The U.S. Debt-Ceiling Drama Is Back, But Democrats Can Finally Break the Cycle  —  We've been here before—in 1995-96, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2019.  This time may end a little differently.  —  Joe Biden has had to confront plenty of new problems since becoming president …

A year after Trump said he wanted to “get rid of the ballots,” has the press learned anything?  —  “That particular question was the precursor to everything that followed - the Big Lie, the Insurrection and what we're living with as far as Trump being in denial about the election results...”

FDA Authorizes Booster Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for Certain Populations  —  For Immediate Release:  —  Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to allow for use of a single booster dose …

White House blames Boris Johnson after U.S. press corps' questions for Biden shut down  —  Members of the White House press corps filed a formal complaint after a meeting between President Biden and the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ended with questions only from members of the British press.

Biden Security Adviser Jake Sullivan Tied to Alleged 2016 Clinton Scheme to Co-Opt CIA and FBI to Tar Trump  —  White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan figures prominently in a grand jury investigation run by Special Counsel John Durham into an alleged 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign scheme …

Sen. Susan Collins won't support abortion rights bill  —  As Democrats consider legislation to respond to a new Texas state ban on abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy, they have lost the support of one of the few remaining Republicans who support abortion rights.

New Proof Emerges of the Biden Family Emails: a Definitive Account of the CIA/Media/BigTech Fraud  —  An axis of the CIA, Big Tech and the DNC-allied wing of the corporate media spread an absolute lie in the weeks before the 2020 election.  We now have definitive proof.

Florida's new surgeon general says COVID-19 vaccines are ‘nothing special’ and opposes mask mandates  — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Dr. Joseph Ladapo to surgeon general and secretary of the state's health department on Tuesday.  — But Ladapo has come under fire for his criticism of COVID-19 vaccines and mask mandates.

EXCLUSIVE: New emails reveal Hunter Biden asked for $2 million plus ‘success fees’ to help unfreeze Libyan assets … Two previously unpublished emails sent by business contacts of Hunter Biden indicate that the president's son requested an annual retainer of $2 million to help recover billions …

Atlantic writer slams GOP, Trump voters as obese drug users: ‘Go for a walk and order the salmon’  —  'If you found a county where there is a lot of obesity and drub abuse, that's where you had a lot of Trump votes'  —  The Atlantic staff writer David Frum disparaged Donald Trump voters …

Not Getting Vaccinated to Own Your Fellow Libs  —  Conspiracy theorists who discount the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and other public-health mandates are often portrayed in the media as right-wing.  That's for good reason: a not-insignificant number of the most vocal conspiracists tie …

As the Petito case grips the nation, families of color say their missing loved ones matter, too  —  The last time Kimberly Bryan spoke to her sister, Tiffany Foster was showing off her new car.  Bryan cracked some jokes about how it was about time but also told her big sister how proud she was.

Diplomat overseeing ‘Havana Syndrome’ response is out after 6 months  —  WASHINGTON — The top State Department official overseeing the response to “Havana Syndrome” is leaving her position after only six months on the job, three officials tell NBC News.  —  Ambassador Pamela Spratlen …

Has Covid Cost Australia Its Love for Freedom?  —  Half the country is locked down, and its borders remain closed.  But most Australians are willing to make these sacrifices in pursuit of a collective freedom from fear of the virus.  —  SYDNEY, Australia — In the war against the coronavirus's …

The Stacey Abrams tour  —  Stacey Abrams this week launched an ambitious national tour that will stretch across months and many swing states ahead of the 2022 midterms — and potentially elevate her standing in the Democratic Party in the process.  —  Driving the news: Abrams kicked off …

Grand Jury Returns Indictments Charging 2 Afghan Evacuees with Crimes While at Fort McCoy & Wisconsin Residents with Gun & Drug Crimes  —  MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today.

The tangled tale of the Israel consulate, the Dilbert cartoonist and the Matt Gaetz case  —  MIAMI — Of the many only-in-Florida aspects of the Rep. Matt Gaetz sex-crimes investigation, one stands out for its utter weirdness: the story of the Israeli consulate staffer, the cartoonist …

Mike Pence Says He Hopes the Supreme Court Will Restrict U.S. Abortions  —  Budapest, Hungary (AP) — Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that he is hopeful the new conservative majority on the Supreme Court created during his and President Donald Trump's administration …

Paul LePage Is Back.  And Maine Is Terrified.  —  Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via AP  —  LEWISTON, Maine — Remember Paul LePage?  Sure you do.  He's the former governor of Maine who has called himself, accurately enough, “Donald Trump before Donald Trump” — a hot-headed …

POLITICO Playbook: Inside the room of Biden's talks with Dems  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  THE READOUT — Here's the most important development that came from President JOE BIDEN's five hours of meetings with 23 legislators in the Oval Office on Wednesday, according to a senior White House official …

Is The Worst Over?  Modelers Predict A Steady Decline In COVID Cases Through March  —  Americans may be able to breathe a tentative sigh of relief soon, according to researchers studying the trajectory of the pandemic.  —  The delta surge appears to be peaking nationally …

Pelosi signals she won't move $3.5T bill without Senate-House deal  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has signaled to colleagues in both chambers that she will not put the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package on the House floor for a vote until it's clear that it can also pass the 50-50 Senate.

What Jonathan Franzen and the Left Get Wrong About Free Speech Don't wait for an emergency to criticize dangerous ideas by your allies.  —  Novelist Jonathan Franzen, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, explained why he refused to sign a letter to Harper's defending free speech norms from the left.

Vanderbilt children's hospital chief: COVID-19 is spurring mental health crises in kids  —  COVID-19 is driving both physical and mental health crises among kids, according to the leader of Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.  —  A surge of pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations …

After Mandating Masks Outdoors, Oregon's Active COVID-19 Cases Increased 73 Percent  —  On August 24, Oregon governor Kate Brown instated a state masking requirement that requires everyone five years and older, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask, face covering or face shield …