal for someone to take possession …

A Small Number of Drugs Account for a Large Share of Medicare Part D Spending  —  The Inflation Reduction Act requires the federal government to negotiate the price of certain high-spending drugs covered by Medicare Part D, Medicare's outpatient prescription drug benefit program …

Driver kills pedestrian after fleeing Secret Service near National Mall in D.C., is still at large  —  The driver had been pulled over for expired registration, officials said.  —  One dead after hit-and-run near White House, suspect still at large  —  A driver who fled a traffic stop near …

McCarthy confronts bleak reality as conservatives undercut GOP agenda  —  It's not just the Pentagon policy bill that's delayed on the floor.  Prepare for further Republican drama over government spending and a big tax bill.  —  The conservative fever that's plagued Speaker Kevin McCarthy for weeks is showing no signs of breaking.

Exclusive: Federal prosecutors interviewed Michigan secretary of state in special counsel's election interference probe  —  Federal prosecutors interviewed Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson last month as part of the ongoing criminal probe into efforts to overturn the 2020 election …

“He's Fiercely Protective”: Trump Aide Walt Nauta May Pay the Ultimate Price for Loyalty  —  The former Navy cook remains glued to the ex-president in Mar-a-Lago—"I don't think King Charles has anyone this good," says one senior adviser.  But could the threat of decades in prison drive the valet to turn on Trump?

Ex-Spy Accused of Putting CIA Hopeful Through Sordid Secret Sex ‘Training’  —  Former clandestine officer Shaun Wiggins allegedly assaulted the woman repeatedly in what he insisted was a covert program to train her to use her body “as a weapon.” … A former CIA officer allegedly duped …

'It's not good': GOP angry over Biden team's handling of Iran envoy probe  —  Rob Malley has long been a controversial figure with many critics among Iran watchers.  —  Capitol Hill Republicans are growing increasingly frustrated with the Biden administration's unwillingness to share information …

Ukraine: Russian general reported killed in attack on Berdyansk hotel  —  A senior Russian general has been killed in a missile strike in Ukraine, Russian sources have said.  —  Lt Gen Oleg Tsokov is said to have died in a strike on a hotel housing Russian military commanders in Berdyansk, on Ukraine's occupied southern coast.