Pence got 10 minutes to talk about ‘how hard he was working’ during weekly lunches before Trump turned on the TV and began complaining, book says  — Former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence met weekly for lunch.  — The lunches were a chance for Pence to tell Trump …

US left Afghan airfield at night, didn't tell new commander  —  BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. left Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by shutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night without notifying the base's new Afghan commander …

At least 150 people fatally shot in more than 400 shootings over the Fourth of July weekend  —  (CNN)At least 150 people were killed by gun violence in more than 400 shootings across the country during the Fourth of July weekend as major cities nationwide confront a surge in violent crime …

J.D. Vance says he regrets since-deleted tweets criticizing Trump  —  J.D. Vance, the bestselling author and a Republican Senate hopeful, said on Monday that he regretted his since-deleted Twitter posts that criticized Donald Trump, amid accusations of flip-flopping as he vies for a seat in Ohio.

You Really Need to Quit Twitter  —  I'm almost 60, and in these many decades I've seen people—some of them good friends—taken down by all kinds of things.  Alcohol and drugs, mostly.  A few years ago, I lost someone to heroin, and hundreds of us sat at his funeral in wordless communion.

Hackers demand $70 million to unlock businesses hit by sprawling ransomware attack  —  Cybercriminals involved in a widespread attack said they would release their victims' files for a ransom of $70 million  —  A hacking group that experts said was behind the sprawling ransomware attack …

Maniac punches carriage horse, attacks two others in Central Park: driver  —  His name may not be Mongo but a shirtless maniac stole a page from “Blazing Saddles” on Monday — punching, and also kicking, three carriage horses in Central Park before claiming he had a knife, witnesses said.

Demolition widens search at condo site, but storms threaten  —  SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Rescuers searched through fresh rubble Monday after the last of the collapsed Florida condo building was demolished, which allowed crews into previously inaccessible places, including bedrooms where people …

The Shocking Enormity of Russia's Botched Pandemic Response  —  A massive third wave is spreading unchecked, anti-vaxxers are rampant, and the Kremlin's vaccine diplomacy has failed.  —  MOSCOW—As I write this, Russia is firmly in the grip of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In ramp-up to 2022 midterms, Republican candidates center pitches on Trump's false election claims  —  A candidate to be Arizona's top elections official said recently he hopes a review of 2020 ballots underway in his state will lead to the reversal of former president Donald Trump's defeat there.

They Were the Nice, Older Couple Next Door.  Then the First Body Turned Up.  —  An Iranian couple has confessed to murdering and dismembering their son, years after killing a daughter and her husband.  They are not sorry.  —  The older couple first came to the public eye on a winter night in Tehran …

‘We are an army for everything that Jesus has purchased for us’: Lauren Boebert at Freedom rally  —  Wearing her usual holstered firearm U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) on Independence Day injected a heavy dose of Christian nationalism into her speech in Mesa County, Colorado.

Far-Right Extremist Finds an Ally in an Arizona Congressman  —  Representative Paul Gosar's association with the white nationalist Nick Fuentes is the most vivid example of the Republican Party's growing acceptance of extremism.  —  WASHINGTON — Nick Fuentes, the leader of a white nationalist group …

‘Killing spree’: Wisconsin's wolf population plunges after protections removed, study finds  —  Researchers blame poaching and hunting far beyond quotas after species dropped from endangered list  —  As many as one-third of Wisconsin's gray wolves probably died at the hands of humans …

Anti-Critical Race Theory Laws Are Un-American  —  The authors are a cross-partisan group of thinkers who have written extensively about authoritarianism, liberalism and free speech.  —  What is the purpose of a liberal education?  This is the question at the heart of a bitter debate that has been roiling the nation for months.

Trump Organization charges could open the indictment floodgates  —  We have now had a few days to try to absorb the Manhattan district attorney's criminal indictment against the Trump Organization and Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg.  Here are some topline takeaways …

What's keeping democracy experts up most at night?  An overturned election … WASHINGTON — Congress is just beginning a new investigation into the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, but the movement behind it remains as active as ever.  Former President Donald Trump is frequently repeating false claims …

Former Murdoch Exec: Fox News Is Poison For America  —  The Rupert Murdoch I worked for was brilliant, courageous, optimistic, and a gentleman.  Which makes his bile-filled network all the more confounding. … Rupert Murdoch, whom I served for seven years, has many business and journalistic achievements.

Democrats' calls to defund the police are dangerous  —  Last fall, I was visiting my mother and father after a long bus tour across Kansas.  My parents still live in the same home I was raised in, and as I was leaving that fall day, a scene of a riot was on the TV.

Conservatives Have No Plan To Win the Culture War.  They Intend to Rule Anyway.  —  Conservatives would have to make changes to win the hearts and minds of the young.  They have no intention of doing that.  They intend to kill democracy, instead  —  In this age of dull-witted Fox News propaganda …

Counterintelligence is as American as Apple Pie  —  America just celebrated another July 4th and, while it was a happier affair than the contested Canada Day feted by our neighbors to the north, the sense that the country is emerging from 18 months of coronavirus shutdown was palpable.

Progressives ramp up Medicare expansion push in Congress  —  Progressives are ramping up their push to expand Medicare in an upcoming legislative package, with the goal of lowering the eligibility age and adding new benefits.  —  The Congressional Progressive Caucus made its case …

Keystone XL Pipeline Developer Seeks $15 Billion in Damages From US  —  Energy company TC Energy has said it's seeking $15 billion in damages from the United States government over President Joe Biden's decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline project.  —  In a statement on July 2 …

Trump Just Got Even Cozier With QAnon  —  “We are the news now.”  —  DG  —  Two major QAnon influencers were given official press credentials to the latest Trump rally held in Sarasota, Florida over the weekend, signaling a new level of acceptance of the QAnon conspiracy theory by the former president and his team.