What Mitt Romney Saw in the Senate  —  In an exclusive excerpt from my forthcoming biography of the senator, Romney: A Reckoning, he reveals what drove him to retire.  —  For most of his life, Mitt Romney has nursed a morbid fascination with his own death, suspecting that it might assert itself one day suddenly and violently.

Fact-checking McCarthy's claims while launching Biden impeachment inquiry  —  House Speaker Kevin McCarthy made several unproven claims Tuesday while announcing the opening of a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.  —  The Republican-led investigation will focus on …

DeSantis: Criminalizing women for getting abortions ‘will not happen in Florida’  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Wednesday that he does not support criminalizing abortion in his state.  —  “We have no criminal penalty,” he said in a CBS News interview.  “The penalties are for the physician.”

DeSantis and top Fla. health official warn against COVID shots for people under 65  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and the state's surgeon general are advising against the use of updated COVID-19 vaccines for anyone under the age of 65, a move that counters a new recommendation from the Centers …

Federal judge again declares Obama-era DACA program unlawful  —  A federal judge in Texas ruled Wednesday that a regulation intended to preserve the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is unlawful, delivering a major blow to the Biden administration.

A closer look at California's $267 million war on “organized retail crime”  —  On Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) announced the state would spend hundreds of millions of dollars to combat “organized retail crime.”  More than $267 million will be distributed in grants to 55 cities and counties across the state.

Wisconsin Republican leader asks former state Supreme Court justices to review impeachment  —  Wisconsin's Republican Assembly leader announced Wednesday that he's created a panel to investigate the criteria for impeachment as he mulls taking that unprecedented step against a liberal state Supreme Court justice.

Video shows Lauren Boebert giving the middle finger to an usher after being kicked out of a performance of ‘Beetlejuice’  — Rep. Lauren Boebert was escorted out of a performance of “Beetlejuice” in Denver over the weekend.  — Surveillance footage shows her giving the middle finger to an usher as she leaves the venue.

Court blocks Jack Smith's access to many of Rep. Scott Perry's contacts about 2020 election  —  The appeals panel concluded that prosecutors' effort to access cellphone communications with colleagues officials violated the lawmaker's constitutional immunity.

Jury awards $100,000 to Kentucky gay couple denied marriage license  —  The couple sued former county clerk Kim Davis, who was briefly jailed in 2015 over her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.  —  A federal jury has awarded $100,000 to a Kentucky couple …

RFK Jr. Getting Republican Support For His Democratic Primary Bid To Unseat Biden  —  Former GOP Sen. Scott Brown hosts a “No BS” barbecue series for GOP presidential candidates and, most recently, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  —  LOADING  —  RYE, N.H. — As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tries …

Federal staff recommend first safety rules for infant rockers after deaths stretching back over a decade  —  Rockers can pose a suffocation threat to infants when they fall asleep or are left unattended, Consumer Product Safety Commission staff wrote.  —  Staff at the Consumer Product Safety …

Calif. passes strongest right-to-repair bill yet, requiring 7 years of parts  —  Repair shops must disclose if they're using “non-authorized” parts.  —  California, the home to many of tech's biggest companies and the nation's most populous state, is pushing ahead with a right-to-repair bill for consumer electronics and appliances.

A House GOP attempt to advance abortion measure backfires in funding fight  —  House GOP leaders wanted more leverage in the spending wars.  So far, they have less.  —  House GOP leaders have abandoned efforts to pass an agriculture funding bill amid an intraparty row over abortion policy.

The Right-Wing Conspiracy-Fest Is More Openly Bloodthirsty Than Before  —  The first thing I noticed at the latest stop on the ReAwaken America Tour in Las Vegas in mid-August was that the T-shirts are getting nastier.  “Size Matters” blared one man's shirt over enlarged images of bullets of various calibers.

Ramaswamy Says He Would Fire Most of the Federal Work Force if Elected  —  Vivek Ramaswamy, whose campaign for the Republican nomination has gained attention in recent months, has vowed to dismantle much of the federal government and shutter key agencies.  —  Vivek Ramaswamy …

Milley disputes claim he recommended Trump attack Iran  —  You can watch the full interview with Gen. Mark Milley on “Fareed Zakaria GPS” on Sunday at 10 a.m. ET.  —  CNN —  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told CNN's Fareed Zakaria in an interview Wednesday …

Sean Penn's Crusade: Why He's Risking It All for Ukraine, Furious at Will Smith and Ready to Call Bulls— on Studios' AI Proposals  —  Summer light fades to gold in Malibu.  Surfers carve tasty waves just down the road.  A beautiful woman wanders toward the pool house.