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Throughout the summer until now, Biden’s sizable lead has remained steady. The Real Clear Politics’ averages of national polls compiled between June 1 and August 22 show that Biden’s worst lead in the time period was about 6.4 percentage points, while his average lead over Trump hovered above 8 points, according to an analysis by MSNBC. Multiple individual polls have shown Biden ahead of Trump by 12 to 15 points during the summer, but his highest average lead in national polls was 10....

This saw a divided court reject the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule that would have mandated approximately 80 million people to receive vaccinations or periodic tests or risk losing their jobs. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett dissented, with Thomas writing in his conclusion in the Biden v. Missouri case: “These cases are not about the efficacy or importance of COVID–19 vaccines....

Former President Donald Trump relinquished the U.S. seat on the Human Rights Council mainly because it repeatedly criticized the Israeli government and because its membership includes certain abusive governments. His administration imposed sanctions on the ICC prosecutor and a staff member to thwart investigations of U.S. torture, principally in Afghanistan, and Israeli war crimes in Palestine. With respect to the council, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the administration would engage “immediately and vigorously,” although for now only as an observer....

“It’s unlikely to have an immediate impact by Thanksgiving,” Devin Gladden, a spokesperson for the American Automobile Association (AAA), told Newsweek. “Although we will see some incremental decreases, we’re not expecting this to have a long-term impact. But it certainly will have an impact.” China, India, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom have also all committed to opening up their oil reserves in an effort to help fight global oil prices....

Biden has been vocal about his desire to see police reform since protests began after the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers. Demonstrators have sought to shine a light on what they perceive to be widespread police brutality and racism. “We have to, in my view, change the way the entire criminal justice system functions, and the prison system,” Biden said. “It should turn into a rehabilitation system, not into just punishment....

Biden again underscored the gravity of the tense situation at the border between the two Eastern European countries, where Russia has amassed 100,000 troops in possible preparation of an invasion of the former Soviet republic. Biden told reporters there has been “no change in the posture of the Russian forces” along the border with Ukraine, according to a video of his remarks captured by the Associated Press. White House officials have warned of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine....

Floyd’s death during an arrest attempt by members of the Minneapolis Police Department galvanized demonstrators across the country to protest police brutality and racism. Video taken by a witness to the arrest attempt was shared on social media. In the footage, a white officer can be seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd can be heard to say, “I can’t breathe.” The phrase became a chant for some protesters and a point of reference for Biden’s Thursday remarks....

Since incoming national security adviser Jake Sullivan flew to Oman to engage in secret negotiations that eventually led to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), President Hassan Rouhani’s and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s influence has declined. These “acceptable” representatives of the Iranian regime have been handicapped by incompetence, corruption, economic failures and internal power struggles. This is a major roadblock for Sullivan, Antony Blinken and the rest of the national security team....

Conversely, a coalition of anti-war groups sent Biden an open letter on Monday, signed by 51 organizations, urging him to “build a future in which all Palestinians and Israelis live under full equality” by “leveraging the annual $3.8 billion in U.S. military funding to Israel” to disband Israel’s settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and end the country’s military blockade of Gaza. In a statement given to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency last week, Biden said his priority for Israeli-Palestinian peace involved restarting dialogue with the Palestinians and pressing Israel to avoid actions that make the possibility a two-state solution difficult....

In a survey released Tuesday from Firehouse Strategies-Optimus, new poll numbers show Biden’s lead has opened up by three points since March with 54 percent support from responders. Support for Trump has remained at 43 percent. Biden was also ahead by 11 points in another survey from Quinnipiac University, which showed a 50 to 39 percent matchup. However, other national polls show a closer race between the presumptive Democratic nominee and the current president....

The two presidents have had a fraught relationship since Biden was sworn into office in January and was quick to criticize Beijing for human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims, suppression of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, and military aggression against Taiwan. The focus is now on whether warm words will translate to action, with no traditional joint statement from the leaders confirming steps to lower the temperature and the core issues going unresolved....

Either the Sooners or Longhorns would win the Big 12 South Division every year through 2010. The schools combined for nine of the next 12 conference championships in that stretch. Stoops won a national championship in 2000. Brown got his in 2005. Oklahoma won three more Big 12 championships in the current format but didn’t have the same partnership with the Longhorns after Brown retired. Stoops retired on Wednesday, and now those two schools face the same scenario again....

Step One: while her students, 17 second and third graders, write in their journals, Sergeant sits down at one of the two computers in the corner of her classroom and tries to access the Web site of a local TV station, WMUR in Manchester. A minute or so later, she gets an error message (“Netscape is unable to locate…”). She tries again. Another minute passes; another error message. Sergeant sighs....

Big tech, civil society, and mainstream politicians may be largely united on the need to purge social media of the worst extremist material. But the transnational push risks kicking a hornet’s nest of populist figures and groups that rely on social media. The “22 July 2011 at Ten: Commemoration and Commitment” event seeks to “embrace and extend” the “Christchurch Call”—a shared commitment by governments and tech companies to stop terrorist and violent extremist content appearing online....

Cassidy grew up in Baton Rouge and still has close ties to the area, but the parish’s Republican Executive Committee has branded his actions a “betrayal.” “The Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish hereby censures Senator Bill Cassidy and holds him out as an object of shame,” the censure resolution read, according to KTAL NBC 6. “We condemn Senator Cassidy’s actions in the strongest manner,” the resolution said....

The current analyst for CBS sports said trading for Fitzpatrick will help the Steelers improve on defense, which should in return help the offense keep the game close as second-year quarterback Mason Rudolph finds his way. “I think at this point, you kinda go back to a little bit of the onus that when Ben goes down, everyone talks about the offensive side,” Cowher said on an appearance with CBS Sports HQ earlier this week....

The 65-year-old Asian woman was assaulted outside a building at 360 West 43rd Street. Surveillance footage of the attack shows a significantly larger man punch the woman in the face—knocking her to the ground—before he proceeds to stomp on her and kick her several times. The woman has reportedly been hospitalized with serious injuries. “We continue to see these horrible, disgusting attacks on Asian American New Yorkers and it’s got to end,” de Blasio said at a City Hall press briefing on Tuesday....